The International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) has reported that former Virginia governor and Senate candidate Tim Kaine spoke at at event at which U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leader Jamal Barzinji was given a Lifetime Achievement award. According to the report:
Northern Virginia’s Arab community gathered at its 23rd annual event in Tysons Corner on September 25th, with more than 300 leaders, activists and donors attending, and 46 democratic and republican politicians making their pitch for election or re-election to local and State offices. Also speaking at the event was former Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia who is running for the U.S. Senate. This ‘Candidates Night’ dinner, which had been a keynote event of the Arab American Institute for a number of years, is now organized by the political action committee New Dominion PAC. A highlight of the event was the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Dr. Jamal Barzinji, vice president of International Institute of Islamic Thought. Dr. Jamal Barzinji was recognized for his leadership and accomplishments over a wide spectrum of activities in the American Muslim and Arab community as well as in educational initiatives and endeavors locally and internationally. Basim Mansour, president of Michael & Son Services Company of Alexandria, received the Outstanding Community Service Award at the dinner event. “
Dr. Barzinji is currently the Vice-President of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) and can be considered as one of the founding fathers of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood. An IIIT announcement acknowledges his important role in helping to found almost all of the organizations comprising the U.S. Brotherhood:
The award proclamation noted the fifty years of Dr. Jamal Barzinji’s service to Islam and Muslims in the West, beginning with his founding role in the establishment of Muslim Student Society of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (MSS) in 1959. Most recently he has been the Recipient of the first Faith in Action Award given by the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD), Washington, D.C. in 2007. Along the way, Dr. Barzinji has served as President of the MSA (1972), founding general manager of North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) (1973), chair of MSA’s Planning and Organization Committee, member of ISNA’s Majlis Al-Shura, founding member of International Charitable Foundation, Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), and the Association of Muslim Scientists & Engineers (AMSE), founding member, Trustee and Vice President of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) (1981), dean of School of Islamic Revealed Knowledge & Human Sciences at the International Islamic University Malaysia (1994 to 1998), and advisor and consultant to various educational, charitable and professional organizations. Dr. Bazrinji has had progressive experience of well over forty years in development and leadership of diverse organizations (business, educational, think-tanks, political and charitable), such as Amana Mutual Funds, Mar-Jac Poultry, Safa Trust, SAAR Foundation, Bank Islam Malaysia, and Nada International. He holds Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, with a minor in Management from Louisiana State University, U.S.A. (1974), and a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering & Fuel Technology from the University of Sheffield, England (1962).
A Hudson Institute report traces the history and importance of many of the above organizations in the development of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood.