Community News (V14-I19)

Man Charged with Stealing from Villa Park Mosque

VILLA PARK,IL–The Muslim Observer have been reporting for the past few weeks on crimes committed by Muslims on Muslims including stealing and fraud. In a new low an employee of the Islamic Foundation in Villa Park has been charged with stealing.

The man, who was working as a business and finance director at the mosque,  allegedly put his wife on the organization’s payroll without authorization and over a two-year period.  She was issued checks totaling $212,000. The foundation discovered the discrepancy during a payroll review and brought the matter to police.

The man was charged with one count of theft over $100,000, a class 1 felony punishable by up to four to 15 years in prison. He is due to appear June 4 for arraignment.

Afshan Khan named CEO of women’s organization

WASHINGTON D.C.–The Board of Directors of Women for Women International announced  it has named Afshan Khan to be the new chief executive officer of the organization. Ms. Khan, who comes to the global nonprofit after more than 20 years at UNICEF, begins the position on June 18, 2012.

Most recently as the Director of UNICEF’s Public-Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilization Office, Ms. Khan has decades of experience managing complex, global projects that focus on international policy, advocacy issues, partnership development and fundraising. She served in numerous capacities over her 25-year career equally spread out working in challenging field office postings and at the executive level. She has deep experience in developing and managing highly effective public-private partnerships aimed at initiatives as varied as containing disease outbreaks, combating child labor, and supporting households affected by HIV/AIDS.

“I am honored to take the helm of this extraordinary organization, which embodies the values and mission that have driven my career,” said Ms. Khan. “Women for Women International’s work has never been more relevant and more necessary. We will always be a vital resource for women to rebuild their own lives and their families’ after war.”

Ms. Khan succeeds Zainab Salbi, who founded Women for Women International in 1993 and stepped down as its CEO last year. Ms. Salbi will continue to support Women for Women International through her board membership and through her role as a global advocate for women’s rights.

About Ms. Khan’s appointment, Ms. Salbi said: “I know Afshan will take what we built over the last 19 years to another level of excellence in service to the world. I am committed to supporting her leadership in all ways she deems necessary.”

Albanians honored in Staten Island

STATEN ISLAND,NY–Albanians were honoured at a ceremony at a Staten Island ceremony for their role in saving Jews during the holocaust. They were honored at the annual Yom Hashoah Commemoration last Sunday at the Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center, according to the Silive.com news portal.

The Keynote speaker, Albanian ambassador to the United Nations, Ferit Hoxha, received standing ovations before and after his speech at the event.

The ambassador stressed that Albania was the only nation in Europe where there were more Jews after WW II than before, their numbers rising from about 200 to more than 2,000. The growth included refugees from countries such as Greece, Austria and Italy, said Manny Saks, co-chair with George Laufer of the Staten Island Holocaust Commemoration Committee.

“Every Albanian Jew survived the Holocaust,” the ambassador said proudly, adding that “there was no instance when an Albanian accepted compensation for hiding Jews.”

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