Every few months, I stand in front of families at mosques across Georgia and teach constitutional rights workshops. Free of charge. No strings attached. Because knowledge is the most powerful form of protection any person can carry.
Why These Workshops Exist
As a Muslim attorney in Georgia, I have seen firsthand how a lack of legal knowledge leads to devastating outcomes. Families who do not understand their Fourth Amendment protections during a traffic stop. Young people who do not realize they have the right to remain silent. Parents unsure what to do when federal agents come to their door. These are not hypothetical scenarios. They happen in our communities every week.
Growing up in Dalton, Georgia, I watched hardworking immigrant families navigate a system they did not fully understand. When I earned my law degree from Georgia State University College of Law and began prosecuting over 100 felony cases as an assistant district attorney, I saw the other side. I saw how easily rights could be violated when people did not know what those rights were.
What We Cover in the Workshops
The workshops are practical, not academic. I walk attendees through their rights during police encounters, the difference between a request and a lawful order, how to document an encounter, and when to assert your rights respectfully but firmly. We also cover civil rights in travel, employment, and education, drawing from both my prosecutorial experience and my work as a personal injury and civil rights attorney.
Community Service and Legal Practice Are the Same Mission
My community service and legal practice share the same mission: making sure everyone has access to justice. This is the same principle behind our decade-long sponsorship of MIST Atlanta, the Awad Law Firm Scholarship at Dalton State College, and the message of my TEDx talk, Beautiful Patience. If your mosque or community center in Georgia would like to host a workshop, reach out at (706) 365-0937. There is no cost.
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About The Author
