2022
Annual Report
Each year at ISF, we plan new ways to help our community flourish. In these pages, you will be introduced to Pulitzer-prize-winning journalists and Pen/Hemingway novelists. You will see the work of filmmakers showcasing star-studded, award-winning feature films and documentaries that are celebrated at Cannes and the Tribeca Film Festival. You will learn about public interest lawyers fighting discrimination and bias in the workplace and the federal government, state judges serving in districts with underrepresented populations, and elected officials serving at every level of our political system. Our alums change the media landscape by authoring stories reflecting American Muslims' rich diversity.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
ISF proactively builds a positive American Muslim future by increasing Muslim participation in underrepresented fields that impact public opinion and public policy.
WHAT WE DO
ISF empowers American Muslims in public policy, law, film, and media to advance equity and social justice for all.
how we do it
ISF invests in the education of future leaders through scholarships, internships, and fellowships. By providing personalized support, critical industry access, and ongoing development, we empower American Muslims to excel and make a positive impact in the world.
isf's focus
PUBLIC SERVICE
Public Policy
Cultural change is only one piece of social justice work. Equity and inclusion need to be fortified by formalized, institutionally protected rights. ISF supports the American Muslim thought-leaders and policy-makers who recommend policies and set laws on the local,state, and federal.
Public Interest Law
Rights are not easily given. Change requires advocacy, especially for systemically underserved and disenfranchised populations, Muslim or not. ISF helps advance American Muslims who serve public interest law as public defenders, human rights advocates, and judges.
MEDIA
FILM
Cultural change is only one piece of social justice work. Equity and inclusion need to be fortified by formalized, institutionally protected rights. ISF supports the American Muslim thought-leaders and policy-makers who recommend policies and set laws on the local,state, and federal.
JOURNALISM
Rights are not easily given. Change requires advocacy, especially for systemically underserved and disenfranchised populations, Muslim or not. ISF helps advance American Muslims who serve public interest law as public defenders, human rights advocates, and judges.
Public Policy
OUR PUBLIC POLICY ALUM WORK FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE
Ruwa Romman
Sponsored by the Higgy Family
2018
Ruwa Romman made history as the first
Muslim woman elected to the Georgia
State House, and the first Palestinian
elected to any Georgia public office.
Despite her opponent’s anti-Muslim
campaign, Ruwa won by focusing her
positive platform on public service for
marginalized groups.
Abdullah Hasan
Sponsored by the Muslim
Community Association of the
Bay Area (MCA)
2014-2015
Abdullah Hasan previously served as the White House assistant press secretary and is currently pursuing a law degree.
Public Interest Law
FROM LAW SCHOOL TO SOCIAL JUSTICE
Laila Ikram
Law Recipient sponsored by the
Zehra Attari Memorial Scholarship
2014
Laila Ikram is the first Muslim judge in Arizona. She serves on some of the most high-volume courts in the state where many cannot retain attorneys and instead represent themselves.
Nicole Fauster
Law Recipient sponsored by
the Foundation for Intelligent
Giving (FIG) and Capital
Area Muslim Bar Association
(CAMBA)
2015, 2017, 2018
In addition to her current role investigating discrimination in higher education as a Title IX attorney at American University, Nicole Fauster previously investigated discrimination claims against the federal government as an attorney consultant with the Bashen Corporation, represented Muslims in employment discrimination cases with CAIR Georgia, and worked internationally to protect the rights of migrants and refugees.
Join This Important Work.
Film
OUR FILM ALUM DIVERSIFY MUSLIM REPRESENTATION
Jumai Yusuf
Film Scholarship Recipient
sponsored by the Ghulam and
Arifa Azad Family
2018
Director and filmmaker Jumai Yusuf was recognized at the Cannes Film Festival for Cocoa Doll. Her script was selected for the 2022 WScripted Screenplay List, a contest recommending remarkable feature films written by women & non-binary screenwriters to producers.
Imran J. Khan
Film Scholarship Recipient
sponsored by Muslim
Community Association of the
Bay Area (MCA)
2012
Editor and writer-director Imran J. Khan shot Mustache with executive producer Christopher Storer EP of Ramy and The Bear. Mustache, a feature film about growing up Muslim in the 90s, stars Rizwan Manji, Alicia Silverstone, and Hasan Minhaj. The film has been selected for competition at film and music festival SXSW. Imran has also worked on films such as Minions, Space Jam, and Hasan Minaj Homecoming King.
Media
ISF MEDIA ALUM AMPLIFY OUR VOICES
Lila Hassan
Media Scholarship Recipient sponsored by the ISF-Safari/Heidari-Bateni Fund
2019
Lila Hassan is an award-winning journalist who worked with a New York Times team led by Azmat Khan on the groundbreaking “Civilian Casualty Files”, which won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. The report revealed evidence of the practices and consequences of U.S. Military drone policies.
Jamil Jan Kochai
Media Scholarship Recipient
sponsored by SBIA/Mateen Mobeen Foundation/Our Three Winners Endowment
2015, 2017, 2018
Jamil Jan Kochai is a writer whose debut novel 99 Nights in Logar was a Pen/Hemingway Award finalist and whose most 2022 short story collection, The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories was a finalist for the 2022 National Book awards.
Congressional Internships & Fellowships
PROVIDING ACCESS FOR
CAREER ADVANCEMENT
2022 SPONSORS
Memorial Scholarships
Abdul Sattar Gandhi Memorial Scholarship
Abdul Sattar Rydhan Memorial Scholarship
Afshin Riaz Future Leaders Scholarship
Ayub Kundi Memorial Scholarship
Azza Shamseldin Scholarship
David Dobbins Memorial Scholarship
Ghulam and Arifa Azad Family Scholarship
Hina (Fakhera) Sherwani Memorial Scholarship
Hina Jafri-Syeda Zehra Batool Jafri Scholarship
Mahmoud Abdelmageed Memorial Fund
Rahmatara Begum Scholarship
Syed Shaukat Husain Memorial Scholarship
Tarek Al Kadri, Social Justice Leadership Scholarship by MFLA
Zehra Attari Memorial Scholarship
Organization Scholarships
Amana Mutual Funds
Foundation for Intelligent Giving (FIG)
Goats Foundation
Islamic Institute of Orange County (IIOC)
Muslim Bar Association of New York (MuBANY)
National Association of Muslim Lawyers (NAML) Scholarship
Palo Alto Networks Group
Salman Ravala Scholarship
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Scholarship
UC Irvine Muslim Alumni Scholarship
Family Scholarships
Afzal Family Foundation
Akbari Scholarship
Alassar Family Scholarship
F. Basma Scholarship
Fikry and Dorria Fahmy Scholarship
Ghobarah-Naqvi Scholarship
Guillen-Omar Family Scholarship
Haider Family Scholarship
Kosar and Javed Mohammed Scholarship
Makhraj Endowment Fund Scholarship
Shahin-Fatemeh Scholarship
Shohoud Family
Soltan Family
Syed & Hijazi Family Scholarship