Community News (V13-I11)

Islamic school students win mock trial contest

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ–When it comes to academic excellence Muslim students are second to none. This was proven this week when a team of students from a New Jersey Islamic school won a county wide mock trial contest sponsored by the Middlesex County Bar Association and the New Jersey State Bar Foundation.

The  team from Noor-Ul-Iman School of the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick defeated the team from North Brunswick Township High School in the semifinal rounds. Local attorneys and Superior Court judges volunteered their time to participate in the event conducted at the Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick.

Noor-Ul-Iman students participating in the mock trial team included Sabah Abbasi, Ismael Catovic, Taliah Khan, Zahra Khan, Mobasshir Poonawalla, Sarah Qari, Nooreldeen Rostoum, Atif Salahudeen, Lina Saud and Omer Syed. Ahmad Aboelezz and Norman Epting were the team’s attorney coaches, while Fakhruddin Ahmed and Sufia Azmat were the team’s teacher coaches.

The students now have their eyes set on the regional and state wide contests.

Warsame and Ahmed receive scholarships

LEWISTON,ME– Jamad Warsame and Hanan Ahmed of River Valley Village have been awarded $1,000 scholarships by The Caleb Group to attend higher education. Caleb’s scholarship program, established in 2003, awards educational grants up to $1,000 to be used in an educational program of the residents’ choice.

Warsame is attending Central Maine Community College in the field of pharmacy. She relocated to the United State from Kenya in 2005. Prior to that, she experienced a civil war in her home country of Somalia. While she was in Kenya, she was unable to complete high school. In June 2010, Warsame received her U.S. high school diploma and has dreams of working in a hospital setting to help others. “I’ve always dreamed of working in the medical field,” she said. She lives with her husband and seven children.

Ahmed, a graduate from Lewiston High School, received a scholarship for her pursuit in biomedical engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology. She is involved with several student groups such as field hockey club, organization of African Americans, Biomedical Engineering Club, Society for Women Engineers, Habitat for Humanity, Muslim Student Association and National Society for Black Engineers.

The Caleb Group, an affordable housing and social service nonprofit organization, provides service coordination to more than 4,000 low- to moderate-income residents throughout New England with the mission to enhance and empower the lives of residents. Caleb purchased River Valley Village, a 296-unit family affordable housing community, in 1995.

Abdul Hameed wins silver in SkillsUSA regional competition

WALNUT, CA–Abdul Hameed, a student at Mt. San Antonio college, won a silver medal in electronics technology regional competition of SKillsUSA.

SkillsUSA (formerly the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America-VICA) is a nationally affiliated vocational club representing secondary and post-secondary students in the trade, technical and health fields. The vocational education organization represents more than a quarter million students in over 13,000 chapters nationwide.

Hameed qualified for the state competitions  scheduled to be held in April.

Syed Ali recognized with Superitendent’s Award

SHREWSBURY,MA–Syed Ali, a senior at Shrewsbury High School, was one of two students to be honored with the Superintendent’s Award. He was selected based on his outstanding academic and extra-curricular activities record. The award is given out each year on behalf of  the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents.

The highest ranked member of the senior class, Ali is a recipient of the Harvard Book Award and the Louis DeLabriere Award and is a National Merit semi-finalist. He is also a member of the high school varsity math team, model UN, varsity tennis team and enjoys playing the violin.

New mosque proposed for West Windsor

WEST WINDSOR,NJ–A site has been proposed in the central New Jersey of West Windsor for the construction of a new mosque  & community center by the Institute of Islamic Studies.

The plans for the two-story structure require a variance from the zoning board because the site is on a 7.17-acre lot at 2030 Old Trenton Road, between the intersections of Windsor Center Drive and Dorchester Drive, that is zoned for research and office use. The application is set to go before the board on April 7, the Central Jersey news portal reports.

If the variance is approved, the applicant will move forward for site plan review with a hearing scheduled in July or August, according to township land use manager Samuel Surtees. The institute would then go to the zoning board again for site plan approval, likely during September or October.
An estimated 400 Muslim families live in the area.

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