Board of Directors

Sami Rasouli, director of the Muslim Peacemaker Team, left Iraq when he was 24 years old to teach in United Arab Emirates for several years and then to Germany to teach for 4 more years. After arriving in Minnesota, he drove a cab until he had enough money to buy a café and market he named Sinbad’s. In 2001, Sami became a U.S. citizen.

After his mother died in September of 2003, he went back to Iraq for the first time in 27 years to visit and to console his sisters. He was stunned by the destruction he witnessed in his homeland. Sami returned after a month, but the images he had seen continued to haunt him. His sleep was fitful and he was often weepy. It became clear to him that he needed to return to help rebuild Iraq. In 2004, he sold his business that he had had for 14 years and left his three sons to go back to see what he could do to help.

While living in Minneapolis, Sami served on the board of directors of the Whittier Neighborhood. He also served on the boards of several other organizations. Among his friends and community, Sami was known as a passionate peace advocate.

Sami Rasouli’s first assignment in Iraq last fall was to be a liaison between Global Exchange and Code Pink of San Francisco and the refugees of Fallujah to deliver medical supplies. As a member of the Iraq Human Rights Watch of Karbala, he accompanied doctors to visit several different camps of refugees. Then he met the CPT.

When others heard of the newly formed Muslim Peace Team, people from all over the country interested in knowing more contacted Sami. He is certain that 20 teams can be established and working in all areas of the country.

Hussein Al Ibraheemy, the co-director, is a mechanical arts teacher in Karbala, a member of the Iraq Human Rights Watch, and a fine art artist. He also donated artwork to be sold to raise funds for MPT.