Selected Among 40 Under 40 GA Muslims

"Many Muslims may say that, to avoid prejudice and help reduce intolerance, it is important for individuals to have knowledge. Ibrahim Awad, however, takes it one step further, combining knowledge and activism tempered with wisdom.

Awad, a graduate of Georgia State University Law School, is a criminal defense and personal injury attorney in Atlanta, Georgia with his firm, The Awad Law Firm. He represent persons accused of crimes as petty as speeding tickets and as serious as drug trafficking, as well as those injured in car and truck accidents. Awad gives presentations to the community about the Fourth Amendment - the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures - and the Fifth Amendment - the right not to incriminate oneself. Especially after the summer of 2016, when social justice issues and violence were in the spotlight across the United States and the world, Awad expressed how important it is for individuals to learn their rights, how to respond to authorities, and how to avoid injustice. He believes people are often aware of their rights, but are unaware of how to assert those rights in an effective or legal manner.

Faith plays an active role in his life and career. Awad tells the story of a Muslim client who was acquitted after he and Awad spent the night in worship, during the 27th night of Ramadan, before the jury returned a verdict. This and other events, he says, are a constant reminder that if one remembers God, God remembers him. In addition to faith in his professional life, Awad has given Friday sermons at various mosques in and outside Atlanta. The dedicated husband and father to his family believes in balancing one's spiritual and professional life."