Known nationally for his fundraising efforts for masjids, schools and relief organizations, Imam Johari is a founding member of the Muslim Advocacy Commission of Washington, D.C. and “Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence” [MMADV] and has edited a book on “What Islam Says About Domestic Violence”.
In his native Brooklyn community his mother kept the family busy with community service. From an Episcopal choir boy-who visited the deep southern Pentecostal “COGIC” holiness church during his summer vacations as youth-until at confirmation the teachings of the Ten Commandments exposed what he believed were contradictions within western Christianity. Beginning in high school he became a musician playing trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, soprano sax and conch shells. The first band he performed with in New York City, Black Oasis and later with The New World Percussion Ensemble and Visions. He has opened for such greats as Tito Puente, Pharaoh Saunders, Third World, Flora Purim, Melba Moore and Sun Ra. His journey lead him through Taoism, Asian Spirituality, sufism and other world religions.
In College he became a community organizer, musician-cultural warrior, he practiced Transcendental Meditation-TM and became a vegetarian and started the Chakula Food Coop. In graduate school, Allah showed him the light of Islam. He served as the President of Ubiquity (Co-Ed Social Service Fellowship), President of the Muslim Student Association and later became Howard University's first Muslim Chaplain.
Imam Johari and along with Rev. Graylan Hagler started the “Ramadan Feed-the-Needy” Interfaith Program in Washington, DC feeding over hundred homeless women of all faiths nightly during the fasting period of Ramadan.
Boards, Commissions and Task-Forces
2010-Present Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan Working Group
(Fairfax County Office of Emergency Mgt, Virginia)
2009-2010 Virginia Complete Count Committee
2009-Present Virginian New Majority - Advocacy Board
2005-Present DC GAPS Advisory Board;
DC Department of Health and HUH
2004-PresentMELD-EvenStart Board member
2001-presentFaces of Our Children, Inc, Sickle Cell Foundation,
Board member and executive director
2001-presentSickle Cell Initiative Taskforce, Maternal and
Child Health, D.C. Department of Health
2001-2004 D.C. Health Services Reform Commission,
Executive Office of the Mayor
2009-Present Fairfax County - Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee
2004-Present Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA)
2009-2010 2010 Complete Count Committee Fairfax County, VA
2009-Present Virginia New Majority
2008-Present Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations
of Greater Washington, DC (Treasurer)
2006-2008 Coordinating Council of Muslim Organizations
of Greater Washington, DC (President)
2005-present North American Imam’s Federation (NAIF)