Press Release 8/31/2021

For Immediate Distribution

August 31, 2021 - 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 fifth Investigation Report on well-known Qur'an reciter, Fatih Seferagic.

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: INVESTIGATION REPORT

FACE Founder and Executive Director, Alia Salem, the lead investigator on this case, said in a statement:

“It is a very humbling experience to investigate a case like this. When you have this many victims who you have sat with and heard their heart-wrenching and horrifying experiences, one after the other, it changes you as a person. To see the devastation that a leader can have on others, not to mention through all of that trauma and fear, the survivors still come forward and put their trust in you. The weight of that responsibility is so heavy. It tests you in the most profound of ways. All I can think about are the survivors now. Nothing else matters.” 

VIDEO: WHAT IS THE FACE PROCESS?

FACE Social Worker, Sara Bawany, the report author of this case, said in a statement:

"Every investigation and report release peels back even deeper layers of trauma that so many survivors in our community have experienced. Every single survivor we spoke with and every single individual that was harmed by the Subject of this report, as well as any religious or community leader, further reaffirmed why this work is so necessary and how much healing our community requires. Every ounce of pushback we receive and will receive, solidifies our belief that we must demand better from our leadership. Our identity as Muslims means that we are required to speak out firmly for justice, even against ourselves and our own kin. At FACE, we dream of a world where this vision is a reality and we ask all of you to join hands with us to work towards this.”

If you need to report an instance of abuse in regard to Fatih Seferagic or any other religious/community leader, or if you have any questions or concerns regarding this report, please submit an allegation at www.facetogether.org/report or call us at (844) 360-2489. You may also email us at info@facetogether.org.