Name: Abdul M. Ashraf
Hometown: Multan, Pakistan
Ethnicity: Pakistan
Citizenship: USA
Education:
A.A.S in Accounting Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology
B.S. in Business Management from Rochester Institute of Technology
M.B.A in Administration from University of Phoenix.
Brother Abdul M. Ashraf serves as an inspiration for any deaf Muslim seeking both religious and secular education. Born in Pakistan without the hearing disability that later occurred during his childhood, he was able to develop a firm understanding of Islam and participate in mosque activities. Abdul then rocked his undergraduate years at the Rochester Institute of Technology where he acquired two degrees in Accounting and Management (2003 and 2004). During his undergraduate, he earned consecutive Dean’s List Awards and even certificates such as the Citibank Award.
His greatest accomplishment in this life, he says, is his education: “Many people do not think I would be able to achieve my Master’s degree. Now, I am about to complete my first Master’s degree and plan to pursue second Master’s degree.”
Brother Abdul has currently relocated from the Washington D.C. area, where he was active in mosque affairs and RIT’s Deaf International Student Association (DISA), where he served as Treasurer for two years and was even able to help establish the organization fully. Abdul now resides in Ohio, where he seeks enhanced career opportunities (having been awarded the Finance and Administration Award for the 2007 fiscal year for Outstanding Performance) and also serves as the Director in Finance in the Global Deaf Muslims organization.
Abdul hopes to inspire others with his own disability. His motto is, “Even though I may not hear everything, I strive to overcome and overbear my disability, which you can do as long as you put your mind to it.”
One of Abdul’s greatest hopes for all Muslims is to interact as siblings in faith without notice of differences, such as disabilities. “The purpose is to foster everyone’s education and teach each other.” Abdul hopes to write scholarly articles, highlighting the experiences of hearing-impaired Muslims existing in the hearing Muslim world.
“I could imagine a day where deaf Muslims gather together. That day would encompass information booths, activities, and many other activities,” Abdul states. His personal goals during his service with GDM includes deepening deaf Muslims’ knowledge about the wonderful religion of Islam, providing support and service to a growing membership, coordinating annual conferences and member gatherings, and achieving a personal level of leadership that provides inspiration to both hearing and hearing impaired Muslims around the world.
