Minneapolis, MN — As imam of Masjid An-Nur in North Minneapolis, Makram El-Amin’s work extends beyond the 200 families who call the mosque their spiritual home to include the neighborhood and to touch on diverse issues of crosscultural understanding, home ownership, immigration reform and civic engagement. With his Bush Fellowship, he hopes to learn from the experience of past cultural groups—African Americans, Catholics, Jews and the Irish—who were at one time viewed as “the other.” By expanding his leadership capacity, he believes he can act as a bridge of understanding that will offer Minnesota Muslims the chance to fully contribute to their communities, schools and cultural organizations.
