“The Montgomery County Council stands in solidarity with the Jewish community and those who endured a 10-hour hostage situation in Colleyville, Texas at Congregation Beth Israel. We are thankful for the swift action taken by law enforcement and for their ongoing investigation of this attack. We also appreciate the efforts of our Montgomery County Police Department which has stepped up patrols at Jewish facilities across Montgomery County.
“Religious freedom is a fundamental right, and we cannot allow our houses of worship to become places of fear. Saturday’s attack is yet another frightening and painful reminder of how important it is to combat and condemn antisemitism in all its forms.
“We must stand united against the rise of extremism across our nation, state and community. We encourage residents to remain vigilant and report all acts of hate. We continue our ongoing commitment to protecting all houses of worship in our community and our residents from acts of violence and terror.”
Lifelong Montgomery County community leader Tufail Ahmad died on January 13 in Karachi, Pakistan. Mr. Ahmad was born in Allahabad, India, l where he earned a BA and in 1958 an MA
in Commerce from Allahabad University. He emigrated to Pakistan the same year, where he
was an assistant professor at a college in Karachi and later joined the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service as Deputy Auditor General. He first came to the United States in 1968 as a member of the Pakistan audit team at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
In 1973 he formally emigrated to the U.S. and worked for a shipping firm before founding his own international trading firm, Euro-America Shipping and Trade Inc., from which he retired after 27 years.
Mr. Ahmad served as a Board member of the Committee for Montgomery, Progressive Maryland, and the UpCounty Citizens Advisory Board, as well as a District 15 Democratic Party Precinct Chair and D15 Caucus Chair.
In 2003, in what has since become his enduring
legacy, Mr. Ahmad founded the Montgomery County Muslim Council to encourage and facilitate civic engagement among all members of the Muslim community in Montgomery County, and later co-founded the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation, with a mission to promote a hunger-free and hate-free society and to serve all neighbors in need regardless of
faith, race, or gender.
The Foundation has since grown to become the largest nonprofit charitable foundation in Montgomery County, most recently providing vital food assistance
and vaccination and testing services during the coronavirus pandemic to thousands of Montgomery County residents.
Mr. Ahmad was the recipient of numerous awards for his community service, including the Montgomery County Democratic Party 2004 Dean Peacock Precinct Official of the Year. When he was inducted into the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame in 2018, Mr. Ahmad fondly recalled in this video the warm welcome extended to him and his family by their Montgomery County neighbors in 1973, which inspired him to devote as much time as he could in community service to all.
Tufail Ahmad was predeceased by his wife, Sajida Ahmad, on August 24, 2021. He is survived
by his son Zubaid Ahmad and his wife, Lisa, of Larchmont, New York, and their children, Nadia,
Jibran and Shayan; by his daughter, Samina Ahmad of Potomac, and her daughter, Marya; and
his son Obaid Ahmad and his wife, Saima, of Bethesda, and their children, Ozair, Omar and Alina.
The Montgomery County Muslim Council and the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation
will hold a virtual memorial service at a date and time to be determined.
Donations in memory of Mr. Ahmad may be made to:
Montgomery County Muslim Foundation
811 Russell Avenue, Suite G
Gaithersburg, MD 20879
or online at
Café Sophie, a European Style Café with Scandinavian Influence, is Replacing the Airport Cafe at the Montgomery County Airport
The café will offer indoor and outdoor “air-side” dining, serving breakfast, lunch, and grab-n-go sandwiches.
Some of the menu items include:
• Scandinavian hot dogs (prepared in a variety of ways)
• Norwegian meatballs
• Smørbørd- Scandinavian style, fresh sandwiches
• Irish breakfast
• Homemade soups
and more!
The café is expected to open this summer and is located in the Montgomery County Airport (7940 Airpark Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20879).
Photos courtesy of the Café Sophie Facebook page.
