Jamal al Barzinji
Encyclopedia
Dr. Jamal al Barzinji is a Muslim Arab-American businessman, associated with the International Institute of Islamic Thought
, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth
, and the SAAR Foundation
.
He served as President of Muslim Students' Association
, and was a founder and board member of Islamic Society of North America
.
Vice President, International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)
500 Grove Street, Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Over thirty (30) years of progressive experience in development and leadership of diverse organizations (business, educational, think-tanks, political and charitable).
Led numerous organizations into successful development and stability (financial and structural).
Led several Corporate and business entities into phenomenal growth and profitability.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1982 – Present: THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT, Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A.
• Founding member and Trustee.
• Led the team from concept development, to establishment, to growth of 20 offices around the world, making IIIT the leading Muslim intellectual organization, focused on crisis in Islamic Thought, education and the challenge of Modernity.
• As Vice President of Research & Publications, managed the publication of over 600 titles in 10 different languages (primarily Arabic and English) of specialized scholarly work.
• Developed and managed the production of two international journals in English and Arabic.
1984 – Present: MAR-JAC POULTRY, Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.A.
• President and Chairman of the Board.
• Negotiated the acquisition of a troubled poultry operation and oversaw its development into a show-case of the American Poultry Industry, rated as No. 1 in bottom line profit and quality.
1986 – Present: SAFA TRUST, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
• Founding Member and Chairman of the Board.
• Led a team to establish and develop a tax-exempt entity to provide financial stability and self-sufficiency for IIIT.
1986 – 2003: AMANA MUTUAL FUNDS, U.S.A.
• Founding Member, Advisor, and former Director.
• The first Shari ‘a compliant mutual fund. Developed into one of the top 10 performers, with about three billion dollars under management (as of Fall 2011). Amana is listed on NASDAC Stock Exchange.
1983 – 1995: SAAR FOUNDATION, Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A.
• Founding Member, Director
• Pioneered the establishment of a dynamic Muslim endowment and charity, with focus on improving the quality of life through education, training, technology and human development.
• Headed the fundraising, project development and investment of the Foundation’s funds to about $100 Million.
• Supervised educational, relief and investment projects in 15 countries.
1990 – 2002: BANK ISLAM MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Member, Board of Directors
• Worked diligently with the Board and the Shari ‘a Council to develop new instruments.
• During my tenure, the Bank assets doubled to over
$1 Billion.
1995 – 1998: INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY, Malaysia
• Dean, Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge & Social Sciences.
• Pioneered a unique and intensive project in Educational Reform. This involved recruitment and retraining of faculty; developing new curriculum on a novel concept (Double major and Multilingual) making it a requirement for students majoring in Islamic Studies to take a minor in a Social Science discipline, and vice versa.
• Developed and implemented Teacher Evaluation and Assessment Program.
• The Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge & Social Sciences developed from an embarrassing poor performer (1000 students) to the top performer in the region with over 6000 students and over 500 professors.
1997 – 1983: NADA INTERNATIONAL, Switzerland
• Vice President, Industrial Projects & Trade, Middle East.
• Established regional offices in Cairo and Riyadh.
• Headed the development, bidding and implementation of different engineering and construction projects all over the region.
1973 – 1994: NORTH AMERICAN ISLAMIC TRUST, Indianapolis,
Indiana, U.S.A.
• Founding Member, General Manager (1973-1977).
• Chairman of the Board of Trustees (1977-1994).
• Pioneered the development of the WAQF concept that was new to the Muslim minorities in the West.
• Worked with legal, financial and regulatory experts to establish an equivalent of Islamic Waqf that is to be entrusted with mosques, centers and other community-based assets.
SOCIAL & CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
1970 – 1977: THE MUSLIM STUDENTS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES & CANADA, (MSA), Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.
• Director of Publication (1970-1973)
• President (1973-1974)
• Chairman, Planning Committee (1975-1977)
1985 – 1993: THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA (ISNA), Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.
Chairman, Planning Committee
Member, Majlis Al-Shura
1984 – Present: INTERNATIONAL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, Kuwait
Founding Member, Member of the Planning Committee
1971 – Present: THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM SOCIAL SCIENTISTS (AMSS), U.S.A.
Founding Member
1972 – Present: THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS (AMSE), U.S.A.
Founding Member
ADVISORY EXPERIENCE
Served as Advisor and Consultant to numerous educational, charitable and professional organizations.
Regularly delivers numerous lectures and writes articles on various topics on Islamic Thought, Banking, Islamic Movements, Current Affairs, Education and Islamic Presence in the U.S. and Europe.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, with minor in Management
Louisiana State University, U.S.A. - 1974
M.Sc. Chemical Engineering
Lousiana State University, U.S.A. - 1972
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering & Fuel Technology
University of Sheffield, England - 1962
International Institute of Islamic Thought
The International Institute of Islamic Thought is a privately held non-profit organization.The Institution is concerned with issues of Islamic thought...
, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth
World Assembly of Muslim Youth
"We need thousands of these organizations all over the world. According to the Americans themselves, there are more than 1.5 million organizations in the US. When you look at the Muslim world, there are no more than 50,000...
, and the SAAR Foundation
SAAR Foundation
The SAAR Foundation was a flagship corporation representing charities, think tanks, and business entities named after its founder, Saudi patriarch Sulaiman Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi. The SAAR Foundation achieved prominence as the key subject of a March 20, 2002 raid by federal agents, as a part of...
.
He served as President of Muslim Students' Association
Muslim Students' Association
The Muslim Students Association, or Muslim Student Union, of the U.S. and Canada, also known as MSA National, is a religious organization dedicated to establishing and maintaining Islamic societies on college campuses in Canada and the United States. It serves to provide coordination and support...
, and was a founder and board member of Islamic Society of North America
Islamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
.
Profile
JAMAL M. al-BARZINJI, Ph.D.Vice President, International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)
500 Grove Street, Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Over thirty (30) years of progressive experience in development and leadership of diverse organizations (business, educational, think-tanks, political and charitable).
Led numerous organizations into successful development and stability (financial and structural).
Led several Corporate and business entities into phenomenal growth and profitability.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1982 – Present: THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT, Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A.
• Founding member and Trustee.
• Led the team from concept development, to establishment, to growth of 20 offices around the world, making IIIT the leading Muslim intellectual organization, focused on crisis in Islamic Thought, education and the challenge of Modernity.
• As Vice President of Research & Publications, managed the publication of over 600 titles in 10 different languages (primarily Arabic and English) of specialized scholarly work.
• Developed and managed the production of two international journals in English and Arabic.
1984 – Present: MAR-JAC POULTRY, Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.A.
• President and Chairman of the Board.
• Negotiated the acquisition of a troubled poultry operation and oversaw its development into a show-case of the American Poultry Industry, rated as No. 1 in bottom line profit and quality.
1986 – Present: SAFA TRUST, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
• Founding Member and Chairman of the Board.
• Led a team to establish and develop a tax-exempt entity to provide financial stability and self-sufficiency for IIIT.
1986 – 2003: AMANA MUTUAL FUNDS, U.S.A.
• Founding Member, Advisor, and former Director.
• The first Shari ‘a compliant mutual fund. Developed into one of the top 10 performers, with about three billion dollars under management (as of Fall 2011). Amana is listed on NASDAC Stock Exchange.
1983 – 1995: SAAR FOUNDATION, Herndon, Virginia, U.S.A.
• Founding Member, Director
• Pioneered the establishment of a dynamic Muslim endowment and charity, with focus on improving the quality of life through education, training, technology and human development.
• Headed the fundraising, project development and investment of the Foundation’s funds to about $100 Million.
• Supervised educational, relief and investment projects in 15 countries.
1990 – 2002: BANK ISLAM MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Member, Board of Directors
• Worked diligently with the Board and the Shari ‘a Council to develop new instruments.
• During my tenure, the Bank assets doubled to over
$1 Billion.
1995 – 1998: INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY, Malaysia
• Dean, Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge & Social Sciences.
• Pioneered a unique and intensive project in Educational Reform. This involved recruitment and retraining of faculty; developing new curriculum on a novel concept (Double major and Multilingual) making it a requirement for students majoring in Islamic Studies to take a minor in a Social Science discipline, and vice versa.
• Developed and implemented Teacher Evaluation and Assessment Program.
• The Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge & Social Sciences developed from an embarrassing poor performer (1000 students) to the top performer in the region with over 6000 students and over 500 professors.
1997 – 1983: NADA INTERNATIONAL, Switzerland
• Vice President, Industrial Projects & Trade, Middle East.
• Established regional offices in Cairo and Riyadh.
• Headed the development, bidding and implementation of different engineering and construction projects all over the region.
1973 – 1994: NORTH AMERICAN ISLAMIC TRUST, Indianapolis,
Indiana, U.S.A.
• Founding Member, General Manager (1973-1977).
• Chairman of the Board of Trustees (1977-1994).
• Pioneered the development of the WAQF concept that was new to the Muslim minorities in the West.
• Worked with legal, financial and regulatory experts to establish an equivalent of Islamic Waqf that is to be entrusted with mosques, centers and other community-based assets.
SOCIAL & CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
1970 – 1977: THE MUSLIM STUDENTS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES & CANADA, (MSA), Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.
• Director of Publication (1970-1973)
• President (1973-1974)
• Chairman, Planning Committee (1975-1977)
1985 – 1993: THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA (ISNA), Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.
Chairman, Planning Committee
Member, Majlis Al-Shura
1984 – Present: INTERNATIONAL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, Kuwait
Founding Member, Member of the Planning Committee
1971 – Present: THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM SOCIAL SCIENTISTS (AMSS), U.S.A.
Founding Member
1972 – Present: THE ASSOCIATION OF MUSLIM SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS (AMSE), U.S.A.
Founding Member
ADVISORY EXPERIENCE
Served as Advisor and Consultant to numerous educational, charitable and professional organizations.
Regularly delivers numerous lectures and writes articles on various topics on Islamic Thought, Banking, Islamic Movements, Current Affairs, Education and Islamic Presence in the U.S. and Europe.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, with minor in Management
Louisiana State University, U.S.A. - 1974
M.Sc. Chemical Engineering
Lousiana State University, U.S.A. - 1972
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering & Fuel Technology
University of Sheffield, England - 1962