Today we’d like to introduce you to Abdullah Tahiri
Hi Abdullah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My family and I arrived in the United States as refugees in 1989 from Afghanistan and made California our new home. I barely spoke English when I arrived, in the US, as a high school freshman. Through hard work, I was able to finish college, attend a 4-year university and the first person in my family to attend graduate school and get my master’s degree.
My wife and I live in San Marcos presently and we are the proud parents of four children. I am currently in the financial sector as a working professional, and I have a strong passion to serve others. I am the President of the Board for Tri-City Islamic Center in Vista and also a board member for Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego. I serve in an advisory capacity for San Diego Afghan Refugee Aid Group as well.
I am in complete agreement with Muhammad Ali, the legendary boxer, who once said that “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” I will take it a bit further and mention that service to others will also impact one’s status in the hereafter, too!
Socrates is credited by saying that “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Serving the Creator and His creation creates true purpose in life and makes it worth living. My message to everyone is to go and serve every chance you get and make the world better, even if just a little, for others.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A life without obstacles is a bit dull! It makes you not appreciate life when there are no challenges. Self-growth happens when one rises above the challenges and finds the silver lining even in the most difficult situations.
There are times when the road is smooth and there are times you need to make the rough road smooth yourself to reach your destination.
I think as a Muslim, post 9/11 was painful and processing the current genocide taking place in Gaza is beyond traumatic, however. We cannot and should not compare what the Gazans are going through with our level of trauma. However, anyone with a working moral compass is hurting to see the immense suffering taking place and funded by our tax dollars.
Sadly, our nation that considers itself a beacon for human rights and justice is now complicit in a genocide and we have completely lost that moral high ground when it comes to standing up for human rights. The world sees our nation supporting and funding one of the worst genocides in history. As patriotic Americans, we have a fiduciary responsibility to speak out against any type of injustice as reminded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Finding the silver lining in the face of adversity is not easy but we must all strive to get there.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I can certainly discuss my professional experience if needed. I would like to highlight my experience in the non-profit sector and specifically as it relates to being a board member for Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego (MLCSD).
MLCSD is an umbrella organization for Muslim non-profit institutions and organizations in San Diego County. Serving others is something that I am innately wired with and being one of board members of MLCSD allows me to serve our community members, Muslims or non-Muslims, in order to make a positive impact in the lives of many, especially the under-served.
MLCSD also serves as a bridge to connect different faiths and creates understanding so we can be allies towards common good for humanity locally and globally. What we are most proud of is our ability to have a united voice regarding issues that impact us on a local and even global stage.
The essence of MLCSD is to be a positive force for good and our organization members’ visions and missions embody the essence of service to others. What sets Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego apart from others is its ability to provide a space so we can unite our member organizations, be the central communication hub for their activities, support their work in order to make a positive impact every day for San Diegans!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Any book by Bob Woodard, Rumi poetry compilations, “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy” by John Mearsheimer
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mlcsd.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlcsandiego/
Image Credits
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