February 18th, 2016: Islam, Religion, and Syria: How Do They Connect?

 

 “Islam is the faith of over 1.2 billion people worldwide. It is also the faith of the majority of Syrians both in Syria and around the world. Damascus is believed to be a key location in the narrative of the earth’s final days and Jesus’s (Peace Upon Him) defeat of the anti-Christ/false messiah.

 

Islam promotes the struggle against tyranny and oppression. At the same time, Islam guides the faithful to exhaust all possible means prior to commencing civil unrest. Dictators and oppressive regimes abuse this latter concept often. What, then, is a religious view on the civil war and support of the people of Syria?

 

The role of religion and how it intertwines with the complexity of the current civil war will be discussed.”

 

 

Imam Omar Ali (Atia) currently serves as the Executive Director and Imam of the Evansville Islamic Center in Evansville, Indiana. Imam Omar is a community activist and motivational speaker with more than sixteen (16) years of experience. He is also the co-founder of Reclamation Studios, a non-profit initiative with the mission to inspire a rediscovery and reclaiming of faith for Muslims around the world, and in the process, transparently convey the essence of the Divine message to the human family [“Reclaim Faith, Inspire Virtue, Connect Humanity”].

Having directly led non-profit community and youth development organizations, he speaks from first-hand, grass-roots experience. His unique blend of faith-based learning, coupled with real-world social justice leadership, enables him to provide a practical and knowledge-based take on Islam. His thought-leadership is known for staying true to faith tradition while providing a vision that is relevant and transformative for America.

Previously, Imam Omar’s leadership guided youth and community development efforts in Indianapolis (Indiana), Chicago (Illinois), and Cincinnati (Ohio). Imam Omar is also cofounder of the company Alif Arabic, which has successfully provided people around the world a highly accessible way to learn Arabic for more than five years.

Imam Omar graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Multi-Discipline Engineering and has completed courses with the Islamic American University towards a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies.

Imam Omar was born in Elgin, Illinois, lived in Cairo, Egypt for part of his childhood and has lived in Indiana for most of his life since. He currently resides in Newburgh, Indiana with his wife Jazmine, and three children: Abdallah, Ammar, and Jennah.