Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad (also known as Dean Ahmad) (born August 11, 1948) is a

Palestinian American Palestinian Americans ( ar, فلسطينيو أمريكا) are Americans who are of full or partial Palestinian descent. It is unclear when the first Palestinian immigrants arrived in the United States, but it is believed that they arrived dur ...

scholar and the president of the

Minaret of Freedom Institute The Minaret of Freedom Institute is an Islamic libertarian organization established in 1993 and based in Bethesda, Maryland. It is dedicated to educating both Muslims and non-Muslims.

, a

libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

tax-exempt

think-tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental org ...

. He also is president of the Islamic-American Zakat Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt religious and charitable organization that primarily serves poor and needy Muslims in the United States.

Biography

Ahmad was born en route to the United States when his family left Palestine in 1948. He was raised in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and graduated

cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

with a bachelor's degree from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

(1970) and a doctoral degree in astronomy and astrophysics from the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

(1975). He is a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

.Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy Biographical Data on Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad

Academic career

Ahmad teaches an introductory course on

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

Wesley Theological Seminary Wesley Theological Seminary is a United Methodist Church seminary in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1882. History Wesley Theological Seminary can trace its roots back to the 1881 meeting of the Methodist Protestant Church's Maryland Annua ...

. He also has taught courses religion, science and freedom at the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...

. and courses relating to Islam and development at

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

, the

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

, School for Advanced International Studies, and the Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim–Christian Understanding. Ahmad has written and spoken on Islam and legal and religious freedom,

democracy Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

in the

Muslim world The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. I ...

, Islamic

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.property rights The right to property, or the right to own property (cf. ownership) is often classified as a human right for natural persons regarding their possessions. A general recognition of a right to private property is found more rarely and is typically ...

in Islam, women in Islam and

female circumcision Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

, Middle East conflicts in Palestine and Iraq, Palestinian human and property rights, terrorism and jihad, and American civil liberties. Ahmad is the author of ''Signs in the Heavens: A Muslim Astronomer's Perspective on Religion and Science'' and ''Islamic Rules of Order'', co-editor of ''Islam and the West: A Dialog'', and co-author of ''Islam and the Discovery of Freedom''. He also contributed to ''The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism'' with an article on Islam. His address on "Islam, Commerce and Business Ethics" was published in Nicholas Capaldi's ''Business and Religion: A Clash of Civilizations?'' He has been published b
Middle East Policy''American Muslim Magazine''''Economic Affairs''
and ''

Georgetown Journal of International Affairs The ''Georgetown Journal of International Affairs'' is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal covering international affairs. It is published by the Johns Hopkins University Press on behalf of the Walsh School of Foreign Service. The journal ...

''.Links to Ahmad's articles and speeches
Ahmad has been a frequent guest lecturer at the

Foreign Services Institute The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the United States federal government's primary training institution for employees of the U.S. foreign affairs community, preparing American diplomats as well as other professionals to advance U.S. foreig ...

. Ahmad is a Muslim chaplain at

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...

, the Islamic

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

at the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital, Imam of the Dar-adh-Dhikr Mosque and arbitrator for the Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations in the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area. In 1998, in his role as the American Muslim Council Liaison to the Coalition for Free Exercise of Religion, he testified before the

United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution is one of eight subcommittees within the Senate Judiciary Committee. The subcommittee was best known in the 1970s as the committee of Sam Ervin, whose investigations and lobbying — together wi ...

, supporting the need for federal protection of religious freedom after the

City of Boerne v. Flores ''City of Boerne v. Flores'', 521 U.S. 507 (1997), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning the scope of Congress's power of enforcement under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case also had a signific ...

case decided by the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. Ahmad also is a spokesperson for the National Coalition for the Protection of Civil Liberties, a national coalition of over 20 Muslim and civil liberties organizations.

Political activism

Ahmad has been an outspoken critic of the role of

neoconservatives Neoconservatism is a political movement that began in the United States during the 1960s among liberal hawks who became disenchanted with the increasingly pacifist foreign policy of the Democratic Party and with the growing New Left and cou ...

in shaping United States' foreign policy, especially in the Middle East. In 2001 Ahmad joined a delegation of American Muslims participating in the "First Conference on

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

" in

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

, which was "dedicated to the liberation of Jerusalem." Ahmad has been a libertarian activist since 1975, serving as chair of the

Libertarian Party of Maryland The Libertarian Party of Maryland is the Maryland affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The state chair is Eric Blitz. The party, also known as "LPMaryland," or "LPMD" is Maryland's third-largest political party, with 17,364 registered voters ac ...

, managing four political campaigns,Ahmad for Senate “Meet the Candidate”
web page. and participating in various Libertarian Party of Maryland political activities He was a member of Academics for

Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...

during congressman Paul's run for the 2008 presidential nomination. He also has been active in the national

Libertarian Party Active parties by country Defunct parties by country Organizations associated with Libertarian parties See also * Liberal parties by country * List of libertarian organizations * Lists of political parties Lists of political part ...

activities, serving as its national secretary, chair of its Judicial Committee, chair of its platform committee, and chair of the Muslim Outreach Committee of the

Michael Badnarik Michael J. Badnarik ( ; August 1, 1954 – August 11, 2022) was an American software engineer, political figure, and radio talk show host. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2004 elections, and plac ...

for President Campaign in 2004. In 1988 Ahmad ran as a Libertarian for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

even though only Republicans and Democrats were allowed to have their name printed unless they collected tens of thousands of signatures. Ahmad's court challenge to the law failed, but he received 500 write-in votes. Maryland law subsequently allowed the Libertarian Party to collect just 10,000 signatures to obtain ballot status.Maryland Libertarian Party ballot access page
.

2012 United States Senate campaign

In May 2012 the Libertarian Party of Maryland nominated Ahmad as its 2012 Senate candidate. After a successful legal battle for ballot status, he ran against Democratic incumbent

Ben Cardin Benjamin Louis Cardin (born October 5, 1943) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maryland, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously was the U.S. representati ...

, Republican

Dan Bongino Daniel John Bongino (born December 4, 1974) is an American conservative political commentator, radio show host, and author. He served as a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer from 1995 to 1999 and as a Secret Service agent from 1999 ...

,Len Lazarick
Greens and Libertarians back on the ballot
Chestertow Spy, August 30, 2012. and independent Rob Sobhani. Ahmad's platform issues included bringing U.S. troops home, restoring civil liberties compromised by the "war on terror," working for federal government fiscal responsibility, and ending

corporate welfare Corporate welfare is a phrase used to describe a government's bestowal of money grants, tax breaks, or other special favorable treatment for corporations. The definition of corporate welfare is sometimes restricted to direct government subsidie ...

. Ahmad was endorsed by former Governor

Gary Johnson Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman, author, and politician. He served as the 29th governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for Presid ...

, Libertarian Party candidate for

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

. Johnson wrote "Dr. Ahmad is a strong consistent voice calling for individual Liberty for ALL Americans. His record of success as a civic activist for decades proves that Dr. Dean Ahmad is the kind of U.S. Senator this nation truly needs." Ahmad also endorsed Johnson. Ahmad participated in the October 24, 2012

WOLB WOLB (1010 AM) is an urban talk radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. The station is owned by Urban One and broadcasts from studios in Woodlawn and a transmitter in the Orangewood section of east Baltimore. History WSID WSID launched at 1570 ...

Radio debate. Montgomery County Media aired his statement on his candidacy. Ahmad raised $8,565 to fund his campaign. He received 32,252 votes, 1.3 percent of the total.

Awards

Ahmad, a former President of both the East Bethesda Citizens Association and the Montgomery County Civic Federation, has received the "Star Cup for Outstanding Public Service" award from the Montgomery County Civic Federation, the "Champion of Democracy Award" from Marylanders for Democracy and the "Sentinel Award" from the Montgomery County Civic Federation. In 2012 Ahmad was one of several Arab-Americans recognized in a city of Gaithersburg award ceremony. In 1990 he received the Libertarian Party of Maryland's " Samuel P. Chase award, named after the Maryland signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...

.Gerald Schneider
The Samuel P. Chase Freedom Award
, Libertarian Party of Maryland website.

References

External links

Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad personal web site

Islamic-American Zakat Foundation

Minaret of Freedom web site

''Reason'' magazine interview with Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad

feature on "Ramadan Moon", including Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad and other guests, November 8, 2002, Episode no. 610.

featuring Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, May 8, 2001. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmad, Imad-ad-Dean 1948 births Living people 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century Muslim scholars of Islam Activists from Maryland American foreign policy writers American male non-fiction writers American Muslims American political writers American Islamic studies scholars American writers of Palestinian descent Critics of neoconservatism Georgetown University faculty Harvard University alumni Johns Hopkins University faculty Maryland Libertarians Muslim reformers Muslim writers Non-interventionism Palestinian emigrants to the United States Palestinian refugees People born at sea University of Arizona alumni University of Maryland, College Park faculty Writers from Maryland Muslim scholars of Islamic studies