NYN Newsroom :
A group of women from different faiths and backgrounds recently marked the completion of the An-Nisa Women’s Fellowship Program, closing a leadership initiative designed to turn dialogue, mentorship, and shared learning into stronger relationships across New York communities.
The fellowship, presented by Bridging Cultures Group Inc. in connection with the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, brought Muslim and non-Muslim women together around leadership, solidarity, justice, and belonging. Program materials described a cohort composed of 50 percent Muslim women and 50 percent women from diverse backgrounds, with participants completing 12 immersive sessions involving workshops, mentorship, and interfaith dialogue.
The recent gathering included opening remarks from Dr. Debbie Almontaser and Deanna Logan, Director of MOCJ, followed by a keynote from Commissioner Faiza Ali. Fellows Areba Ghafoor and Christine Noel shared reflections on the fellowship, while Melissa Shaw presented the capstone projects. Dr. Almontaser and Shaw, who served as the program’s co-leaders, also led the completion ceremony.
The fellowship’s stated mission centered on building a sisterhood committed to justice, allyship, and collective action against Islamophobia and other forms of hate. Its broader training model focused on five stages: learning, connecting, leading, acting, and creating community impact. Participants also received tools aimed at confronting gender bias and discrimination while strengthening civic engagement and leadership skills.
The cohort included Hanan Yafai, Ghezal Nazari, Erica Ware, Meredith Sharkey, Lady Pamela Damon, Christine Noel, Areba Ghafoor, Jill Starishevsky, Micali Morin, Sahr Ali, Iman Dakmak-Rakka, and Kathleen DiPerna.
For the women involved, the completion gathering represented the end of a structured fellowship while reinforcing its longer-term purpose. The program sought to build relationships across religious and cultural lines and give participants a network for continued community engagement.
Its message, displayed throughout the program materials, captured that goal in a few words: “Together, we rise. Together, we lead.”
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