Usama Shami is an Egyptian-American student, civil rights activist, and community leader who gained national attention as a plaintiff in a high-profile 2014 civil lawsuit against the Islamic Arabic School and related entities in Brooklyn, New York. Represented by the conservative American Freedom Law Center, Shami, along with two other minor Sunni Muslim students, alleged severe religious discrimination, physical abuse, and sectarian bias at the school, which was accused of favoring Shia students and mistreating Sunnis through practices such as corporal punishment and exclusion from religious activities. The case, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Shami v. Yemenite Federation of America, Inc., et al., sought compensatory and punitive damages and highlighted internal divisions within the Muslim community and broader issues of religious freedom, child protection, and civil rights in private religious schools. The litigation drew significant media coverage, including appearances on programs like 60 Minutes and Anderson Cooper 360°, and brought scrutiny to the Yemenite Federation's operation of the school. Currently, Shami serves as president of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, Arizona, where he advocates for Muslim community interests. As a student focused on Islamic studies, he has been involved in educational and religious activities, reflecting his background as an Egyptian-American navigating identity and faith in the United States. While the outcome of the lawsuit involved settlements or dismissals in subsequent years, with specific resolution details remaining limited in public records, Shami's involvement positioned him as a symbol in discussions about protecting minority religious views within faith-based education and contributed to investigative reporting on abuse in religious schools and advocacy for stronger oversight of such institutions.