Egyptian American Muslim Texan

Written by Jan Jaben-Eilon Friday, October 15 2010

Snapshot: Soumaya Khalifa
As founder and executive director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta (ISB), Soumaya Khalifa brings an array of corporate and nonprofit experience to her role. She has worked in human resources, diversity, and talent management for Fortune 500 companies.

ISB volunteers have presented to thousands in metro Atlanta and surrounding areas, creating a better understanding of how practicing American Muslims live their lives. The ISB is an affiliate of the Islamic Networks Group in California.

In addition to her work with ISB, Khalifa is president of her consulting firm that specializes in diversity, training, and human resources. She also teaches classes at Emory University Center for Lifelong Learning titled, “Arab World Insider: Secrets to Successful Business in Arab Countries” and “Essentials of Human Resources Management.”

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, and raised in Texas, Khalifa holds an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Houston and a master’s in human resources from Georgia State University. Fluent in English and Arabic, she has studied French, Spanish, and German. The mother of three and grandmother of three, Khalifa lives with her husband in the Atlanta area, where she also cofounded an interfaith women’s baking group.

Womenetics: You started the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta before Sept. 11, 2001. Why?
Soumaya Khalifa: We started the ISB in August 2001 after two to three years of thinking about it. Growing up in Texas, I found myself having three parts of me: an American side, a Muslim side, and an Egyptian side. All three parts of me were not presented to all people all the time. Through my own evolvement, I decided that all these parts made me who I am and that I can help build a better world by sharing this with everyone. The ISB is an educational 501(c)3 organization working on building bridges of understanding with the wider community. We teach about Islam, following the First Amendment guidelines.

Womenetics: How did 9/11 impact ISB and how it developed?
Khalifa: When 9/11 happened, we were just starting the ISB. It was a very emotional and scary time for all and especially the American Muslim community. We did not know quite know what to do. Fortunately, we decided to go forward with the organization. Through word of mouth, people found out about the ISB, and we started receiving requests from mostly church groups who wanted to understand about Islam and Muslims. They heard about us through networking and our track record.

Womenetics: You wear a scarf and dress conservatively. Do you consider yourself a religious Muslim?
Khalifa: I consider myself a human being that is trying to improve my character and myself in general. I happen to be a Muslim so I use the framework of Islam to do that.

Womenetics: As you were growing up, did you suffer from bigotry?
Khalifa: In the ‘70s as I was growing up in Texas, people did not know what to make of me. They mostly assumed that I was Hispanic. When I told friends that I was born in Egypt, they hardly knew where that was and tried to link it to their world history and geography classes. I am sure there was bigotry, but I was not looking for it or maybe I just forgot.

Womenetics: Do you think your children and grandchildren suffer more from Islamophobia because of the times?
Khalifa: I believe that each person regardless (of who they are) can be discriminated against for one thing or another. If it is not religion, it can be race, gender, physical abilities, etc. What is important is for people to try their best and not let that stop them. It would be great to use it as an opportunity to excel and turn the situation around. Yes, my children have suffered from Islamophobia. My younger son's name is Osama.

Womenetics: What impact do you think ISB has had on the Atlanta community?
Khalifa: Since 2001, the Islamic Speakers Bureau's speakers have engaged with more than 25,000 fellow Atlantans. Many of our audience members had not met a Muslim before. They have read about them or saw something in the media about them. I think a lot of times, there is an a-ha moment as audience members find out that we are their neighbors, fellow Atlantans. We suffer from traffic, current economy, future of our kids, and a lot of the same concerns that everyone faces. We bring the personal connection to the words "Islam" and "Muslims.”

Womenetics: How many volunteer speakers have you trained at ISB through the years?
Khalifa: We hold new speaker training once a year. Our process of selecting speakers is rigorous. Not everyone who attends the training becomes a speaker. After the one-day training session, they take an online test, shadow a veteran speaker, and are evaluated. On average, there are about 40 people or so who attend our training but only about five to eight who complete the process. We currently have 30 volunteers with the organization.

We also created a new workshop with a focus on the Muslim community. It is called a Meaningful Conversation. It is designed to help Muslims engage in conversations with people of other faiths. Many times Muslims get asked questions by friends, coworkers, and other people in their circles, and we want to make sure that everyone engages in that conversation in the appropriate manner.

Womenetics: What is your biggest challenge at ISB?
Khalifa: Challenges faced by the ISB are so similar to other nonprofits. It is a challenge to raise the resources needed to do the work that needs to be done, keep the volunteers engaged, etc. We also have a challenge of letting people know about our work and the services we provide.