The Muslim American Leadership Alliance (MALA) is a 501(c)3 civic and community organization committed to promoting individual freedom and diversity, and to celebrating Muslim American heritage. The Muslim American Leadership Alliance is dedicated to leadership through integrity, and as such provides a platform for people to share their individual stories and to speak for themselves. MALA nurtures emerging community leaders, and unites Americans of all backgrounds to advance constructive solutions to extremism and human rights abuses. MALA is open to choice and creed, and embraces free expression, gender equality, and pluralism as cherished universal ideals. MALA welcomes and honors the experiences of individuals of all ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, socio-economic brackets, and political identities.

Reflecting the organization’s mission and values, MALA’s flagship program “Muslim American Journeys” – a partnership with the Library of Congress and NPR StoryCorps – provides a platform for people of Muslim heritage to share their personal stories in their own words.

Founded in Chicago in 2015, MALA has grown into a national organization mobilizing next-generation community leaders across the United States. MALA is a formal NGO member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.