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Nadia Shahram

Nadia Shahram is the founder and President of The Coalition for the Advancement of Moslem Women, an organization promoting a grassroots movement for equality for Moslem women.  Shahram unveiled the first Declaration of Equalities for Moslem Women during the 2014 Convention Days in Seneca Falls, New York.<Declaration for Equalities for Moslem Women. BREITBART: June 11, 2014. Unveiling of Declaration. http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2014/06/11/muslim-womens-liberation-movement-leader-biggest-opposition-from-some-sister-muslims/; BREITBART: June 10, 2014. Declaration & Muslim Women Liberation. http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2014/06/10/the-next-great-movement-muslim-womens-liberation/; BALLADEERS BLOG: June 12, 2014. Declaration. http://glitternight.com/2014/06/12/a-shoutout-about-the-upcoming-declaration-of-equalities-for-muslim-women/; ARUTZ SHEVA, Israeli National News: JUNE 23, 2014. Interview re: Declaration. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/15184; THE MUSLIM TIMES: July 6, 2014. Unveiling of Declaration. http://www.themuslimtimes.org/2014/07/americas/local-attorney-to-present-declaration-of-equalities#ixzz36iQy88E4; BUSINESS FIRST: July 11, 2014. Unveiling of Declaration. http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/print-edition/2014/07/11/attorney-shahram-demands-equality-for-muslim-women.html; BUFFLAO LAW LIBRARY NEWS: July 2014. Unveiling of Declaration. http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/blog/law/?p=3113; Zonta Club: http://zontaclubbuffalo.org/tag/declaration-of-equalities/>  One year later, Shahram presented the Declaration to the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, where it hangs on permanent display in the Visitor’s Center. EARLY LIFE Shahram was born in Tehran, one of six daughters, where both of her parents were journalists. Her father owned a bookstore and a publishing company, and the family evenings were often spent entertaining authors, poets and journalists of the day. Her parents had an extensive library and reading the classics as well as traditional and famous author works, was encouraged and rewarded. Her father was an activist for citizen and human rights and was frequently jailed by the Secret Police for his outspoken views. Shahram vividly recalls her father being taken from their home in the middle of the night. Her parent’s dynamic involvement in civil rights imprinted on her in a fundamental way. Her mother and sisters all participated in the civil resistance and peaceful marches of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Shahram determined to follow in her parent’s footsteps and work to create a better world for women. TRANSITION TO AMERICA Both of Shahram’s parents were journalists in Iran. Shahram travelled to the United States with the ambition of becoming a broadcast journalist. Shahram received her B.S. in Business Administration (1988) and her J.D. (1997) from the State University of New York at Buffalo.  During these years Shahram married and had two daughters of her own. CAREER After receiving her law degree, Shahram trained as a family mediator at the Rochester Mediation Center and has been a practicing mediator in the field of Matrimonial Mediation since 2001. Ms. Shahram’s keen interest in Mediation and resolving disputes outside the courtroom was first triggered during the years she lived in Paris and Zurich, where mediation is a common practice in dispute resolution. There, she experienced first-hand the positive power of mediation. It was only later when Shahram immersed herself in mediation training that she recognized that mediation was her own heritage – that it was her primary family dispute resolution. She also realized that her own parents were the family mediators for the entire extended family, in much the same way as a tribal elder settles disputes within a tribe. Ms. Shahram's cultural, educational and professional experiences have provided her with a broad knowledge base from which to offer expert opinions and assist courts and attorneys in dealing with Moslem clientele in matrimonial and family law.  She has been extensively interviewed by, and written for the press, on occasions where culture and the law clash. She also writes at length in situations where her mediation training and skills offer a peaceful and subtle approach to life.<BUFFALO NEWS: March 8, 2012. Bullying & Tolerance Day. http://www.buffalonews.com/Students_learn_about_bullying_here_worldwide___Various_speakers_discuss_violations_of_human_rights_during_aposTolerance_Dayapos.html; BUFFALO NEWS: December 4, 2013. BEAUTY OF CHRISTMAS. http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/nadia-shahram-slow-down-and-enjoy-beauty-of-christmas-20131204; BUFFALO NEWS: February 20, 2014. FORGIVENESS. http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/my-view/nadia-shahram-forgiveness-brings-peace-to-your-heart-20140220.> Ms. Shahram was an Adjunct Professor in the Law and Government Program at Hilbert College from 2001 through 2007. She continues to teach as an Adjunct Professor at the Buffalo State University Law School. She organizes and chairs conferences and symposiums on Divorce Mediation in the Buffalo area on a biannual basis. COMMUNITY SERVICE Ms. Shahram is a board member of the Family Justice Center of Erie County, a member of Women & Erie County Bar Associations, and a board member of the New York State Council of Divorce Mediation. Ms. Shahram has served on a number of advisory boards as well as collaborated with numerous cultural, civic, humanitarian, and educational organizations including the International Institute of Buffalo, Journey’s End Refugee Services, Buffalo Public Schools, Zonta International, Women’s Interfaith Institute, the YWCA of Niagara County, and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). AWARDS & RECOGNITION Ms. Shahram has received numerous awards for her selfless contributions to the community, including the “Spirit of Woman” Humanitarian Award for her work with the Family Justice Center, a “Cultural and Education” Award from Buffalo Public Schools, “Women of Influence” from Business First, and the “ Legal Elite” of Western New York.  	Ms. Shahram is the founding member of “Raising Hope”, an annual fashion show fund-raiser to benefit the Family Justice Center. During the years 2012 through 2014 this project raised over $100,000 for women victimized by domestic violence in the Western New York area.   ACTIVISM After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Ms. Shahram began to re-examine her faith of Islam, the role of Muslims in the international arena, and the perceptions of Islam in the West. As part of her inner search, she later developed and teaches a course at the University of Buffalo Law School, "The Effects of Religion and Culture on Family and Criminal Laws." The course was created as part of her quest to find answers to her own questions. It is a forum where hard questions are openly discussed and where Ms. Shahram found forward momentum to her personal ambition to help Moslem women worldwide. It was during one of these courses, discussing the issue of prevalence of misogyny within Moslem culture that awakened Shahram to the need to address this issue publicly. Shahram is an outspoken critic of both social and political Moslem and frequently writes letters-to-the-Editors, which are published on various topics. DECLARATION OF EQUALITIES FOR MOSLEM WOMEN Ms. Shahram unveiled the first Declaration of Equalities for Moslem Women on July 19, 2014, during Convention Days in Seneca Falls, New York.  The Seneca Falls Convention is the birth place of the women’s rights movement, where the first Women’s Rights Convention was held in 1848. Shahram’s Declaration is written in the spirit of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and aspires to address laws and cultural practices which are unjust, and discriminatory to women in Islamic countries. Shahram’s goal is to raise one million signatures and present the Declaration to the United Nations. Once presented, the goal is to encourage the UN to assist in gender equalization in Moslem countries in the courts. Shahram has a number of small groups of graduate students making ongoing presentations throughout the New York State University system informing and securing additional signatures on the Declaration. Shahram herself continues to promote the Declaration and educate people around the State of New York. She made an artistic presentation of the Declaration at the “Declaration of Sentiments: The Remix, A Celebration of the 200th Birthday of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Women’s Suffrage Centennial” on November 12, 2015, and another presentation at the High Falls Film Festival in High Falls, NY on November 15, 2015.

FOUNDATIONS

COALITION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF MOSLEM WOMEN The Coalition for the Advancement of Moslem Women is a non-profit organization promoting justice, equality and self-determination for Moslem women worldwide. Although the organization is young, it is advancing several projects at this time. BIGAMY AND POLYGYNY LAWS The Coalition for the Advancement of Moslem Women has a door-to-door contingent of women who are gathering signatures for presentation to the local Senator regarding the practice and prevalence of bigamy and polygyny within the Moslem Community. There exists a loophole in the laws against such practices, whereby Moslem Clergy continue to perform marriages for Moslem men, despite know of the existence of an earlier Wife. Although there are laws requiring the registration of all marriages performed in the State, the legal fines for failing to do so are unenforced and the clergy remain virtually consequence-free. As a result, there are many Moslem men who are married to multiple Moslem women, which means that the second and third wives in such marriages are unprotected by the law, and who ultimately end up existing on social welfare programs to survive. The goal is to raise enough signatures to force lawmakers into action to close such loopholes and end this practice. COALITION EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP The Coalition has an established scholarship, started in 2012 that seeks to encourage and enable young Moslem women to pursue higher education.  The $1,000.00 scholarship is available to young women transitioning from High School to University and is available for at least four years. COALITION FUNDRAISING An avid cook, Ms. Shahram published a traditional Persian Cuisine Cookbook, entitled “Persian Cuisine” in 1990.  As a part of ongoing fundraising efforts, she and her Coalition colleagues offer cultural-themed dinners in their homes on a regular basis. This is an on-going and year-round activity. MEDIA While visiting her native country of Iran in 2004 and 2005, Ms. Shahram conducted hundreds of interviews and attended Islamic courtrooms as part of an extensive research project. She witnessed first-hand the unjust implementation of Islamic Law. Shortly after Shahram returned from her trip she was the focus of a feature article in the Hilbert College quarterly “Connections” Magazine.<http://media.wix.com/ugd/ba8d3a_69ce4f04eab549e8992314f78621c089.pdf> Ms. Shahram published her first novel, "Marriage on the Street Corners of Tehran” in 2010.<Marriage on the Street Corners of Tehran, Asateer Press, New York, 2010.  http://www.buffalonews.com/Women_in_the_shadows_Attorney_Nadia_Shahramaposs_novel_tells_the_true_stories_of_Iranian_women_exploited_by_apostemporary_marriageapos.html>   This book was based on research and the true stories of Iranian women, with whom she conducted extensive interviews during her time in Iran, and who shared in detail their experiences.   Shahram was interviewed by both radio and television after her book was published.<Shahram was interviewed by Suzi Khatami on July 27, 2010 on 670 AM Kirn Radio Iran about her book. Hengameh Afshar Pars TV, December 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWPymzNHmvs; Andishe TV, December 2010https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GOzMCdwXpY;>   The book is scheduled to be re-published by “Unhooked” Books Publishers of Arizona, in early 2016. In the 2009 murder of Aasiya Hassan by her husband in Orchard Park, N.Y, Nadia was the first person to identify the decapitation as a Hybrid Honor Killing – one in which the traditional community and legal support for the retribution is absent from the situation. As a guest speaker in this area of expertise, Ms. Shahram has been interviewed by local as well as national radio and TV stations, including CNN, Voice of America, and numerous print media sources.<BUFFALO NEWS: July 11, 2013. TENETS OF ISLAM http://www.buffalonews.com/20130711/Nadia_Shahram_True_tenets_of_Islam_are_being_distorted.html BUFFALO NEWS: May 19, 2013. Domestic Violence Conference. http://www.buffalonews.com/20130519/Domestic_violence_conference_focuses_on_honor_killings.html BUFFALO NEWS: February 17, 2013. Violence Against Women. http://www.buffalonews.com/20130217/Women_are_subject_to_violence_and_discrimination_by_both_the_state_and_society.html BUFFALO NEWS: February 20, 2011. Middle East Protests. http://www.buffalonews.com/U.S._must_side_with_the_people_in_Mideast_protests.html BUFFALO NEWS: September 26, 2010. Quran Does Not Endorse Stoning of Women. http://www.buffalonews.com/Quran_does_not_endorse_Iranaposs_stoning_of_women.html FOX NEWS:  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/02/07/closing-arguments-begin-new-york-beheading-murder-trial/>   Her letters-to-the-Editors have also been published in ARTVOICE.<ARTVOICE, February 2009  http://artvoice.com/issues/v8n9/domestic_violence_and_islam> Shahram lectures and gives presentations across New York State <Convention Days 2015: http://www.nps.gov/wori/planyourvisit/convention-days-2015.htm. WGRZ:http://hamburg.wgrz.com/news/arts-culture/islamic-women-s-rights-expert-activist-speak-hilbert/53599> and is often interviewed by National Public Radio and other media sources such as CNN. She contributes frequently to the Buffalo News and often writes for the Erie County Bar Association monthly newsletter.<Erie Co. Bar Ass’n, February 2015:     Erie Co. Bar Ass’n, September 2014, Declaration, page 2: http://www.eriebar.org/MemberCenter/PublicationsResources/TheBulletin/TheBulletin2014; Erie Co. Bar Ass’n, Summer 2014, Equality, page7: http://www.eriebar.org/MemberCenter/PublicationsResources/TheBulletin/TheBulletin2014; Erie Co. Bar Ass’n, March 2014, Polygyny page16: http://www.eriebar.org/MemberCenter/PublicationsResources/TheBulletin/TheBulletin2014; Erie Co. Bar Ass’n, February 2013, Mahr or Dowry page16: http://www.eriebar.org/MemberCenter/PublicationsResources/TheBulletin/2013: Erie Co. Bar Ass’n, April 2011, Mediation page13: http://www.eriebar.org/MemberCenter/PublicationsResources/TheBulletin/2011>