IQRA honors three Muslim leaders October 19

Media contact: Jameel A. Syed
Cell: 248.635.9275
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Website: www.iqrafoundation.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IQRA’ SILVER JUBILEE DINNER
Securing Our Future: The Need for Effective Islamic Education
Chicago (Aug. 13, 2008) – Twenty-five years have passed since concerned educators established a non-profit organization whose name literally means to "read." This fact not only reflects the first word revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but exhibits this organization’s goal to facilitate access to Islamic literature and education for everyone.

IQRA’ International Educational Foundation invites you to celebrate its Silver Jubilee anniversary on Sunday, October 19th, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. at Monty’s Elegant Banquets in Bensenville, Illinois. Tickets are priced at $100 per person and $50 for students. The event will include a dinner with entertainment and will provide an opportunity for all involved to converse and network with leading civic and educational activists in the country. One of America’s most valued Islamic scholars, Imam Zaid Shakir, will present the keynote address focusing on the challenges facing Islamic education in pluralistic societies.

IQRA’ will also honor three American Muslim scholars - Shaykh Abdullah Idris Ali, Dr. Ahmad Sakr and Dr. Seema Imam - with lifetime achievement awards.

These past seven months, IQRA’ has been celebrating its Silver Jubilee with a series of programs that include teachers training workshops, storytelling for children, special educational forums, visits to Islamic centers and community organizations and Khutbahs to Masajids
IQRA’ International Educational Foundation was established in 1983 by concerned Muslim educators who saw a need to provide quality Islamic education for Muslim children living in North America and in other pluralistic societies. IQRA’ has since developed a comprehensive, integrated and systematic system of Islamic studies, publishing over 150 textbooks, workbooks, teacher’s guides, curriculum guides and other educational materials. IQRA’s program is extremely popular in Islamic full-time and weekend schools and is being used in many countries around the world.

This year IQRA’ International Educational Foundation plans to establish a program of online distance learning state of the art distribution facilities for Islamic publications and an updated marketing system.

Of course, all of this work takes money. "Our future depends on achieving financial independence and operational efficiency, given that we are accountable to the community from whom we aim to secure at least one million dollars," said Dr. Abidullah Ghazi, IQRA’s executive director. "With community support we plan to establish an endowment fund that would provide for the continuation of our efforts well into the future. It is also critically important that we prepare IQRA’s succession by bringing in young professionals."

We at IQRA’ International Educational Foundation invite you to celebrate our achievements on IQRA’s Silver Jubilee celebration night on October 19th, 2008. You can purchase tickets in person at IQRA’ Book Center, IQRA’ Head Office, or online at

http://www.iqrafoundation.com/.
Jubilee Venue Address: Monty’s Elegant Banquets
703 South York Road
Bensenville, IL. 60106
(630) 595-1780
IQRA’ Head Office: 7450 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie, IL 60077
(847) 673-4072

IQRA’ Book Center: 2749-51 W. Devon Ave.
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 274-2665