Imam Umar, Ranking Chaplin for New York’s prison system for 25 years, founded the National Association of Muslim Chaplains. In 1975 became one of the first two Muslims hired as full-time Imams in prisons in America. He helped build New York’s Imam’s council. Umar advocated the hiring and assignment of Muslim religious workers throughout the U.S. He traveled to Mecca, Egypt, South Africa, Senegal, Turkey, Cyprus, and Europe in his sojourn to study history, investigate world events first hand, and spread the teaching of Islam. He worked with rabbis, priests, ministers, and imams to improve the life of our time.