Community Announcement 10.09.2018: New Report Released

For Immediate Distribution

Irving, TX (October 9, 2018) – Facing Abuse in Community Environments (FACE), an organization founded in 2017 to address allegations of abuse at the hands of religious and community leaders, has released their first “Misconduct Report” on North Texas based Imam, Zia ul-Haque Sheikh.

The purpose of this report is to provide the Muslim community complete transparency and give notice to a pattern of behavior which, if left unattended, will continue to have dangerous ramifications for the existing communities, as well as potential future congregations and vulnerable populations.

CLICK HERE: MISCONDUCT REPORT

FACE Founder and President, Alia Salem, said in a statement:

“There is no room in our religious tradition for ethical violations by religious leaders to go unchecked. We have a moral obligation to make sure our sacred spaces and community institutions are safe from predators and ethical violators. It is critical for the safety and health of our community that we, ourselves, take meaningful steps to hold leaders accountable.”

The mission of FACE is to serve as an independent first line of defense for victims in the Muslim community experiencing abuse and neglect at the hands of religious and community leaders and the institutions protecting them. This is accomplished by providing reliable and professional avenues of reporting abuse and making formal inquiries, education and resolution services to address claims.

VIDEO: WHY OUR WORK IS NEEDED

FACE Co-Founder and Board Chair, Huma Yasin, said in a statement:

“We see time and time again in our community that the institutions are not talking to each other and rarely engage a detailed and professional background check process to thoroughly vet candidates for positions of leadership. Leaders who violate codes of conduct are getting recycled over and over again in different communities providing a new pool of unsuspecting vulnerable people who inevitably get taken advantage of. Our very existence and process is dedicated to preventing that abusive cycle from continuing.”

If you need to report an instance of abuse with regard to Zia Sheikh or any religious/community leader, please complete a report at www.facetogether.org/report or call us at 844-360-2489.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this report, please do not hesitate to email us info@facetogether.org