Tarik worked in management in retail, information technology, real estate, and healthcare administration. He was involved in activism like raising AIDS awareness in an era where affected folks suffered from disease, stigma, and taboos. He worked on issues of women’s rights, homeless children’s rights, and bridging cultural gaps. His passion for the human experience was why he chose to pursue a Bachelor’s in English instead of Med School, against maternal advice. He also holds a Bachelor’s in IT, an MBA in Management and International Business, and is now a candidate for a doctorate in Healthcare Administration. The more he learns, the more he discovers he knows only a little.

Tarik has been involved with the Potsdam Interfaith Community (formerly MAP), a group of faith leaders in Potsdam, since 2008. He is the president of the Potsdam mosque. He is fueled by a 7th century declaration of the Messenger of Islam, Mohamed (BPUH) who stated: “O! People (...) there is no preference for a white person over a black person, nor is there preference for a black person over a white person. You all go back to Adam, and Adam was made of dirt.”

Tarik has called Potsdam home for more than 15 years. He and his wife, Badra, have nested here, and raise three children: Taha, Amina, and Aya. He is a firm believer that without accountability, society cannot function.