After the attacks of 9/11 , Alkhateeb coordinated efforts of an " interfaith consortium of synagogues , churches and mosques to facilitate dialogues and understanding " . She became the Middle Eastern/Muslim Team Leader for the Community Resilience Project , which was funded by Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) , as a crisis counseling center in Northern Virginia after the attacks . In September 2004 , she received the Community Service Award from the Islamic Society of North America , becoming the first woman to ever receive the honor . One month later , on October 21 , 2004 she died due to cancer of the pancreas , at her home in Ashburn , Virginia . Since her death , several efforts continue to honor her legacy . Among these are the Peaceful Families Project , the Sharifa Alkhateeb Community Service Award given annually by the MAS Freedom Foundation , and the Sharifa Alkhateeb Memorial Scholarship of Fairfax County Public Schools
attacks of 9/11
September 11 attacks
Sharifa Alkhateeb