Our Imam
Meet our Imam, Dr Talib M. Shareef
Imam Dr. Talib M. Shareef, Masjid Muhammad, The Nation’s Mosque
Dr. Talib M. Shareef is President and Imam of historic Masjid Muhammad, The Nation’s Mosque in Washington, D.C. Imam Shareef, is a retired U.S. Air Force member with 30+ years of service; has a Doctorate from Global Oved Dei Seminary and University, where he serves as a professor of Islamic Studies and Director of the Interfaith Council, an MBA from American Intercontinental University, a Diploma from the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, and the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Arabic and Middle East studies.
He is a student of the late Imam W. Deen Mohammed. Imam Shareef served as Imam in 5 U.S. cities and seven military locations worldwide. His Majesty Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, awarded Imam Shareef the Kingdom’s highest Royal Medal and honor for his outstanding interfaith leadership. He was the first Imam with military service to open a session of the U.S. Congress. He received the U.S. Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the 46th President of the U.S. Joe Biden. He was selected as the Muslim representative to speak and introduce President Biden and was honored to be recognized for his service by President Obama, both at the White House.
He is featured in the 73rd Edition of Marquis Who’s Who in America. His strategic vision led to the acquisition and development of nearly $50 million dollar housing and business Islamic legacy project in the Nation’s Capital honoring the first distinguished Muslim woman in America’s history, Sister Clara Muhammad. He has contributed to several books, written several articles, and appeared in several media broadcasts and publications such as CNN, Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, Voice of America, AlJazeerah, Reuters, The Economist, Newsweek, Washington Post, Foreign Policy Magazine, World Religion News, Forbes, New Haven Register, Religion News Service, National Catholic Reporter, the Catholic Register, The National News, the U.S.
Embassy in Chad, and more.
He’s traveled for interfaith peacebuilding, countering/preventing extremism, Islam in
America, and religious freedom forums in the countries of Denmark, S. Korea,
Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Turkey, South America, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, United
Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Germany, Philippines, S. Africa, and N. Ireland. He has also traveled to the Middle East several times for orientation and engagement on the Israeli-Palestinian Situation.
He was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to speak in, travel across, and meet with various leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He offered the opening prayer on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the 50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s March on Washington; a key speaker at former President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light Conference’s Faith Summit; Spoke at the South African Embassy celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life; led historic delegation to and addressed over 500,000 in South Africa; Hosted Press Conference/Panel for then
Presidential Candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders at the Nation’s Mosque to address
religious bigotry.
He Spoke at Sojourner Douglass College memorial honoring human rights
activist, Coretta Scott King. Co-initiated the U.S. Military commissioning its first Islamic
Chaplain in 1993. He participated in signing the Abuja Peace Declaration in Nigeria and
the Bukhara Declaration in Uzbekistan. Co-organized, spoke and led the historic Islamic congregational prayer at the Washington National Cathedral. Addressed the ills of Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill.
He Hosted the “Unlikely Alliance”, “God Needs No Defense” Forum in partnership with the World Evangelical Alliance (One of world’s largest Christian organizations) and Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama (the world’s largest Muslim Organization). Member of the D.C. Mayor’s Interfaith Council; served as
President and Chairman of the Interfaith Conference organization. He is the President
of the Resolution Hub for Peace; Appointed to the DHS Faith-Based Security Advisory
Committee.
He is the Recipient of the IWDM Global Ambassador for Peace Award; the IWDM
Commitment to Service Award, Imam of the Year, the NAACP Roy Wilkins Leadership Award, and is heavily decorated with military honors.
Imam Shareef and his wife, Tahirah, have six children (3 by adoption), and they have fostered several children over the years.
Positions Held
President, Global Resolution Hub for Peace
President/Chairman (Former), InterFaith Council/Conference (IFCMW)
Vice Commander/Chaplain, Muslim-American Miltary Assn (MAVA)
Dean / Professor, Islamic Chaplaincy, Global Oved Dei Seminary Univ (GODSU)
National Adviser, National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF)
Director, Interfaith Council, GODSU
Director, American Muslims Against Terrorism & Extremism (AMATE)
Mayor’s Interfaith Council
Imam Shareef served as Imam in five U.S. cities and seven military locations around the world. Under the high patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, Imam Shareef received the Kingdom‘s highest Royal Medal and honor for his outstanding interfaith leadership. He was the first Imam with military service to open a session of the U.S. Congress with prayer. He was honored to sit with and be recognized for his service by President Obama at the White House. He was selected and featured as a Marquis Who’s Who in America, 73rd edition. He was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Saudi Arabia and Denmark to speak in several cities and meet with various local, national and international leaders. He offered the opening prayer on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the 50th Anniversary of Dr. King’s March on Washington; served as key speaker at former President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light Conference’s Faith Summit; Spoke at the South African Embassy celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life; led historic delegation to and addressed over 500,000 in South Africa; Hosted Press Conference/Panel for Presidential Candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders at the Nation’s Mosque to address religious bigotry. Spoke at Sojourner Douglass College memorial honoring human rights activist, Coretta Scott King. He was a signer on the Abuja Peace Declaration organized by the International Global Peace Foundation and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in Nigeria. He led an interfaith delegation to Italy meeting with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Co-organized, spoke and led the historic Islamic congregational prayer at the Washington National Cathedral. Addressed the ills of Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill. Facilitated Peace Forum at the Global Peace Convention in Manila, Philippines. He established the first Islamic Dietary Nutrition site for elderly members of all faiths in D.C. He sits on the council for the National Summit on Non-Violence; He’s on the D.C. Mayor’s Interfaith Council; former President and Chairman of the Interfaith Conference based in the nation’s capital. Director, American Muslims Addressing Terrorism and Extremism (AMATE); President of the Resolution Hub for Peace; Boardmember of the National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF).
He served as keynote speaker for the Pentagon and Homeland Security Ramadan programs, co-initiated the U.S. Military commissioning its first Islamic Chaplain in 1993; Vice Commander of the National Muslim American Veterans Association; Spoke and facilitated interfaith peacebuilding, countering/preventing terrorism/extremism forums in the countries of Denmark, S. Korea, Nigeria, South America, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Germany, Philippines, and N. Ireland. He traveled to the Middle East for an orientation on the Israeli-Palestinian Situation. Traveled as a member the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) team of U.S. experts in partnership with the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) and the U.S. Department of State. Recipient of the Muslim Journal’s Imam of the Year Award, Global Ambassador for Peace, the Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed Commitment to Service Award and the NAACP Roy Wilkins Leadership Award. Imam Shareef and wife, Tahirah, have three children, seven grandchildren, are custodial parents of three others and have fostered several children.
