Honor Aliya Saeed for Award

Senate Resolution No. 74 BY: Senator BRESLIN HONORING Aliya Saeed, M.D. upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Carol S. Knox Award by the Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of certain individuals that it wishes to recognize for having given their time and energies to serve the best interests of their communities and to publicly acknowledge their service; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Aliya Saeed, M.D. upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Carol S. Knox Award by the Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union to be celebrated at its Annual Awards Ceremony on Wednesday,

November 7, 2018, at St. Sophia Church in Albany, New York; and WHEREAS, The Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union strives to educate the public about current civil liberties issues, respond to requests for legal assistance, and advocate for and against local legislation with civil liberties components; and WHEREAS, The Carol S. Knox Award was established to recognize an exceptional individual whose dedicated work demonstrates their commitment to civil liberties; Dr. Aliya Saeed is truly deserving of this prestigious award; and WHEREAS, A psychiatrist with the New York State Office of Mental Health, Dr. Aliya Saeed has presented at many professional conferences around the country and has written on issues relating to terrorism, racism, religious spaces, parenting and Islamophobia; in 2016, she authored a widely disseminated guide advising Muslim parents on how to talk to their children after acts of terrorism; and WHEREAS, Dr. Aliya Saeed has also been actively involved in many Capital Region groups which encourage participation in civic society by women and underrepresented minorities; she was the founding President of the Muslim Community Center, President of the Capital District branch of American Psychiatric Association, and was the Schenectady Coordinator for the Muslim Soup Kitchen Project; and WHEREAS, Currently, Dr. Aliya Saeed serves as a member of the Board of Directors of both the YWCA and the local chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA) organization; she also holds the position of Chair of the Political Violence and Terrorism Committee of Group for Advancement of Psychiatry, and is a vital participant of the Sisterhood of Salam Shalom; and WHEREAS, Dr. Aliya Saeed has written articles for the Albany Times Union, the Schenectady Gazette, the Islamic Monthly, The Guardian and Salon magazine as well as various academic publications such as the Journal of Terrorism Research and the Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease; and WHEREAS, In addition, Dr. Aliya Saeed has appeared at numerous conferences and training venues including the American Psychiatric Association, the Zone 5 Law Enforcement Training Academy and the Connecticut Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates Annual Retraining session; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Aliya Saeed, M.D. upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the Carol S. Knox Award by the Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Aliya Saeed, M.D.