Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow Kick Off Civic Program with Trip to Texas Capital
Emgage’s Emerging Leaders met with Texas’ first Muslim legislators to learn how a bill becomes law
By: Maya Gayler
The national civil rights organization, Emgage has launched its annual Emerging Leaders program for Muslim youth looking to make a difference.
The 2023 “Emerging Leaders” have been selected and headed to Texas’ capital, Austin, for their first trip in a series of trainings, retreats and making connections.
“We want to have a program for young leaders that they can go through and have it be a pipeline for them to become civic leaders tomorrow,” said Emgage Civic Engagement Director, Niloufar Hafizi.
This year’s Emerging Leaders met with Texas’ first Muslims in the House, Salman Bhjoani and Dr. Suleman Lalani, to learn about the legislative process firsthand.
High school seniors and young adults entering the workforce are encouraged to apply to help make professional connections that will enhance their career opportunities. This year the program will be extended by six months, to reflect the pre-pandemic model, in addition to virtual training and in-person workshops.
“The purpose and mission of the Emerging Leaders is to really empower youth into a field of public service or civic service,” said Emgage Dallas Chapter President, Zehra Hussain. “Since Emgage is a Muslim-oriented organization, it’s really empowering for Muslim females to see a career in public service and what that could look like.”
Hussain has volunteered with Emgage for the last four years while pursuing a career in the federal government.
Emerging Leaders participant, Hina Ajaz was a health policy intern at Emgage when she heard about the program and saw it as an opportunity to maximize her career.
“I learned to lead from where I am,” said Ajaz. “Even if my career isn’t directly in policy or government relations, I can still empower others and serve the underserved through advocacy efforts … This program has helped me turn my casual interest in politics into a lifelong passion.”
Ms. Ajaz goes on to express her gratitude for being able to meet with state representatives, “Each of these individuals is driving positive changes for their communities and it was incredibly inspirational to learn from them.”
Ajaz also helped to engage her neighbors in local elections as the Precinct Chair in her district and took part in Emgage’s Million Muslim Voter Campaign. She graduated in 2021 with a master’s in Health Administration from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and is currently working as a Business Alignment Project Manager at Baylor Genetics.
The group also toured and met with the nonprofit and nonpartisan newspaper the Texas Tribune. Emgage’s Dallas rep says learning about how journalism and civil advocacy intersect is important.
“The overall goal is to get more Muslim youth in politics, or at least be inspired to see that there are other careers that they could pursue … we want to inspire the next leader,” says Hussain. “We want them to know that if you do want to do a career in medicine or engineering, those are amazing careers, and you could still be a leader in those fields. Equipping the youth with tools, empowering them with the skill sets and also necessary knowledge that they need to be emerging leaders.”
Emgage provides funding to cover all travel and living expenses for participants during retreats. The future leaders will also be visiting the Harris County courthouse and meeting with judges.