Portfolio of Clients, Events & Testimonials
Please see our past performance and feel free to ask for contact information if needed.
Ethel Walker High School - Simsbury CT
Speakers: Imam Aziz & Vjosa Qerimi
Program:
-Islamophobia presentation in front of entire school of 250 students followed by Q&A
-Private lunch with students which included Q&A
Jersualem Peacebuilders - Battleboro VT & New Haven CT
Contact: Reverend Canon, Executive Director, Jersualem Peacebuilders, Inc.
Speakers: Imam Aziz & Vjosa Qerimi
Program:
-Trained Adults from Palestine and Israel on Serving Humanity in Islam in Battleboro retreat sight
-Trained Youth from Palestine and Israel on Serving Humanity in Islam at New Haven Church of Christ
-Arranged for students to visit Berlin Mosque, observe service, tour, and talk from Imam Refai.
Unitarian Universalist Society East - Manchester CT
Speakers: Imam Aziz, Amer Nabil, Nausheen Shafiudeen, Imam Bashir, Imam Tahir, Reverend Josh
Contact: Reverend Josh Pawelek
Program:
-Arranged 4 hours workship on Islamic and Syrian culture
-Arranged for local Imams to participate to make long term connection
Seabury Retirement Home - Bloomfield CT
Speakers: Imam Aziz & Chaplain Yasin Ahmed
Program:
-Islam 101 & ISIS presentation
First Church Simsbury - Simsbury CT
Speakers: Imam Aziz, Vjosa Qerimi, Chaplain Yasin Ahed
Contact: Reverend Kevin Weikel
Program:
-3 part series to youth on Islam 101, ISIS & Culture
-3 part series to adults on Islam 101, ISIS & Islamophobia
Religious Institutions
First Church of Christ Congregational Middletown CT
First Congregational Church Granby CT
South Congregational Church Granby CT
Riverfront Family Church Hartford CT
United Church of Christ Cromwell CT
Park Ave Congregational Church Arlington MA
First Church of Christ Simsbury CT
First Congregational Church Guilford CT
Triumphant Cross Lutheran Church Salem NH
Asylum Hill Congregational Church Hartford CT
First Baptist Church Beverl MA
United Congregational Church Tolland CT
Unitarian Universalist Society East Manchester CT
Unitarian Universalist Society of Hartford CT
Unitarian Society of Greater Springfield MA
First Unitarian Church Providence RI
First Church of Christ Simsbury CT
Wapping Community Church UCC South Windsor CT
Bethany Lutheran Church, Cromwell CT
American Ecunemical Church, West Hartford CT
Flag Road UCC, West Hartford CT
First Church in Windsor UCC, Windsor CT
Saint Mary`s Catholic Church, Simsbury CT
Center Congregational Church, Manchester CT
United Church of Christ, Cornwall CT
Trinity Episcopal Church, Hartford CT
First Congregational Church, Bloomfield CT
First Congregational Church, Lebanon CT
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bloomfield CT
Beth Hillel Synagogue, Bloomfield CT
Simsbury United Methodist Church, Simsbury CT
Faith Lutheran Church, Middletown CT
Berkeley Center, New Haven CT
Buddhist Stupa at Hay House Farm, Old Saybrook CT
United Muslim Masjid, Waterbury CT
Presbyterian Church of America Facebook Live panel
Wallingford Masjid Interfaith Discussion with Democratic Town Council, included Islamophobia training
Muhammad Islamic Center, Hartford CT - Imam Kashif
First Church, Hartland CT - Pastor Janine Baryza-Ly
Church of Christ Congregational, Goshen CT
Bolton Congregational Church - Reverend Nicolette Siragusa
Universities
Bryant University, Smithfield RI
Westfield University, Westfield MA
Fairfield University, Fairfield CT
Wesleyan University, Middletown CT
Trinity College, Hartford CT
Capital Community College
University of Connecticut Main Campus, Storrs CT
University of Hartford, Hartford CT
Central Connecticut State University, New Britain CT
Quinnipiac University, Hamden CT
Hartford Seminary, Hartford CT
Manchester Community College, Manchester CT
Middlesex Community College, Middletown CT
Libraries
New Britain Public Library, New Britain CT
Simsbury Public Library, Simsbury CT
Avon Free Public Library, Avon CT
Farmington Main Library, Farmington CT
Milford Public Library, Milford CT
Jones Library, Amherst MA
Lucy Robbins Wells Library, Newington CT
Berlin-Peck Memorial Library, Berlin CT
Enfield Public Library, Enfield CT
Prosser Public Library, Bloomfield CT
Blackstone Library, Branford CT
Guilford Free Library, Guildford CT
Schools
Watkinson School Hartford CT
The Forbes School, Torrington CT
Salisbury School, Salisbury CT
Ethel Walker School, Simsbury CT
Windsor Public School, Windsor CT
Hospitals
Bay State Medical Center, Springfield MA
Middlesex Hospital, Middletown CT
Retirement Homes
Chester Village West, Chester CT
Seabury, Bloomfield CT
Refugee Training
-Windsor Refugee Resettlement Community at Loomis Chaffe School to a coalition of 8 religious insitututions
-Unitarian Society of Hartford - Islamic and Syrian cultural training to over 20 churches and religious institutions.
-First Church of Christ Litchfield CT
-Unitarian Universalist Society East Manchester CT - Islamic and Syrian cultural training to over 10 churches and religious institutions.
Misc training & events
-Community Solutions INC. CTs largest reentry organization.
-Farmington Valley Links, Hartford CT. Black womens professional organization.
-Windsor Adult Education, Windsor CT. Established Arabic class for public.
-Rotary Club Torrington CT
-Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford CT
-Wood-n-Tap panel on first amendment and freedom of religion, Hartford CT
-The Brookfield Institute - Reverend Karen Nell Smith
-Celebrating Differences for a Better Tomorrow at Wesleyan University. A coalition of 7 local school districts sent students to learn about diversity. Common Ground ran 3 sessions on Islamophobia.
Causes
Pulse Nightclub response - Imam Sami Aziz spoke at the following locations against the atrocity
Asylum Hill Congregational Church – Hartford, CT – June 13, 2016
Unitarian Universalist East – Manchester CT – June 15, 2016
Granby Town Green – Granby CT – June 16, 2015
First Congregational Church – Guilford CT June 19, 2016
First Church – Windsor CT – June 19, 2016
Church of Christ Congregational – Goshen CT – June 20, 2016
First Congregational Bloomfield – Bloomfield CT June 21, 2016
Radio Interviews
-WMRD Middletown with Paul Bailey
-88.1 Maria Johnson and Reverend Cathy Rohrs https://reasonablycatholic.com/2017/02/07/a-minister-and-an-imam-walk-into-a-radio-station/
Arts
-Pivotal Faces of Change with Golden Thread Gallery
-Carriage House Theater part of HartBeat Ensemble in Hartford CT, training for students on Islamophobia which led to the production of a play
News Coverage
-Hartford Courant
-Fox 61 CT
-New Haven Independent
-Wesleyan Argus
-Startford Star
-The Fairfield Mirror
-Eage Tribune
-New Haven Registrar
-Quinnipiac Chronicle
TESTIMONIALS
"Imam Sami,
My name is Janine Baryza-Ly, I am the Pastor of the First Church in Hartland, East Hartland CT. I met at the prayer vigil in Granby, CT after the mass shooting in Florida.
I loved the reading and message you shared with us from the Koran. It is a message I often share with my congregation.”
-Pastor Janine Baryza-Ly
“Dear Imam Sami,
Please allow me to thank you for your recent teaching and kindness which struck a deep note with the Jerusalem Peacebuilders group. Your words were mentioned in several of the speeches which the teens prepared to help formulate their thoughts and plans for their return home.
Dorothy, Jack and I are grateful to you for making time for these Jewish, Christian and Muslim youth, and we hope that you will agree to work again with JPB's interfaith service-learning program. Better yet, we hope that some of the teens from your congregation will participate in the group next year.
Thank you for helping these courageous young peace-builders to advance in their journey.
Peace, Shalom, Salaam, Paix,”
-(The Rev. Canon) Nicholas T. Porter
Executive Director
Jerusalem Peacebuilders, Inc.
“THANK YOU. It was a great afternoon, I think the young people learned a lot from your excellent presentation. I know I did. Our two faiths share so much that time spent together as we did today was spiritually enriching and rewarding.
As I told you when we departed, the class will discuss the experience tomorrow in class and I am anxious to learn what they absorbed. Several of them, if not all, have Muslim friends at school.
Thanking you again for your time, for your warm welcome, and for sharing your knowledge and faith.
In peace,”
-Karin Peterson
Confirmation Adult Mentor
Trinity Espiscopal Church Hartford CT