Updated 19 March 2014
Two of our community members, Al Hajj Mustafa G R Jaffer, was recently awarded the "Building a Peaceful Community" Lifetime Community Service Award by the Muslim4Peace Organization at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Al Hajj Mustafa G. R. Jaffer
Mustafa Jaffer was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania (East Africa) in January 1932. He worked with Zanzibar Government Treasurer’s office along with Oman Sultan’s Son Sheikh Mohamed, between January 1951-1964.
After the revolution in Zanzibar in 1964, he worked with the Ministry of State and was in charge of all state functions at the State House in Zanzibar hosting government and religious dignitaries. All along, he diligently served the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat in Zanzibar, under various Sub Committees. He also served as the Treasurer of Milad-Nabi association and was Government Spokesmen for the welfare programs after revolution from 1964 to 1974.
He was instrumental in assisting our community families to migrate from Zanzibar to Dar-Es-Salaam in 1964/65 to avoid forced marriages of our sisters, human persecution, and private asset seizures. He migrated to Dar-es-Salaam in 1975 and worked with the Zambia Copper industry as an Accountant. He served as a social worker in Dar-es-Salaam Jamaat.
He migrated to New York in October 1976. He served as the New York Jamaat President for more than 10 years. During his tenure, he was instrumental in raising funds for building Husseini Madressa, in Queens, NY. He was a Trustee for Muslim Foundation and other Shia centers throughout US. He was nominated by the Marja to serve as a Trustee of the NY Al-Khoei Foundation. He served for many years as an Executive Councilor for Nasimco and the KSIMC World Federation.
He worked very closely with Marhum Mulla Asgher and traveled with Mulla Saheb to many parts of UK, Canada, Africa, India, and Pakistan for the Welfare Services of our communities.
He is currently the Chairman of the Jaffer Family Foundation in New York, a Philanthropic Organization catering to the needs of all deserving people in India, Pakistan, Africa and all over the world be it in Education, Medical, Self-Employment, Housing, etc.
The Jaffer Family tradition of Charity and Service emanates from the legacy left behind by Al Hajj Mustafa Jaffer’s father, Marhum Gulamhussein Rajabali Jaffer (May Allah SWT bless his soul).
Mr. Ashraf Husain Panjwani
Mr. Ashraf Panjwani moved to America in December 1974. He started group prayer in his basement and later it was moved to United Nations, New York. He was part of the collective efforts to build Mehfil-e-Khurasan. Englewood, Bait-ul-Qyam, Delran, and Astana-e-Zehra, Englishtown and Masjid-e-Ali, FrankIin Township, New Jersey.