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About Seyed Mousavi |
Seyed Mahmood Mousavi is a U.S. citizen originally from the country of Iran. Mr. Mousavi is a family man, and a tireless servant of the Muslim community in Southern California, where he has dedicated himself to the well-being and advancement of all.
Mr. Mousavi was one of the founders of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California in 1995. This organization’s goals are to promote communication, understanding, cooperation, and coordination among the Muslim communities in Southern California. The organization works toward the unity of all Muslims.
In the year 2000, Mr. Mousavi founded the Hejrat Foundation – a religious, educational, and charitable organization - in Southern California. The mission of this organization is to educate and aid people: to educate Muslims and non-Muslims about Islam and issues that affect their lives and the world in which they live; to encourage positive social progress; to build unity between all people; and to fill the needs of Muslims and non-Muslims in Southern California.
Under the Hejrat Foundation, Mr. Mousavi currently administrates several organizations. One of these is the Al-Nabi Mosque, which is in West Covina, California. There, regular programs are held to educate the community in religious, cultural, humanitarian, legal, national, and international issues. There, a wide range of speakers, from many different backgrounds, are invited to speak on the various topics of interest and need. One interesting example was a representative of the United Nations Association, who updated the community on the activities of the United Nations. Under Mr. Mousavi’s direction, Hejrat Foundation has become associated with the United Nations through the DPI-NGO.
Before Mr. Mousavi established Hejrat Foundation, he saw that, while there are many mosques, they tended to be limited to use for only limited programs. He wanted more. Besides a very active schedule of Islamic activities at the Al-Nabi Mosque, his goals include the establishment of schools, libraries, homeless shelters, free medical clinics, orphanages, domestic violence shelters, food banks, and other organizations and services to meet the needs of the community.
The Al-Nabi Mosque, under the leadership of Mr. Mousavi, has been very active in community outreach programs, with such activities as aiding the homeless and victims of domestic violence. Most recently, the mosque is collecting aid money for the victims of the Midwest floods. The mosque often welcomes college and high school students who are studying such subjects as religion or sociology so that they can learn about Islamic culture first-hand. The mosque has also been pleased to receive church groups for interfaith dialogue. Mr. Mousavi has always felt that the mosque should be a place where all visitors feel welcomed and at home.
One aspect of the Al-Nabi Mosque, which is probably dearest to his heart, is the focus on the youth. Mr. Mousavi has insisted that the youth are our future, and that they need the best guidance and support possible. He brought this alive in the mosque though active youth participation, making it a place where youth can thrive. Many youth there relate loving stories of how he changed their lives for the better.
Mr. Mousavi runs a Hajj Pilgrimage group, which takes pilgrims to Mecca to complete this important Islamic rite, which is required of all Muslims at least once in their lifetime. Mr. Mousavi’s attention to detail and insistence on providing the best accommodations and service has helped people to be free to focus on the highly spiritual aspects of this trip. When the pilgrims return home, they return spiritually recharged and better able to serve society. With Mr. Mousavi’s assistance, many people made this trip who would not have otherwise been able to do so with discounts, payment plans, and loans.
Mr. Mousavi also administrates the Islamic cemetery and burial facilities in Adelanto, California.
His family is academically oriented. Both he and his wife attained higher degrees, and instilled the love of learning in their children. The oldest child, Mohammed, is married and living with his wife. They were recently blessed by a baby girl. Zeinab, the second child, has attended top universities on scholarships that she was awarded for her scholastic excellence. She received her Bachelor of Science with Honor from California Institute of Technology; Masters of Science from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles. She is passionate about teaching and volunteers her time tutoring and mentoring high school and undergraduate students. The third child, Zahra, recently graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from University of California, Riverside. She is an active volunteer in such worthy causes as hospitals and a camp for young cancer patients. She hopes to attend Medical School. The youngest child, Ali, graduated from High School this year, and will be attending University of California, Los Angeles where he will pursue his studies in astrophysics and philosophy. He has been active in debate clubs and like his other siblings has won many awards. He founded a robotics club at his High School; organized and led the team to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition. For the past two summer vacations, he has gained the opportunity to conduct research with a professor of Bioengineering at California Institute of Technology. He spends his spare time reading, playing basketball, or tutoring other students.
In short, Mr. Mousavi is a pillar of community whose contributions have made this a better place to live for those around himself. It is hoped that he will regain his freedom and take his place, once again, in this society where he has brought about so much good.
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