[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 129 (Friday, August 9, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E811-E812]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING FAJRI ANSARI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. TIMOTHY M. KENNEDY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 9, 2024

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Fajri Ansari, who 
has been awarded the Hal Payne Lifetime Achievement Award. A passionate 
educator and devoted man of faith, Mr. Ansari has positively changed 
the lives of many in the City of Buffalo.
  Mr. Ansari began his career at Buffalo State University, where he 
spent 42 years working in education and athletics. In 1981, Mr. Ansari 
started working in the Buffalo State Admissions office. By 2005, he was 
appointed as the Assistant Director of Admissions and Director of 
Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Mr. Ansari also led the Buffalo 
State basketball program. During his tenure, Mr. Ansari mentored 
countless students through their educational journeys and amassed 200 
wins for the basketball program, the second-most in school history.
  Outside of his work at Buffalo State University, Mr. Ansari shares 
his passion for basketball with the greater Western New York community. 
For 14 years, Mr. Ansari served as the head basketball coach at Turner 
Carroll High School. Here, Mr. Ansari led his team to two State 
Federation Championships, five State Catholic Association titles, and 
three Monsignor Martin Manhattan Cup Championships. Mr. Ansari has 
shared his passion for the sport internationally, serving as the 
basketball coach for Rwanda's National and University Teams, the United 
States College Exhibition Team, and the Western New York High School 
Team overseas.

[[Page E812]]

  Further, Mr. Ansari is committed to serving others through his faith. 
As the beloved religious leader of Masjid Nu'Man, Mr. Ansari has become 
a symbol of hope for the Muslim community and the interfaith community 
of Western New York. Under Mr. Ansari's leadership, the mosque has held 
numerous community events in the City of Buffalo, including the 
``Putting the Neighbor Back in the Hood'' event showcasing the Fillmore 
neighborhood of Buffalo, food and grocery distribution events, annual 
African American history programs, and regular neighborhood clean-ups. 
Mr. Ansari's interfaith work has taken him across the world in service 
of others, working at the Vatican in Rome and in Istanbul, Turkey.
  After 9/11, Mr. Ansari brought together over 50,000 people from all 
walks of life to pray for peace on the steps of Buffalo's City Hall. On 
September 23, 2001 during the ``A Player for America'' Interfaith 
Prayer Ceremony in Yankee Stadium for the families of the victims of 9/
11, Mr. Ansari delivered a translation of the Adhan, the Muslim call to 
prayer.
  Today, Mr. Ansari's dedication to serving others and to his faith is 
being honored with the Hal Payne Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf 
of Buffalo State University. Please Join me in congratulating Mr. Fajri 
Ansari on this incredible achievement and thanking him for all he does 
to make Western New York a better place.

                          ____________________