Photos by Yaseen Najeeb
The Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition 2025 Board of Directors: front row, left to right, Huda Asad, treasurer, Albana Zagloul, Dr. Sahar Kayata, Amal Jaber, Janan Najeeb, founder and executive director, Nadia Alkhun, Dr. Hana Alqam, Dr. Fatoumata Ceesay, Dr. Dima Adl and Dr. Aishah Aslam, board president.
On a winter evening last Saturday, nearly 400 community leaders, friends and partners arrived at the Marcus Performing Art Center to support the Muslim Women’s Coalition and its decades long impact. On hand to meet and greet them were the MWC board members, staff, interns and volunteers.
The gala’s theme, Catalysts for Change: Redefining Tomorrow was clarified by MWC’s founder and executive director, Janan Najeeb, “As we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our mission: to educate, to advocate, and to lead with compassion and courage. The challenges may be great, but our commitment to this work is greater. Thank you for walking alongside us, believing in the power of our work and recognizing that we are the catalysts for change who will redefine tomorrow!”
Festivities began with a social hour while browsing the many auction items. Exquisitely wrapped gift baskets, sculptures and paintings by Rida Fatima, Amelia Bader, Farouq Abukhamireh and Nadia Alkhun lined the entry hall. Each gift, including one from the MWC staff, was donated for the silent auction.
Aishah Aslam M.D., MWC board president
Inside the banquet hall, oud musician Mohamed Radwan filled the room with gentle background melodies. Radwan, a Chicago-based artist from Egypt, specializes in contemporary interpretations of Arab and international musical traditions.
Aishah Aslam M.D., MWC board president, welcomed guests to the 15th annual gala. University students, Mustafa Zaibak UW-Milwaukee and Salama Alrefai Marquette University blessed the event with their Quran recitations.
Special guest, former Congresswoman Cori Bush kicked off the evening’s inspirational speeches that included Dr. Aslam’s Imagine a World Without MWC, Ahmed Rehab’s, Fearless Service Through Unshakable Faith and Janan Najeeb’s The Future is Being Written By Us.
The 2025 Volunteer of the Year award was given to Affiliated Attorneys, LLC accepted by Attorney Lorin Schuchardt, for years of substantial pro bono service and support of Our Peaceful Home clients. Marcus Performing Arts Center was this year’s recipient of the 2025 Together, We Can! for their outstanding partnership with MWC. Kevin Giglinto, President and CEO, accepted the award on their behalf.
Mustafa Zaibak, UW-Milwaukee Undergraduate and Salama Alrefai Marquette University delivered Quran recitation and translation to open the gala.
The evening concluded with award-winning activist Linda Sarsour’s keynote message, We are Not Here To Be Bystanders. The Palestinian Muslim American is Executive director of MPower Change, author, former Executive Director of the Arab American Association of New York and mother of three. Ambitious and outspoken, Sarsour is also a self-proclaimed “pure New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn!”
Mohamed Radwan was the guest musician for the 2025 annual gala. He is a Hafiz, resident Imam and special operations coordinator at CAIR-Chicago. In Chicago, he plays with The Rind, the house band at Lemon.
The evening also highlighted the MWC’s substantial growth and the need for a larger space, marking the early launch of a capital campaign. We are grateful for the generous support from our diamond, gold, silver, ruby, bronze and community sponsors and those who donated to the silent auction. Without these contributions, we could not lead positive change through advocacy, dialogue, education and outreach using faith-based values.
If you were not able to be with us, you can still support the MWC’s vital programming here. Thank you!
Former congresswoman Cori Bush was the first special guest of the evening, Bush is a registered nurse, community activist, organizer, single mother and ordained pastor. She has lived the struggles that many in her community face.
Ahmed Rehab, a prominent Chicago-based public relations specialist, community activist and writer, was one of MWC’s gala keynote speakers.
Attorney Lorin Schuchardt accepted the 2025 Volunteer of the Year award, given to Affiliated Attorneys. LLC for their time and service to MWC’s Our Peaceful Home program.
Marcus Performing Arts Center was this year’s recipient of the 2025 Together, We Can! Kevin Giglinto, President and CEO accepted the award.
Linda Sarsour, keynote speaker for MWC’s 15th annual gala, is a community organizer, author and award-winning racial justice activist.
MWC staff, front row, left to right, Gianna Rupnick, executive assistant, Suhana Hafiz, intern, Hazizah Nobi Husein, community program assistant, back row, Catherine Koziol, intern, Cherrie Hanson, managing editor – Wisconsin Muslim Journal, Anisa Schaub, OPH senior bilingual advocate, Phareda Be, community program associate, Jenny Wegener, librarian, Inaara Chastek, OPH bilingual advocate and Nayfa Naji, interactive media designer. (Not shown María M. Flores, operations manager, Haddiyah Clark, director of strategy & community affairs, Janan Atta Najeeb, founder and executive director, Samaa Ibrahim, OPH manager, Basema Yasin, OPH bilingual coordinator.)
More 2025 MWC Annual Gala photos:
