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Imam Asad Zaman, Guest Contributor

Asad Zaman is Executive Director and Imam with the Muslim American Society of Minnesota. He is an author and distinguished leader of the Minnesota Muslim community. He leads youth development activities, interfaith programming, and mentors nonprofit leaders. In 2005, he cofounded the Taking Heart Ramadan Open House project with the Minnesota Council of Churches which is utilized each year in more than 25 masjids in Minnesota. He cofounded the Rabbi Imam Round Table and has cohosted it since 2011. In 2005, he co-founded the Muslim Day at the Capitol. This model of civic engagement and advocacy has been replicated in nine other states and at the nation’s Capital. Imam Asad has trained a Speakers Bureau to deliver presentations at churches, synagogues, corporate and government offices. He has chaired the MAS Minnesota convention several times. In 2019, Imam Asad delivered the invocation at the Governor’s State of the State address at the State Capitol and in 2018 he delivered the invocation at the oath of office ceremony for the Governor and other constitutional officers. In 2005, he was appointed by the Governor to the Minnesota Board of Teaching. Imam Asad was previously a policy fellow at Minnesota 2020 and Hubert Humphrey policy fellow at the University of Minnesota. He has made Minnesota his home since 1992. Imam Asad regularly delivers sermons, lectures and presentations at various Masjids, campuses and centers. He is a frequent speaker at Islamic conferences at local and national settings. He regularly conducts fundraisers for various causes. He holds Ijazah (certificates) in various classical texts in Hadith, Fiqh and Akidah. He received his Master of Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.