Imam Siraj Wahhaj is the long-serving spiritual leader of the historic Al-Taqwa Mosque in Brooklyn, New York, and one of the most pioneering figures in the history of Islam in North America. A prolific public speaker and grassroots community activist, he serves as the Emir of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) and is the former Vice President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He first achieved national renown in the late 1980s for leading highly successful community initiatives to eradicate local drug abuse and crime from his Brooklyn neighbourhood. In 1991, Imam Wahhaj made history as the first Muslim to recite the opening prayer of the Qur’an (Al-Fatihah) at the US House of Representatives. In recognition of his enduring civic legacy, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz officially proclaimed 15 August as "Imam Siraj Wahhaj Day".