North Texas Islamic Council Celebrates Annual Banquet, Honoring Community Achievements and Heralding Ambitious Future Goals

The North Texas Islamic Council (NTIC) celebrated a long list of achievements during its annual Banquet and General Body Meeting, drawing almost two hundred diverse community leaders and prominent dignitaries, last week. 

The event celebrated NTIC's accomplishments and explored the organization's future initiatives to foster interfaith and intrafaith unity, civic participation, and community development across North Texas in the presence of Texas State Representatives Salman Bhojani and Terry Meza and Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer.

NTIC President Mujeeb Kazi hosted the night, and he awarded former Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) President Azhar Azeez a special award for his services to the Muslim community. 

“The event was a tremendous success,” said Kazi. “NTIC was honored to bring these different groups together, Sunni, Shia, African Americans, and white Americans. We are all working together to represent the needs of our community and to build bridges between each other and be a combined force for good.” 

City Councilman Abdul Khabeer and Irving School Board Trustee Nuzhat Hye were among those asked to address the audience about their role in representing their constituents, as were non-profit leaders, Minaret Foundation Executive Director Shariq Ghani, Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation (TMWF) CEO Mona Kafel, AMT Editor-In-Chief Rifat Malik.

AMT’s editor joined community leaders in praising NTIC’s critical role in advocating for the community's needs and goals, highlighting its position as a strong, unifying voice for Muslims in North Texas. 

“The work that NTIC and its board do is extraordinary. They represent community interests at a grassroots level but also at a higher policy level with local agencies and officials. We need organizations like NTIC, and AMT is always happy to partner with them on community initiatives.” 

The meeting discussions covered upcoming initiatives, recognized board members' contributions, and emphasized building upon NTIC’s previous successes. Attendees had the opportunity to network, fostering collaboration and support within the community. 

NTIC was established in 2007 by Muslim leaders in response to the growing need for an umbrella organization to represent the increasing number of mosques and Muslim groups in the region.  Since then, it has expanded to include a broad network of member institutions and serves as a central advocate for the Muslim community in North Texas. 

Over the last year, NTIC has played an active role in raising awareness about global issues, including the ongoing Gaza war.  

The organization has hosted public forums, produced vlogs, facilitated community discussions, and led protests and press conferences to advocate for the Palestinian people. It is currently undertaking a major study and will publish data about the role Muslims have played in North Texas over the years and their historical roots in the evolution of such a successful community.