Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame Honors Dr. Ali Antar

The Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame inducted former HIU Trustee Dr. Ali Antar into the ranks of "individuals and insitutions who exemplify the best of their immigrant heritage" at a ceremony in Plantsville, CT, on Sept. 25, 2025.

An enthusiastic group of HIU attendees, including President Sherry L. Turner, was there to support Dr. Antar as he received his honor.

According to the profile in the program, Dr. Antar was "born into a middle-class family and raised in the ancient city of Samannud, Egypt."

A retired professor of physics at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), Dr. Antar emigrated to the United States after a detour to Toronto. He earned his Ph.D. in Atomic and Nuclear Physics in 1977 and taught at UConn before moving to CCSU in 1980, where he taught for 31 years and was chair of both the physics and earth sciences departments.

While at CCSU, he also pioneered the school's Muslim Student Association and the Antar-Fohail Middle East Academic Endowment, which brings Muslim scholars to campus. 

Dr. Antar is well known in the Muslim community for founding the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford, also known as the Berlin Mosque.

"In terms of interfaith dialogue, in terms of changing the narrative on Islamophobia - particularly after 9/11 - he has been a father figure in leading the Muslim community at a pivotal time and inspiring all of us to get involved with this work," said Dr. Reza Mansoor, another prominent leader in the Muslim community.

Dr. Antar, who at 85 continues to serve as co-president of the Berlin Mosque, also co-founded the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut and We Refuse to Be Enemies, a group of Muslims, Jews, and Christians dedicated to dialogue. He is also past president of the Islamimc Council of New England and a former board member of the Connecticut Council on Interreligious Understanding. 

Dr. Antar serived for many years on HIU's board and continues to advise the president of HIU on Muslim relations. 

"Dr. Antar is one of those people who has really had a positive impact not only on my life, but on the lives of so many others," said Naseem Shaikh, the current First Vice President of the HIU Board of Trustees. "I've seen his calm and positive demeanor in very intense situations, and the community looks up to him. Ali Antar cares for humanity, he really loves everyone."