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.