Islamic Resource Group

As we continue in this wonderful month of Ramadan, we extend a kind invitation to join us for our annual fundraising iftar at Rabata Cultural Center, Friday, March 6 at 5 pm.

Dr. Tamara Gray will speak about the importance of community, highlighting the Interfaith faith spaces IRG participates in. Please RSVP here: bit.ly/iftarirg
We look forward to having you join us 🩵

Dr. Tamim Saidi and Zafar Siddiqui from IRG met with Rabbi Arielle Lekach-Rosenberg and Rabbi Joey Glick from Shir Tikvah over lunch at Holy Land, a Palestinian-owned restaurant, in Minneapolis.

IRG continues to build relationships and bridges of understanding with a diverse group of interfaith partners.

Dr. Tamim Saidi, IRG's Resident Scholar, was invited to World Religion Day celebrations in Roseville and Eden Prairie.

Ready to join the IRG Team as a speaker? Come to our next New Speaker Training this Saturday!

➡️ Sign up here: bit.ly/irgspeaker
❓ Questions? Email [email protected]

Celebrating Bridge Builders Across Minnesota

Last weekend, IRG held its 13th Annual Building Bridges Awards event, a night dedicated to honoring Minnesotans who build understanding across our communities.

Our keynote speaker was Nausheena Hussain, author of Prosperity with Purpose: A Muslim Woman's Guide to Generosity and Abundance. Her message on purposeful giving and community strength set the tone for the evening.

Building bridges is all about teamwork and relationships. IRG could not have been successful without the help of the many Minnesotans who reached out to us with sincerity to build understanding. It was this acute realization, along with the need to be true to our value system, one that nurtures in us the habit of being grateful to God for His numerous blessings, that led to the creation of the Building Bridges Awards Program. This award honors individuals and organizations who went above and beyond to bring Minnesotans closer together based on our shared humanity.

A quarter century of building bridges of understanding through education is an experience that is difficult to capture in words.

Our premise that human beings are decent individuals was proven every time we interacted with half a million Minnesotans. IRG’s adherence to objectivity and academic integrity opened more doors of understanding than one could have imagined.

Amidst the rising tide of anti-Islam hysteria, especially during election cycles, IRG stayed focused on dispelling stereotypes and building understanding and friendship across our communities. We are convinced that the voices of hate and bigotry will despair in finding roots here with the tremendous bridge-building work taking place across Minnesota.

As we walk toward the next quarter century, we expect our youth to lead the way for peace, friendship, and coexistence while helping create an environment where civility is the norm and where people from different backgrounds do not see one another as adversaries but as collaborating partners in all good.

As diehard optimists, we believe that we are only limited by the extent of our dreams. Let us dream big and make it a reality together.

IRG honored the following awardees:

Education: Brenda Lewis, Ph.D., Superintendent, and Rochelle Cox, Assistant Superintendent, Fridley School District

Health Care: Sneha Singh, PhD, Minnesota Department of Health

Interfaith: University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University

Law Enforcement: Gail M., Specialist, Ramsey County Correctional Facility

Lifetime Achievement: Zaheer Baber and Zarina Baber, for their decades of tremendous community leadership

Community Leadership: Nasrieen Habib, Founder of Amanah Recreational Project

We are honored to recognize Dr. Brenda Lewis and Ms. Rochelle Cox at the IRG's 13th Annual Building Bridges Awards Banquet. Leaders like Dr. Lewis and Ms. Cox help make our schools inclusive.

Congratulations to Superintendent Dr. Brenda Lewis and Assistant Superintendent Rochelle Cox for being recognized as recipients of the Education Building Bridges Award! 👏

They were honored at the 13th Annual Islamic Resource Group (IRG) Awards Gala this past weekend.

This recognition reflects our dedication to making every student and family feel included and valued. 💛

✨ Give to the Max — Early Giving Match!✨

🥳 EXCITING NEWS
The IRG Board of Directors is matching up to $1,000 donated during the early giving period! 💛

Your support helps us continue educating our Minnesota neighbors about Islam with excellence and compassion.

🎁 Early giving ends Nov. 19 at 11:59 PM. Give before then and your gift will be doubled.

Give here: bit.ly/irg2025

💛 Thank you for believing in this work!

✨ *Give to the Max — Early Giving Match!* ✨

The IRG Board of Directors is matching up to $1,000 donated during the early giving period! 💛

Your support helps us continue educating our Minnesota neighbors about Islam with excellence and compassion.

🎁 Early giving ends Nov. 19 at 11:59 PM. Give before then and your gift will be doubled.

Give here: https://www.givemn.org/story/irg2025 -grants

💛 Thank you for believing in this work!

Support IRG: Give to the Max Day 2025 on GiveMN Fuel IRG’s work to educate and inspire thousands across MN. Help us reach $10K!

Our annual IRG Building Bridges Awards is right around the corner! Come join us for food and connection, as we honor our 2025 awardees!

register here: bit.ly/ibba2025

Our youth are stepping up and training to become IRG speakers, ready to share with the world what Islam truly is!

Thanks to our partnership with , this was offered as an elective in their Sunday School. Today we wrapped up our very first session with a powerful closing question, and the responses we received were beautiful.

Now we’d love to hear your answer too!