In this episode of Faith in Elections, host Adam Phillips speaks with two Muslim leaders about their civic engagement efforts. First, Dr. Dilara Sayeed of the Muslim Civic Coalition shares her work on combating voter apathy, including passing the Wadee Resolution to address rising hate crimes. She emphasizes the need for resilient, engaged communities.

Next, Shariq Ghani from the Minaret Foundation discusses his work in Harris County, Texas, fostering multi-faith collaborations to improve voter access. He highlights the power of interfaith connections in bridging divides and strengthening democracy. Both guests show how solidarity can uphold shared values and counteract divisiveness.  

Guest Bio: Dr. Dilara Sayeed serves as the President of the Muslim Civic Coalition. Dilara’s story goes from Headstart to Harvard, and through public school systems. She is an award-winning teacher, social impact entrepreneur, and civic justice advocate. In 2021, Dilara was appointed by Governor Pritzker to the IL Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes (CDHC). Dilara has served on the Transition team for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, as well as Advisory Councils for Mayor Lightfoot and Illinois Comptroller Mendoza. She is a board trustee for the Field Museum and Indo-American Democratic Organization.

Guest Bio: Shariq Ghani is the Director of Minaret Foundation, an organization focused on developing multi-faith relations to change the world through advocacy in the areas of food insecurity, child welfare, and religious freedom. For the past 11 years, Shariq has regularly spoken at faith centers, conferences, and educational institutions on topics ranging from American Muslim identity to faith-based advocacy and spirituality. In addition to teaching Islam through sermons and lectures, he works with clergy, policymakers, and law enforcement to provide insight into the American-Muslim community. Shariq has a bachelor's in history from the University of Houston and completed his graduate studies in homeland security from the Bush School at Texas A&M. He is currently pursuing his master’s in negotiation and conflict resolution with a focus on peacebuilding from Columbia University. Shariq's passion is finding intersections between communities for collaboration and mutual growth and loves to connect with like-minded people over chai or burgers.

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