Experiences of an American Muslim, Immigration Attorney Sahar Taman*
This fall semester, I had the pleasure of meeting Immigration Attorney Sahar Taman during my time as a student in Dr. Iman Alramadan’s 5th-year Arabic class. Ms. Taman is a highly accomplished lawyer, activist, and public servant. It was incredible to hear about her experiences and her advice for those interested in the world of immigration advocacy, a field I am passionate about as I look to use my Arabic language skills post-graduation. I have often viewed this area of public services as daunting and time-intensive, but Ms. Taman serves as an important reminder that such work is both possible and necessary.
Upon graduation from the University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire with a bachelor’s in communications and media studies and the University of Chicago with a master’s degree in public policy and international affairs, Ms. Taman began her career at the Office of Management and Budget. There she created the first-ever Arab and Islamic Cultural Heritage Programs for the Executive Office of the President alongside her oversight of data collection efforts – a groundbreaking development that helped to expand cultural awareness among our nation’s most powerful leaders. Ms. Taman then served as the director of the Religion and Society Dialogue Program at the National Peace Foundation. In this position, she worked to facilitate dialogue between Muslims from the Arabic-speaking Middle East and American religious communities with a view to breaking down biases and establishing connections of mutual understanding amongst groups that are often pitted against one another. After these experiences, she delved into the field of youth education where she created leadership programs for the alumni of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program (YES) at American Councils for International Education across 15 different countries from Morocco to Indonesia.
In 2018, Sahar returned to school to pursue her Juris Doctor at the Appalachian School of Law in Virginia. An immigrant from Egypt herself, she provided legal services to Afghan immigrants who were temporarily placed at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin. As the lead attorney for Fort McCoy Operation Allies Welcome – U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Legal Clinic, she supervised over 10,000 legal services for 13,000 Afghans between September 2021 and February 2022. She helped to manage a vast team of volunteer attorneys and Afghan guests to effectively serve such a large population – a massive undertaking that meant crucial assistance for these newly arrived refugees.
Currently, Ms. Taman continues in her support for the Afghan community in the state of Wisconsin where she creates comprehensive education programs about the asylum process and offers pro bono services. Apart from her legal work, Sahar is the Executive Director of the Mahmoud S Taman Foundation, which funds numerous initiatives for students and community organizations working hard to make positive changes in society. She has been recognized nationally for her contributions to U.S. – Muslim relations, including the 2010 National Award for Citizen Diplomacy from the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy and the Peace X Peace Women, Power, and Peace Connection Point Award.
Ms. Taman’s work and efforts are quite enlightening, and she shared all of this information with us in Arabic, which was fantastic listening and speaking practice for our class. Her life’s work is a testament to the fact there is work to be done for stronger relations with the Muslim community in America in not just one, but multiple fields, and that such meaningful impact can be created whether it is law, international development, or service in the executive branch. As aspiring bridge-builders in cross-cultural relations ourselves, my classmates and I found her work incredibly inspirational and benefited from having met a professional who has accomplished so much that aligns with our future goals. She presented us an incredible example of how to meaningfully create the connections that make our communities stronger and friendlier.
*This post has been written to celebrate March 27, International Muslim Women’s Day with Attorney Sahar Taman as our spotlight person.
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Patrick Lee is a Senior at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies majoring in International Law and Institutions & Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures with a certificate in Liberal Arts and Management. Post graduation, he hopes to continue his Arabic studies with the aim of one day working on cultural diplomacy efforts throughout the MENA region.
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Disclaimer: Any views and/or opinions represented in this blog solely belong to the author. Muslim Voices Public Scholarship Project is not liable for the opinions presented.
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