From India to Jersey to Arcadia

Profiles of Fascinating Arcadians:

Esma Ali draws on her many diverse life experiences from to India to New Jersey, and with Christianity and Islam, to guide her peace-making efforts all over the world while based here in Arcadia. She can be seen regularly at several local community groups, especially the Arcadia Rotary Club.

Esma Ali

Having been born in Hyderabad, India before her family moved to New Jersey, she and her husband and “little ones” moved to Arcadia just before the Northridge earthquake of 1994. She says she was initially terrified and begged her husband to move out of California, “but now I am so happy to be here,” she says. Her husband is Dr. Taqui Ali, who practices at Methodist Hospital.

The Rotary Club is very prominent in India — I know because my first overseas trip was to India courtesy of the Rotary Club in the Kansas City, Mo., suburb of Liberty, and we stayed in the homes of generous Rotarians throughout much of the central and northern part of India as we traveled for a month. Ali attributes her confidence and leadership skills to the Arcadia Rotary Club, where she has formed lasting friendships. She says many local Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and other organizations have invited her as a guest speaker and wanted just to get to know her. She says this fellowship has expanded to the international level, with Rotary clubs of Hyderabad, India, recently welcoming her as a keynote speaker. She recalls her speech consisted of developing love and understanding as siblings all produced by the same Creator, noting that hatred is what led to the mass-killings at the Sikh Temple and other places. Esma is open to speak to any organization.

While her current career path has her overcoming challenges as a specialist in sales of apartment buildings with Coldwell Banker George Realty, she also participates in interfaith dialogues to develop mutual respect and understanding. She has taken BSF- Bible Study Fellowship classes to learn about Christianity. She has studied other religions as well. Esma has taught “Intro to Islam” classes at local Churches. “Nowadays, there is no excuse for ignorance,” she says. She has her own web site, EsmaAli.com, with a Q/A tab about Islam on her website, where she answered questions that most people have in mind, but were too shy to ask. People are afraid and have no idea what Islam is about. “If you are going to be afraid, shouldn’t you at least know what it is that you fear?,” she asks. Esma, who also has a “Peace-Making” tab on her website, participates in activities with Mediators Beyond Borders and is involved with USCFA-US China Friendship Association, which aims to develop Peace in the Pacific Basin. She has joined the Grievance Committee at the Arcadia Association of Realtors to put her “Peace-Making” skills to use at the local level. She also leads discussions of Half the Sky and works towards improvement of lives of women locally and internationally.

In her previous career, Esma helped people with their income tax challenges by representing them before the IRS. Changing careers was a big decision for her. “People warned me that Commercial Real Estate is a male-dominant field and that because I a woman and from a minority group that I would face many obstacles,” she recalled. But her tax background helps her to aid her clients in the decision making process regarding their Real Estate investments.

— By Scott Hettrick