Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people.
Meet Sara Abdel, passionate and collaborative interfaith advocate for women, refugees, and economic justice. Originally from Egypt, Sara’s search for knowledge and justice and commitment to putting her faith into action has taken her to Capitol Hill and numerous local and global organizations and companies. As founder of Thrivers on the Move, she now directs her energies toward supporting immigrants and refugees to find jobs and careers where they can thrive.
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? Is your faith or practice bringing special inspiration or insight for you in this current moment?
I am a practicing Muslim. I was born Muslim, and I renewed my Islam by God’s grace during my college time. Several people have classified me as a liberal Muslim because of my work with the interfaith community, and others have called me conservative because I practice. Both inspire me, and I follow nothing but God's path of love.
I call this journey, Dwelling for Humanity to Illuminate and Empower. The first verse of the Quran revealed to Prophet Muhammad by Allah was from Surah Al Alaq: "IQRA" (Read). [Surah Al-'Alaq 'The Clot" 96:2]. I have found that the Quranic verse "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" [39: 9], has inspired me to identify misconceptions as a pathway to seeking the remedy by crafting a true understanding of Islamic Laws in general, as well as social and economic justice in particular. Toward this purpose, my goals continually expand.
When I was 5 years old, I began reading and seeking knowledge as my inspiration and purpose in life. The concept of God was probably the first theological concept I studied in a very simple way at the age of 6, followed by memorizing the Quran and studying TAFSEER (Explanation of the Quran) by the age of 8. With my quest for faith and knowledge, my inspiration for loving God's creatures, especially humans and animals, continued to grow. I was inspired by the language of love in Sufism and started writing in philosophy and Sufism. This concept has shaped my quest for knowledge and education.
Additionally, it has been important to me that interfaith dialogues began with Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon him) and continue to be an essential tool for correcting misconceptions about Islam. From the time I began reading about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Grade 1, I have been inspired to seek knowledge and enlightenment through my faith. I then put those values to work to support humanitarian endeavors.
Where do you live?
I currently live in Chevy Chase MD. I have been in the USA since 2013, in Houston Texas, Manchester, New Hampshire, and then since 2017, Chevy Chase MD.
What's your favorite pastime?
Sitting, talking, and learning from my dad (who passed away in 2016) and applying what I have learned from him about faith, music, love, and business for empowering and serving humanity. He taught me the language of love through God and to God. Becoming a social justice advocate, as a Muslim woman from the Middle East, was encouraged by my dad, who gave me the awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals and communities from diverse cultures and backgrounds. I think of this especially at this time when the month of Ramadan (fasting) is here, a family and Godly time of prayers and sharing moments of community gatherings.
What are you working on currently?
I’m working on what I would call The Leap of Faith, Economic Justice, and Social Entrepreneurship. For the various projects I am working on now, my faith, education, and career act as anchors and compass points. I got my professional start in the for-profit sector in projects and client management with Microsoft, Cisco, and OnAir Switzerland as a Senior Project Manager. With a commitment to integrity, ethical leadership, innovation, growth, and sensitivity towards gender equity, particularly in the humanitarian and sexual and gender-based violence fields, I shifted my career and focused on programs and projects aimed at advancing gender equality, providing women with equal opportunities, rights, and services, and combating gender stereotypes, discrimination, and violence. I still conduct trainings as a monitoring and evaluation gender studies trainer.
Now, as a passionate scholar, professional, and community leader, I dedicate my time to human rights, international development, and economic justice work. My two organizations, Thrivers on the Move and Thrivers Philanthropies, provide employment and career development programs for skilled immigrants, minorities, and underserved communities. The goal of my work is to reduce the barriers to career advancement and entrepreneurship for immigrants and minorities in the USA and all over the world. I have been engaged in projects for Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Canada, Turkey, Jordan, South Sudan, Algeria, India, Tunisia, South Africa, over 50 countries.
With the large number of Afghan refugees, Ukrainian refugees, and survivors of gender-based violence, I am currently involved with multiple advocacy projects aimed at empowering marginalized and underserved communities and minorities. In my role as co-leader of employment services for the Montgomery County Immigrants & Afghan Task Force, I participate with our career incubator program—Empower Them, Empower Economy and Humanity—to provide workforce trainings and job placement services to Afghan evacuees who have recently arrived in the United States, ensuring a smooth transition to life in the states. Three trainees from the incubator program have gained employment in their fields of journalism, dentistry, and project management. An incredible aspect of the program is that it is 100% supported by volunteers and partners, and at present, we are conducting a fundraising campaign to be able to expand our operations to help more refugees and immigrants find work in their fields.
As an appointed ambassador for Montgomery County Community Action Agency's Community Advocacy Institute (CAI) program, I also co-lead efforts to support activists' advocacy efforts by training them in public speaking. I work primarily on gender equality, affordable housing, and economic and racial justice advocacy work. I also participate in the interview and selection process for trainees.
What question are you thinking about these days?
During my interwoven career path, I have developed advocacy programs and built partnerships with stakeholders on Capitol Hill on congressional policymaking issues, offering policy analysis and recommendations to improve immigration laws as well as other issues of public policy on gun-violence prevention and economic and social justice. From this work, I’m usually asking myself how to advocate with interfaith allies and government offices for economic and racial justice in an impactful way. On a daily basis, I am always questioning and seeking how to improve policies, processes, and models to establish economic and racial justice. How do we use social justice and public policy for creating more equitable societies? How do I (we) identify successful methods of collaboration across interfaith coalitions?
Sometimes, I find the answer in my advocacy and philanthropy for refugees and immigrants, other times in interfaith advocacy work. As a member of the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Church and Society on Capitol Hill, I have met with members from each of the Abrahamic faiths using respective texts to serve social justice and public policy issues in our communities. This model comes from the larger movement of Scriptural Reasoning that was started over twenty years ago to raise awareness of human rights through interfaith coalitions and cultivate positive and real change by building bridges of understanding. I am grateful for this path to learn and act and to love God through humanitarian actions.
How can people find you?
saraafifiahmed@gmail.com
https://thriversonthemove.org/
https://thriversphilanthropies.org/