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pi presenter
Sami Rasouli
Director, Muslim Peacemaker Teams (MPT) |
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Sami Rasouli left Iraq when he was 24 years old to teach in United Arab Emirates for several years and then to Germany to teach for 4 more years. After arriving in Minnesota, he drove a cab until he had enough money to buy a cafe and market he named Sinbad's. In 2001, Sami became a U.S. citizen.
After his mother died in September of 2003, he went back to Iraq for the first time in 27 years to visit and to console his sisters. He was stunned by the destruction he witnessed in his homeland. Sami returned to the US after a month, but the images he had seen continued to haunt him. His sleep was fitful and he was often weeping. It became clear to him that he needed to return to help rebuild Iraq.
In 2004, he sold his business of 14 years and left his three adult sons and returned to Iraq to offer his help. Since 2004, Sami has spent most of his time in Iraq, and comes back to Minneapolis each year for a two month speaking tour, in which he shares the stories of people he has met and gives a firsthand account of conditions in Iraq. He founded the Muslim Peacemaker Teams in 2005 and one of his goals is to build relations between the people of Iraq and the people of the U.S. through a variety of projects, including Water for Peace, developing Sister City relationships, student exchange, and letters between the children of his two homes.
While living in Minneapolis, Sami served on the board of directors of the Whittier Neighborhood. He also served on the boards of several other organizations. Among his friends and community, Sami was known as a passionate peace advocate.
Sami Rasouli's first assignment in Iraq was to be a liaison between Global Exchange and Code Pink of San Francisco and the refugees of Fallujah to deliver medical supplies. As a member of the Iraq Human Rights Watch of Karbala, he accompanied doctors to visit several different camps of refugees. Then he met the Christian Peacemaker Teams. After spending some time learning from these visitors to Iraq he formed his own group.
When others heard of the newly formed Muslim Peacemakers Team, people from all over the country interested in learning about the group contacted Sami. He is certain that 20 teams can be established and working in all areas of the country. |
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