Asad Zaman

Asad Zaman

Imam Asad Zaman is the Bangladesh born Executive Director at Muslim American Society of Minnesota.

In 2005, he co-founded the Muslim Day at the Capitol, a model of civic engagement and advocacy that has been replicated in several other states. Asad is active in interfaith activities and has trained a Speakers Bureau to deliver presentations at churches, synagogues, corporate and government offices.

In 2011, he co-founded the Minnesota Rabbi Imam Round Table. He has provided training to over 200 police officers serving in various Minnesota police departments. He has chaired the MAS Minnesota convention several times.

In 2005, he was appointed by the Governor to the Minnesota Board of Teaching. Upon confirmation by the Minnesota senate, he served on it until 2009.

He was previously a policy fellow at Minnesota 2020 and Hubert Humphrey policy fellow at the University of Minnesota. Asad has made Minnesota his home since 1992.

Minneapolis Riots

In the wake of the Minneapolis riots in May 2020, Keith Ellison held a press conference on May 30 with other "community leaders" where he supported the people who were ostensibly protesting the death of George Floyd, and claimed outside elements were responsible for infiltrating the

"People that are trying to tarnish the reputations of the noble protest for justice are out there trying to mix in with the crowd so that people don't just say 'oh look all those protests are bad, their cause can't be just, they're just out there causing trouble.' ...We know that the noble, just aims of the protestors are righteous and good. But we also know that some evil elements are literally defusing themselves with the protest to destroy and cause arson so the whole community has a low opinion of the protest. Because they are not for justice for Mr. Floyd - They're against it!"

From the article:

"Joining Ellison was a long list of community leaders, as well as Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Some were visibly shaken as the gravity of this week’s events became clear.

“They’re not part of our state, and they’re coming from the outside,” Klobuchar said.

Other speakers who came together included Rev. Alfred Babington-Johnson; Mary Merill; Robert Liligren; Lul Osman; Clarence Castile; Imam Asad Zaman; Bo Thao-Urabe; Justin Terrell.

The community leaders denounced systemic racism that they say have long contributed to inequality and tensions, and said outside anarchists were intent on causing destruction.

“We cannot watch our brothers being murdered and, then, on top of that, watch our communities being demolished and then trying to blame us,” said Osman.

Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, executive director of Unidos MN, a nonprofit, spoke about how minority business owners on Lake Street, the heart of the Minneapolis Latino community, sought to defend their livelihoods.

Ellison supporters

Key supporters in the 2006 Keith Ellison Congressional campaign included Dr. Josie Johnson, Dan McGrath of TakeAction Minnesota, Larry Weiss and Pam Costain, John Stiles, Shayna Berkowitz, Carla Kjellberg and Dick Kaspari from the National Lawyers Guild, Vic Rosenthal and Frank Hornstein helped organized the Jewish community, Donna Cassutt of the DFL helped out as did Muslims Asad Zaman, Ziad Amre, Makram El-Amin.

Labor officials such as Javier Morillo from SEIU, Bill McCarthy of the Central Labor Council, and Eliot Seide from AFSCME were also invoved.

Dave Colling was campaign manager. Jim Linefelter was communications director.

Other supporters included Karen Northcott, Liz Brookins, Todd Jones, Michael Guest, Kathleen Murphy, and Rev. Ian Bethel.

Pilgrimage to Mecca

Asad Zaman , Keith Ellison

In December 2008 Keith Ellison made his Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. He first travelled to Medina where he stayed for several days. meeting up with his friend Asad Zaman and other pilgrims from Minnesota.

After Mecca, Ellison was invited to a reception at the King's residence, for 60 to 70 people from Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine, China,and Chad. North Carolina state legislator Larry Shaw was also there. Ellison chatted with a member of the Iranian parliament.

With John Conyers

Imam Asad Zaman July 27, 2016;

With Congressman John Conyers, the last giant living legend of the civil rights movement.

In the last three days, I have met, conversed with and sat with over a hundred celebrities, politicians and people who thought they were very important. This is the first person I have been excited to get a picture with. He is sitting 2 feet away from me. Wow!

Financial connections

Tax records show the group that paid Ellison's expenses, the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, received nearly $900,000 in taxpayer money in 2006 and 2007 from a rental arrangement for Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TiZA), an Inver Grove Heights charter school.

The man who accompanied Ellison to Mecca, Asad Zaman, was executive director of the TiZA school, a political contributor of Ellison's and was president of the Muslim American Society until August, when the Mecca trip was planned.

TiZA has been sued by the American Civil Liberties Union and probed by state officials for allegedly promoting Islam, which would violate the church and state separation required of public schools -- including charter schools.

The school received state funding to pay rent to the Muslim American Society Property Holding Corp., a nonprofit spinoff of the Muslim American Society that owned the building. The corporation then turned over $879,000 to the Muslim society as a grant.

Al Franken connection

Al Franken with Asad Zaman 2014.

"Muslim delegates from all the 50 states"

Imam Asad Zaman July 28, 2016

With Mazen Mokhtar, Muhamad Elrashidi, Nausheena Ali Hussain, Asad Khalif Aliweyd, Fartun Weli and Abdul Ahmed.

Said Abdul Ahmed "Elected Muslim delegates from all the 50 states, we really need to have more political engagement in the community. At the very least we should have at least one elected delegate from each state".

Foung Hawj Volunteer team

Imam Asad Zaman March 28, 2017;

With Foung Hawj VolunteerTeam, Patricia Torres Ray, Danny Schoen, John Hoffman, Sandy Pappas and Matthew Klein.

Turkish connection

Imam Asad Zaman December 29, 2017 ·

"Why is it when Europeans dispute among themselves, the prescribed solution is unity & cooperation, but when Muslims dispute the prescribed solution is division & fragmentation?"

Mr. Mehmet Mehdi Eker, Turkish Member JD Parliament & Chair of the foreign relations committee of the AK Party. I was so honored to have breakfast with him today at the MAS convention. — attending 2017 MAS-ICNA Convention at MAS-ICNA Convention.