Rami Nashashibi is the Executive Director of IMAN (Inner City Muslim Action Network) in Chicago . He and a dedicated team founded IMAN in 1995. He helped shape IMAN’s vision through his study of the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. In particular he reflected on how the Prophet’s service to the poor could be emulated in downtown Chicago. 

From its headquarters on Chicago ’s South Side, IMAN began serving the inner-city community with a series of projects funded by private donations, including a food pantry, GED classes and a free health clinic. These efforts have since expanded to include campaigns for legal reforms, regular outreach and awareness events, and issue-based community mobilization. These projects bring IMAN’s passion for social justice and mutual understanding to places as diverse as jails, churches, courthouses and coalition meetings. IMAN also works in the struggle for immigrant and day labourer rights, coalition building and has created public forums. Called Community Cafés, these forums are one of IMAN’s most popular endeavours and unite artists, activists and religious scholars.

IMAN celebrated its 10th anniversary with a festival “Takin’ it to the Streets,” that brought thousands of people from the greater Chicagoland area to the South Side for a day of service, learning and entertainment. For inner-city residents, the event was a chance to break down social, cultural and religious barriers. For Nashashibi, it was another milestone in his efforts to reshape how we think about the intersection of race, religion, culture and service. By inextricably and successfully linking local community service and activism with Muslim identity, IMAN is treading a path few other Muslim organizations have treaded. 

Born in Amman , Jordan but raised in America , Rami graduated from DePaul University in 1995. He is currently a Sociology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Chicago . 

His work has been profiled around the world including feature profiles in the Chicago Tribune and major US publications. He was named one of American Islam's ten leading visionaries by Islamic Magazine earlier this year.

Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) is one of the leading Muslim charity organizations in the United States. According to the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, IMAN seeks "to utilize the tremendous possibilities and opportunities that are present in the community to build a dynamic and vibrant alternative to the difficult conditions of inner city life." IMAN sees understanding Islam as part of a larger process to empower individuals and communities to work for the betterment of humanity. Consequently, IMAN has initiated a diverse set of community programs and projects with the hope of changing the conditions in the inner city, in particular the communities on Chicago's South and Southwest Side. IMAN provides a range of direct social services through the IMAN/ICIC Food Pantry, IMAN Health Clinic, and IMAN's Career Development Initiative (ICDI). "Takin' It To The Streets" is IMAN's most popular and well-known project. The festival draws people from all over the Chicago area for a day of festivities, musical performances, sports tournaments, and carnivals.