Tahir Anwar
Tahir Anwar (born February 25, 1978, London, England) is a scholar currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. His family moved to the area in 1983.
Education
He received basic religious education with his father, Anwar Patel,. Tahir Anwar left in 1991 to attend a traditional Islamic University (madarassa) in Gujarat, India known as Falah ud Darayn. He is Hafiz, has a B.A. in Islamic Theology and has completed many other advanced courses in Islamic studies, earning him the title of Alim or scholar.
Services
Until recently, he served as Imam and Director of Religious Services at South Bay Islamic Association until November 21, 2014 when he resigned. He is also the head of the Islamic Studies Department, and an Islamic Studies teacher at Granada Islamic School, which is attached to the Muslim Community Association of Santa Clara County. Anwar has been leading a group to perform Hajj for several years, with CNN twice covering this pilgrimage. He also sits on Zaytuna College's Management Committee, Averroes High School's Board of Directors as well as other panels and boards.
Panels and committees
Anwar is often called to serve on different community panels and commissions, including:
- Human Rights Commissioner for the City of San Jose
- Muslim Chaplain at the Santa Clara County Correctional Facilities.
- Community Advisory Panel for KQED, PBS radio and television channel.
He is frequently invited to speak at community forums, various universities and religious institutions. He has also traveled to many different countries, and is fluent in English, Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, and Gujarati languages. He is married and has two sons.
Recent resignation
Anwar resigned from the South Bay Islamic Association as Director of Religious Services on November 21, 2014, citing personal reasons. He continues to reside in the San Francisco Bay Area[1]
References
Sources
- Official Website of Imam Tahir Anwar
- Official Website of the South Bay Islamic Association, Imam Tahir Anwar
- Imam Tahir Anwar audio and video lectures from Halal Tube
- CNN Zain Verjee Interview