Speakers - MAS-ICNA ANNUAL CONVENTION

2023 SPEAKERS

The opinions expressed herein by the guest speakers at the MAS-ICNA Convention are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Muslim American Society (MAS) or the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).

OMAR SULEIMAN

OMAR SULEIMAN

Imam Omar Suleiman is the President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and a professor of Islamic Studies at Southern Methodist University. He’s also the resident scholar of the Valley Ranch Islamic Center, and Co-Chair of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square, a multi-faith alliance for peace and justice. Originally from New Orleans, LA, he began his journey of traditional Islamic learning in the year 2000 and has spent years studying in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Malaysia, etc. Upon becoming certified in various traditional sciences, he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic law, a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, a Master’s degree in Islamic Finance, a Master’s Degree in Political History, and is in the process of completing his PhD from the International Islamic University of Malaysia in Islamic Thought and Civilization.

Yasir Qadhi

Yasir Qadhi

Dr. Yasir Qadhi joined East Plano Islamic Center as a resident scholar in July 2019. He completed his primary and secondary education in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He graduated with a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, after which he was accepted as a student at the Islamic University of Madinah. There, he completed a second Bachelors degree, specializing in Hadith studies, and then went on to complete M.A. in in Islamic Theology from the College of Dawah. He then returned to the United States, and completed a PhD in Religious Studies from Yale University.

Dr. Yasir Qadhi has authored several books, published academic articles, and appeared on numerous satellite and TV stations around the globe. His online videos are some of the most popular and highly-watched Islamic videos in English.

ZAID SHAKIR

ZAID SHAKIR

Imam Zaid Shakir is amongst the most respected and influential Muslim scholars in the West. Born in Berkeley, California, the second of seven children he accepted Islam in 1977 while serving in the United States Air Force. He then obtained a BA with honors in International Relations at American University in Washington D.C. and later earned his MA in Political Science from Rutgers University, where he emerged as an active leader in campus activities, helping to revive the Muslim Student Association, co-leading a successful South Africa divestment campaign, and co-founding a local Islamic center, Masjid al-Huda. After a year in Cairo, Egypt, studying Arabic, he settled in New Haven, Connecticut and continued his tireless activism, co-founding Masjid al-Islam, the Tri-State Muslim Education Initiative, and the Connecticut Muslim Coordinating Committee. As Imam of Masjid al-Islam from 1988 to 1994 he speared-headed a community renewal and grassroots anti-drug effort in the local neighborhood, and also taught as an Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Arabic at Southern Connecticut State University until his departure for Syria to further his studies in the traditional Islamic Sciences. Studying Arabic, Islamic law, Quranic studies, and Islamic spirituality for seven years in Syria, and briefly in Morocco, with some of the top Muslim scholars of our age, he graduated from Syria's prestigious Abu Noor University in 2001 and returned to Connecticut to continue his work with the Muslim community in America. Teaching frequently as the Imam of Masjid al-Islam, writing numerous articles for various magazines, journals, and newspapers, and lecturing regularly at many of the largest Muslim conferences and conventions, he soon emerged as one of the most popular and sought after American Muslim leaders. He has translated three books from Arabic into English, including “The Heirs of the Prophets” which was published in 2001. In 2003, he moved to Hayward, California with his family to serve as a scholar-in-residence and lecturer at Zaytuna Institute. He is widely regarded as an articulate voice on Islam and African-American issues and a leader in the emergence of an Islamic tradition indigenous to America that seeks to reconcile traditional teachings with an experience that is uniquely western.

ZAYNAB ANSARI

ZAYNAB ANSARI

Zaynab Ansari has served as a member of the full-time faculty of Tayseer Seminary since its founding in 2014 when she joined the Muslim Community of Knoxville in the pioneering role of women’s scholar-in-residence, one of the first women to serve in such a capacity in an Islamic institution in North America. With over 20 years of experience as a public speaker, facilitator of interfaith dialogue, youth mentor, and an instructor of the Islamic Sciences, Ustadha Zaynab is committed to reviving the Prophetic model of community and training the next generation of Muslim leaders, workers, and activists.
Ustadha Zaynab considers herself a lifelong student of traditional Islam and she was blessed to spend her formative years studying in Damascus, Syria with both male and female scholars of the Qur'an, Islamic law, theology, and spirituality. Prior to settling in Knoxville, Ustadha Zaynab was based in Atlanta, where she earned degrees in World History and Middle Eastern Studies from Georgia State University, and dedicated her free time to volunteering with the award-winning Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta.
In addition to her work inside the classroom at Tayseer Seminary, Ustadha Zaynab is active with several nonprofit organizations and teaches online classes on a number of topics, including Qur'anic Sciences, Hadith, and Women in Islam.

YASER BIRJAS

YASER BIRJAS

Often described as the fatherly figure by students, Shaykh Yaser exudes a calm, gentle and caring demeanor that welcomes students to ask questions with awe and respect. Shaykh Yaser started his career in Electronic Engineering in the UAE, then in Madinah where he graduated as class Valedictorian with the highest honors from the Islamic University of Madinah’s College of Shari'ah (Fiqh and Usul) in 1996. He learned from various highly respected scholars such as Shaykh Mohammed Amin Al-Shanqiti and Shaykh Al-'Uthaymin. In 1997, he went to work as a relief program aide to rebuild war-torn Bosnia. In 2000, he immigrated to the U.S. where he served as an Imam at The Islamic Center in El Paso, Texas and a director of English programs in Da'wah and outreach for the Orland Park Prayer Center. He is currently serving as Imam of the renowned Valley Ranch Islamic Center in Irving, Texas, rapidly establishing himself as an invaluable leader of the Texan Muslim Community. His speciality in the subject of marriage and relations made him a highly sought marriage counsellor for the Muslim community, and with four children and much experience, his parenting classes are equally popular. With his superb all-round grasp on Islamic sciences, Shaykh Yaser is welcomed eagerly in every city he teaches whether it is his Usul, Fiqh, Financial Literacy, or Relationship classes. It is no wonder that he has taught more students than any other of our instructors at AlMaghrib! Shaykh Yaser started his career in Electronic Engineering in the UAE, then in Madinah where he graduated as class Valedictorian with the highest honors from the Islamic University of Madinah’s College of Shari'ah (Fiqh and Usul) in 1996. He learned from various highly respected scholars such as Shaykh Mohammed Amin Al-Shanqiti and Shaykh Al-'Uthaymin. In 1997, he went to work as a relief program aide to rebuild war-torn Bosnia. In 2000, he immigrated to the U.S. where he served as an Imam at The Islamic Center in El Paso, Texas and a director of English programs in Da'wah and outreach for the Orland Park Prayer Center. He is currently serving as Imam of the renowned Valley Ranch Islamic Center in Irving, Texas, rapidly establishing himself as an invaluable leader of the Texan Muslim Community. His speciality in the subject of marriage and relations made him a highly sought marriage counsellor for the Muslim community, and with four children and much experience, his parenting classes are equally popular. With his superb all-round grasp on Islamic sciences, Shaykh Yaser is welcomed eagerly in every city he teaches whether it is his Usul, Fiqh, Financial Literacy, or Relationship classes. It is no wonder that he has taught more students than any other of our instructors at AlMaghrib! In addition to be being a mentor and speaker, Lobna has written for myvirtualmosque.com and the MAS Blog. Lobna is a recent graduate of Chapman University with a Masters of Fine Arts in Screenwriting. She is the creator of the YouTube channel, Double Shot Mocha Productions, where she strives to promote social awareness through humor. Lobna was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from California State University, Northridge in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting. She worked as an accountant for ten years until she began her career as a mother. Lobna moved to Egypt for three years with her husband, Shaikh Suhail Mulla, and her children and studied Arabic, Qur’anic Recitation and Islamic Sciences under Azhari scholars. Lobna Mulla currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and four children.

MUSLEMA PURMUL

MUSLEMA PURMUL

Muslema Purmul was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and raised in San Diego, California. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a double major in Religious Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. During these years she served a number of different roles at her local MSA at UCSD as well as MSA West. After graduating she left to study in Egypt where she spent the better part of the next 7 years. She completed the Bachelors program in Sharia from al-Azhar University in Cairo and also completed almost two years of graduate work at the American University in Cairo in Islamic Studies. She also attended the International Union of Muslim Scholars “Future Scholars Program” while she was studying in Cairo. Upon her return to America, she served the Southern California community in various capacities including religious instruction, directing youth and young adult programs, university chaplaincy, and offering community pastoral care at and with local masjids and organizations. She has taught classes and spoken nationally and internationally about issues related to Islamic law and ethics in an array of educational settings including conferences, retreats, universities, libraries, and mosques. Currently she serves as Religious Director at The Majlis, a community organization she and her husband co-founded together seeking to nurture safe community spaces where people can learn and live Islam, based on the traditional sources of understanding the faith, while acknowledging the particular challenges of the American context. She is a mother of two and resides with her family in Southern California.

IEASHA PRIME

IEASHA PRIME

Ieasha Prime is the Director of Women’s Programming at Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center in Virginia and the founder of the DC Muslim Women’s Conference. She converted to Islam more than 20 years ago after being a Youth Ambassador to Morrocco and Senegal. There she developed a thirst for knowledge that would cause her to sit at the feet and learn from some of the top Islamic Scholars of our time. After having participated in several circles of knowledge in the US, Ieasha decided to pursue religious studies abroad. She studied Arabic, and Quran at the Fajr Institute in Cairo, Egypt. Later, she moved to Hadramaut, Yemen and enrolled in Dar al Zahra, an Islamic University for Women. There she studied Aqeedah, Quran, Hadith, Arabic, Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Islamic law, Purification of the Heart and other religious related learning. She has received several scholarly licenses (ijaza). The work that she is most committed to and enjoys have been the development of Islamic programming, Islamic Studies curriculum and Rites of Passage programs for youth and adults. Majority of her life has been spent as an educator and activist. She is most passionate about combining Islamic studies, cultural art, activism and service for the purpose of training leaders to rise above whatever challenges stand in their way and that of the community they serve. In addition to her full-time work, she is the co-founder and Executive Director of Barakah INC, an organization committed to training Muslim women in traditional Islamic sciences with a focus on modern application. Sister Ieasha is recently known for her participation in the National Women’s March, and the courses she teaches on traditional knowledge, the challenges of race and gender in the Muslim community and Spirituality. Ieasha Prime is a proud wife and mother of three children.

AYMAN HAMMOUS

AYMAN HAMMOUS

Dr Ayman Hammous, lives in SI, NY and married with five children. He holds a doctorate degree in Physical therapy from Stoney Brook University. He is the current Executive Director of MAS National.

HUSSAIN KAMANI

HUSSAIN KAMANI

Mufti Hussain Kamani was born to a Hindu revert-to-Islam and Muslim father in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. With the blessings and du’a (supplications) of his parents, Mufti Hussain Kamani underwent a journey of a lifetime in pursuit of sacred Islamic knowledge. He began his pursuit of the Islamic sciences at the young age of six to memorize the entire Quran at the acclaimed Darul Uloom Madania in Buffalo, New York. By the blessings of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, he was able to complete this momentous task in 1999. Having the growing thirst to quench more knowledge, Mufti Kamani then traveled across the world to the United Kingdom to attain more advanced formal Islamic authorizations in the field of Islamic theology. He studied at Darul Uloom Bury, the renowned seminary of the great revivalist and scholar of Hadith, Shaykh-ul-Hadith Zakariyya Kandhlawi (Rahmatullahi Alayh). Mufti Kamani completed the traditional six-year curriculum covering the Arabic language, Arabic morphology, Islamic jurisprudence, Tafseer (exegis) of the Holy Qur’an, Hadith (Prophetic Sciences), philosophy, and Aqeedah (Islamic Creed) under the guidance of some of the pioneer scholars in England, including Shaykh Yusuf Motala, Shaykh Hashim, Shaykh Bilal and Shaykh Abdur Raheem bin Dawood amongst others. Upon graduation he was then was specially selected to enter a post-graduate level course in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts (Fatwa). He completed this course in two years and received formal authorization in it as well. Alongside his religious studies, Mufti Kamani was blessed with having the opportunity to study the secular and academic sciences. He completed his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in England as well. Mufti Kamani currently resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and four children. He serves as an Imam and is on the Board of Directors for the Islamic Association of Carrollton (Masjid Al-Rahman). He is also an instructor for the Qalam Institute.

ABDUL NASIR JANGDA

ABDUL NASIR JANGDA

Shaykh AbdulNasir Jangda is the founder, director, and an instructor at Qalam. He is a faculty member at the Qalam Seminary where he teaches Sahih Bukhari, advanced Tafseer, Usul, Fiqh, and Balagha. He has completed an extensive study of the life of the Prophet ﷺ in the Seerah Podcast. He annually teaches the Seerah Intensive and leads groups on the Seerah Umrah tour and a visit to Masjid Al-Aqsa.

Born and raised in Dallas, he currently resides there with his wife and three children. He memorized the Qur’an in Karachi at an early age. After high school, he returned to Karachi to study the Islamic sciences full-time at Jamia Binoria where he specialized in Fiqh and Tafsir. He graduated from the rigorous ‘alim program in 2001 at the top of his class. He also attained a B.A. and M.A. in Arabic from Karachi University while completing a Masters in Islamic Studies from the University of Sindh. After returning home, he taught at the local university and Islamic schools and served as the Imam in the Dallas area.

SUHAIB WEBB

SUHAIB WEBB

Suhaib, William, Webb has a degree in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma, and Islamic Law from al-Azhar in Cairo. He was named as a "Faith Leader to Watch" by The Center for American Progress in 2016, selected by the Muslim Community as one of CNN’s 25 Most Influential Leaders; as well as one of "Five Hundred of the Most Influential Muslims" by the Royal Islamic Studies Center in 2021. He is was the resident scholar at the ICNYU and taught a course at NYU on Islamic Law and Ethics. He sits on the North American Fiqh Council, is a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars and sits on the advisory board of the Political Theologic Network. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, and he has been on CNN, NBS, al-Jazeera, CBS and more. He runs an online school that focuses on functional religious literacy for English speaking Muslims, and currently serves as the Resident Scholar at Center DC in Washington DC.

Dalia Mogahed

Dalia Mogahed

Dalia Mogahed is a researcher, pollster, author, advisor and consultant who studies Muslim communities. As director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Dalia Mogahed keeps her finger on the pulse of the Muslim world. She served on Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2009, advising the president on how faith-based organizations can help government solve persistent social problems. Mogahed is former Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, a non-partisan research center that provided data and analysis to reflect the views of Muslims all over the world. She and John Esposito co-authored the book Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, based on 6 years of research and more than 50,000 interviews representing Muslims in more than 35 predominantly Muslim countries. Accounting for more than 90% of the world’s Muslim community, this poll is the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind. Mogahed later appeared as a commentator in the award-winning, PBS-broadcast documentary Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think (2010), which was based on her and Esposito’s book and produced by Unity Productions Foundation.

UBAYDULLAH EVANS

UBAYDULLAH EVANS

ESAM OMEISH

ESAM OMEISH

"Dr Esam Omeish is a Libyan American Surgeon from the Washington DC Metropolitan area. He is a former National President of Muslim Students' Association of US and Canada in the early Nineties. He is a former National President of Muslim American Society (MAS) from 2004-2008. He is a graduate of Georgetown University with double degrees in Biology and Political Science and a Medical doctorate in 1993. He is a former candidate for the Virginia State Assembly in the House of Delegates and former member of a statewide commission on Immigration appointed by then Governor of Virginia Tim Kaine. He serves in Several boards and national organizations, and currently the Chairman of the Waqf Washington Trust of CAIR National ( Council on American Islamic Relations) and a founding member of MAS Foundation. He has represented American Muslims on numerous occasions in the White House, meeting both Presidents Clinton and Obama, in National rallies and political events, and in many media, outlets including CNN, MSNBC, FOX, Aljazeera, C-Span, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, National Public Radio, and others. He also helped establish and presided over major Libyan American organizations supporting democracy and the rule of Law in Libya after Feb 17 revolution. He continues to serve as frequent speaker, Khateeb, civic leader and a community organizer as well as a provider of health services to the needy and the uninsured Dr. Omeish was a medical first responder to the tragic events of September 11 where he was the surgeon on call at Alexandria Hospital which received some of the victims of the tragic events in the Pentagon. Dr Omeish was featured in a book, ""A Nation of Nations"" by Tom Gjeltan of National Public Radio (NPR) published by Simon and Shuster in 2015 as well as by Aljazeera featured program on Arab Diaspora in 2018 ""Mughtariboon"" Dr Omeish is married to Dr Badria Kafala who is a college professor of Molecular Genetics and the proud father of four children. Abrar is a Yale graduate, currently at Georgetown Law, and an elected political official as a School Board member in Virginia. Anwar is a graduate from Harvard University, a Rhodes finalist , an Oxford graduate with a Masters in Islamic studies and history, and currently doing her PhD in Political Theory at University of Chicago, Yousof is a graduate from Yale University and Ibrahim who is a senior in High School."

RAMI BLEIBEL

RAMI BLEIBEL

Shaykh Rami Bleibel graduated from high school in Milwaukee in 2006. Then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a Graduate TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He started working with various Islamic organizations (ISM, AMP & MAS) locally and nationally, and also taught Islamic Studies & Public Speaking at Salam High School. Shaykh Rami then traveled to the Middle East to pursue his Islamic Studies and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Islamic Law from Jinan University in Lebanon and simultaneously completed a 4 year traditional Islamic Sciences program (Madrasa) at Imam Shafie Fiqh Academy. He also pursued traditional training and received various I'jazaat (certificates to teach & narrate) in various Islamic Sciences, with a focus on Shafi'i Fiqh. Along with his academic studies, he also traveled and studied individually with scholars in various countries including Egypt, Morocco & Turkey. Shaykh Rami currently serves as the Resident Scholar & Imam at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee - Brookfield.

SUZY ISMAIL

SUZY ISMAIL

Suzy Ismail is the Founder and Head Communication Counselor at Cornerstone, a faith-based communication counseling center with several local and international offices that focus on identity building and improving relationships for couples, families, and youth. She is the author of several books including "Modern Muslim Marriage," "9 to 5," "When Muslim Marriage Fails," and several other works. She specializes in presenting a range of communication lectures and diversity workshops at major corporations, universities, and events. She has been interviewed on numerous media outlets including Fox News, PTV, ART and other networks and is often featured on international talk shows and radio and television broadcasts regarding the subjects of her work. Suzy provides youth, marriage, women empowerment, gender relations, identity, and family seminars locally and globally and is the student advisor at a private high school. She has spoken at numerous universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, NYU, Bryn Mawr, Temple, University of Kentucky, University of Oklahoma and many more. Suzy also spoke by invitation at the World Meeting of Families during Pope Francis’ historic visit to Philadelphia and she has travelled overseas to work with refugees abroad and in the US on recovery and integration counseling. She currently serves as an executive officer and director on several non-profit boards, commissions, and organizations. She is completing her Doctorate in Human Services with a focus on Family Intervention and resides in Princeton, New Jersey with her husband and three children.

ABDULLAH ODURO

ABDULLAH ODURO

Abdullah Oduro is a first generation Ghanian native that converted to Islam in 1997. He graduated from the College of Islamic Law from the University of AlMadinah in 2007. He conducts public speeches, sermons, lectures, and workshops around the US on Islamic Law, self-improvement, and convert life. He is currently the Imam at the Islamic Center of Coppell and Lewisville in Dallas, TX. He resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and four children. Having recently joined Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research as a Scholar, Shaykh Abdullah leads a team providing unique and comprehensive resources for new Muslim converts and institutional convert care.

ALTAF HUSAIN

ALTAF HUSAIN

Altaf Husain is a native of Cleveland, Ohio , and a double alumnus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, having earned his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and his M.S. in Social Work.
He received his Ph.D. in Social Work from Howard University in Washington, D.C, where he serves as an Associate Professor. Dr. Husain's research interests include the mental health and integration of immigrant and refugee families, and especially Muslim adolescents, in the United States. He serves as Vice President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research and an advisory board member of the Peaceful Families Project - dedicated to the prevention of domestic violence. Dr. Husain and his family live in Northern Virginia.

ISMAHAN ABDULLAHI

ISMAHAN ABDULLAHI

Ismahan is a fierce advocate, community organizer, motivational public speaker and an unapologetic Black Muslim Somali refugee woman who is passionate and relentless in working for justice and equity. In 1992, Ismahan Abdullahi and her family escaped war-torn Somalia to have a life of hope and opportunity in America. This experience has shaped her to advocate for and work on building and strengthening Muslim and refugee communities in San Diego for over a decade where she served as a board member for multiple local community-based organizations and institutions, including the Islamic School of San Diego, Islamic Center of San Diego, Huda Community Center and countless others. Ismahan has worked to train and develop a leadership pipeline for youth and community leaders, foster a strong sense of Muslim identity and build a vibrant and active community that is at the forefront of social justice. In her past role as Director of Movement and Campaign Strategies at PANA, she helped to build a newly founded organization as she built grassroots community power through organizing, advocacy, alliance building, designing and implementing a civic engagement infrastructure in refugee communities, developing leaders, addressing hate crimes and using an integrated voter engagement strategy to build a visible refugee electorate. She continues to be engaged in and work on issues that address racial disparities, social injustices, equity and inclusion for marginalized communities. She is a former co-host on Flip the Script: The Future is Female podcast which lifts up women game changers and leaders in San Diego county. She also served as a member of the Strategic Council for statewide tables Mobilizing the Immigrant Vote and Steering Committee member for Power California as well as a representative on California Calls’ African-American Civic Engagement Program. Ismahan received her Bachelor’s in Human Biology from UCSD and a MA in Education with Concentration in Counseling from SDSU. She currently serves as the National Deputy Director for the Muslim American Society’s Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Department and also serves as the Executive Director at MAS PACE San Diego. Ismahan has received numerous recognitions and awards for her work including Assemblywoman Gonzalez-Fletcher’s 2018 Woman of the Year recognition, Power-Builder Award, recognized by NAACP for her service in the community, Moxie Theatre’s Women with Grit and Determination award, Youth Adult Ally 2019 and more. . As a frequent speaker in local and national platforms, Ismahan is passionate about working for justice and building an inclusive society.

Lobna Mulla

Lobna Mulla

Ustadha Lobna Youssef Mulla is a motivational speaker and community educator. She is best known for her optimistic, positive and engaging style with audiences. Lobna is a member of the Board of Directors of Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Additionally, she serves as an IOK Muslim Chaplain at UCLA. Lobna is the former National Tarbiya Director of the Muslim American Society, where she is still an active member. And Lobna is the co-founder of the Muslim Marriage Rejuvenation Retreat.

Ustadha Lobna has been working as a youth mentor for the past two decades in multiple capacities. She has organized youth camps, led study circles, taught classes in her community, and lectured extensively, nationally and internationally. In addition to being a mentor and speaker, Lobna has written for myvirtualmosque.com and the MAS Blog.

Lobna is a graduate of Chapman University with a Masters of Fine Arts in Screenwriting. She is the creator of the YouTube channel, Double Shot Mocha Productions, where she strives to promote social awareness through humor. Lobna was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from California State University, Northridge in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting. She worked as an accountant for ten years until she began her career as a mother. Lobna moved to Egypt for three years with her husband, Shaikh Suhail Mulla, and her children and studied Arabic, Qur’anic Recitation and Islamic Sciences under Azhari scholars. Lobna Mulla currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and four children.

TARIQ MUSLEH

TARIQ MUSLEH

Shaykh Tariq Musleh is a graduate from the prestigious Madinah University where he attained his Associate degree in Arabic and Bachelors Degree from the College of Sharia. He completed his memorization of Quran at the age of 13 and went on to receive ijaza from Palestine. He studied Classical Arabic at the Fajr Center in Egypt. Shaykh Tariq has worked as a part time instructor for Islamic Learning Foundation Chicago, where he taught Quran and Arabic studies. He has served in Young Muslims (YM) for many years as a coordinator and murrabi. Shaykh Tariq has also served as the Youth Director for the Islamic Center of Naperville in Chicago and became the Youth Director and Assistant Imam of Mecca Center in Willowbrook, Illinois in July 2017. In addition to be being a mentor and speaker, Lobna has written for myvirtualmosque.com and the MAS Blog. Lobna is a recent graduate of Chapman University with a Masters of Fine Arts in Screenwriting. She is the creator of the YouTube channel, Double Shot Mocha Productions, where she strives to promote social awareness through humor. Lobna was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from California State University, Northridge in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting. She worked as an accountant for ten years until she began her career as a mother. Lobna moved to Egypt for three years with her husband, Shaikh Suhail Mulla, and her children and studied Arabic, Qur’anic Recitation and Islamic Sciences under Azhari scholars. Lobna Mulla currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and four children.

MARGARI HILL

MARGARI HILL

Margari Hill is the co-founder and Executive Director of Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC), a human rights education organization. She is also a freelance writer published in How We Fight White Supremacy (2018) Time, Huffington Post, and Al Jazeera English. She earned her master’s degree in History of the Middle East and Islamic Africa from Stanford University in 2006. Her research includes transformations in Islamic education, colonial surveillance in Northern Nigeria, anti-colonial resistance among West Africans in Sudan during the early 20th century, interethnic relations in Muslim communities, anti-bias K-12 education, and the criminalization of Black Muslims. She is on the Advisory Council of Islam, Social Justice & Interreligious Engagement Program at the Union Theological Seminary. For her work, she has received numerous awards including the Council of American Islamic Relation’s (CAIR) 2020 Muslim of the Year award, Khadija bint Khuwaylid Relief Foundation Lifetime Humanitarian award in 2019, the Big Heart Award in 2017, and MPAC’s 2015 Change Maker Award. She has given talks and lectures in various universities and community centers throughout the country.

Haifaa Younis

Haifaa Younis

Dr. Haifaa Younis is an American Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, and the founder and Chairman of Jannah Institute. She teaches seminars on the thematic commentary of various chapters of the Holy Qur’an and their practical relevance in our day-to-day living. She also offers retreats on key topics that combine the inner essence of Islam with an outward expression of practice. Dr. Haifaa graduated from the Mecca Institute of Islamic Studies in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and completed memorizing the Qur'an at Al-Huda Qur’an Memorization School in Jeddah. She is passionate about spreading the word of Allah (swt) and igniting the love of Islam and the Qur’an through her teachings.

MOHAMED ABUTALEB

MOHAMED ABUTALEB

Mohamed AbuTaleb serves as Dean of Administration and Professor at the Boston Islamic Seminary and Senior Fellow at the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. He transitioned from a successful career in technology at a Fortune 100 company to serve the community full-time at the helm of one of the largest Islamic centers in the South, serving as Imam, Religious Director, and Member of the Board for seven years. Dr. AbuTaleb has been featured in media coverage from outlets including National Geographic, NPR, ABC11, Religion News Service, and WRAL; and lectured in many universities including Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Duke, and Georgia Tech. Mohamed pursued seminary training through the Cambridge Islamic College and Al-Salam Institute in the United Kingdom, and completed his Ph.D. and Master’s degrees in electrical engineering from MIT along with degrees in physics and mathematics from the University of Maryland.

Sameera Ahmed

Sameera Ahmed

Sameera Ahmed, is the Director of The Family and Youth Institute. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a Master’s in Biology from Bowling Green State University, and Bachelor’s from the University of Michigan. She also serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Wayne State University, an Associate Editor for the Journal of Muslim Mental Health, and has a private clinical practice in Canton, MI. Her areas of interest include: risk behaviors and protective factors of Muslim adolescents and young adults; promoting culturally and religiously meaningful psychotherapy; and skills based parenting and marital interventions to strengthen families. Dr. Ahmed has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and is the Co-editor of the book, “Counseling Muslims: Handbook of Mental Health Issues and Interventions.” She speaks nationally and has been invited as a subject matter expert, to events organized by the White House, Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), and Department of Education (DOE). Dr. Ahmed has also been a community organizer at both the grassroots and national levels for more than 25 years, primarily focusing her energies around American Muslim youth development, marriage preparation, and parenting. She currently serves on the Muslim American Society (MAS) National Board of Trustees.

AMMAR ALSHUKRY

AMMAR ALSHUKRY

Shaykh Ammar AlShukry is a New Yorker originally from Queens, Sudan. Islamic studies and marketing double majors. A Director at AlMaghrib and an Imam at the Islamic Center of Clear Lake. What the Pen Wrote: The Collected Poems of Ammar AlShukry, a collection of his poetry, is one of his works. His upcoming course, A Mindful Salah, is slated to begin in early 2022. Ammar AlShukry, the winner of the AlMaghrib Grand Slam, has excelled in his volunteer work and has served as the initial Ameer of QTayybah, HQ staff, a graduate, and a current instructor.

MOHAMMAD ELSHINAWY

MOHAMMAD ELSHINAWY

Sh Mohammad Elshinawy is the Religious Director at Jesus Son of Mary Mosque in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate and instructor at Mishkah University. He is a Research Fellow at Yaqeen Institute. He is a graduate of English Literature (Brooklyn College) and an instructor at Legacy International Online High School. "

DUAA HAGGAG

DUAA HAGGAG

Duaa Haggag, LLPC is a Community Educator at The Family & Youth Institute. She holds a Master’s in Counseling and works in private practice as a child, adolescent, and family therapist at Silent Sunlight Counseling. Her counseling experience includes working with youth and their families in both the school and clinical setting. She has extensive experience and training in group therapy for adolescents and play therapy for children. Her interests include child and family development, attachment parenting, and parent education. Duaa has presented workshops on parenting and youth development at the local and national levels. Duaa has been a community organizer for more than 15 years. Her efforts have primarily focused on parenting, youth, education, and human development (tarbiyyah). She has also actively worked with Muslim youth and families through the Muslim American Society (MAS).In addition to be being a mentor and speaker, Lobna has written for myvirtualmosque.com and the MAS Blog. Lobna is a recent graduate of Chapman University with a Masters of Fine Arts in Screenwriting. She is the creator of the YouTube channel, Double Shot Mocha Productions, where she strives to promote social awareness through humor. Lobna was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from California State University, Northridge in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting. She worked as an accountant for ten years until she began her career as a mother. Lobna moved to Egypt for three years with her husband, Shaikh Suhail Mulla, and her children and studied Arabic, Qur’anic Recitation and Islamic Sciences under Azhari scholars. Lobna Mulla currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and four children.

MOHAMMAD QATANANI

MOHAMMAD QATANANI

Mohammad Qatanani is Professor of Islamic Studies. He has been the Imam of the Islamic Center of Passaic County in New Jersey since 1996, one of the largest Islamic centers on the east coast. Dr. Qatanani received a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Legislation and Jurisprudence in 1985 from the University of Jordan as well a master’s degree in Islamic Jurisprudence in 1989 with a thesis entitled, “The effect of differences throughout time on the change of rulings.” He also received a Ph.D. in Islamic Jurisprudence the University of Jordan in 1996 with a thesis entitled, “Justice and its implementation in Islamic Jurisprudence.” Dr. Qatanani is a Member of the Fiqh Council of North America, one of the founders of the Imams Council of Tri-State Area. (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut), the President of the Islamic Education Foundation of New Jersey (2004-2005), and Professor of the Islamic American University. He is also one of the founders of WAFAA house (Women Against Family Abuse). Dr. Qatanani is a Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Montclair State University (New Jersey) and has been recognized to be among the top teachers in America by “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.” Dr. Qatanani has received many awards and recognitions, including the “Ambassador for Peace” award by The Inter-religious and International Federation for World Peace and a Special commendation from the City of Paterson and County of Passaic, New Jersey. He is a member of several interfaith outreach and dialogue organizations and founder of “Muslim-Christian Dialogue of New Jersey.”

Mohamed Moussa

Mohamed Moussa

Shaykh Mohamed Moussa is Professor of Islamic Studies. A graduate of Al-Azhar University (Egypt), he studied principles of religion (Islam) in the faculty of Usul al-din. Dr. Moussa earned the Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies from the Graduate Theological Foundation. In 2010, the GTF awarded him the Ibn Taymiyya Prize in Islamic Studies for his outstanding scholarship as a master’s student. He serves as Imam of the North Hudson Islamic Educational Center in New Jersey, Dr. Moussa is Secretary General of Manara Institute (Islamic & Arabic Studies), as well as president of the Tri State Imams Council. Dr. Moussa is a board member of Brotherhood and Sisterhood Interfaith in NJ, as well as a board member of Palisades Interfaith Action. He is the author of several books in Arabic (and is currently translating them into English), including Social Relations in the Light of the Al-Nisaa Chapter; Unify the Procedures of Marriage and Divorce in U.S. Mosques; a series on Al-Moyaser (Fi El Fiqh, Fi Usool Alfiqh, and Fi Alhadeeth); and Characteristics of Faith in Islam.

OMAR HEDROUG

OMAR HEDROUG

Omar Hedroug was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and raised in Chicago. He attended The Islamic Foundation School in Villa Park and then graduated from Benedictine University on a Pre-Med track. While in high school and college, Omar had the opportunity to study the Islamic sciences under various local scholars. While in college, Omar was accepted as a scholarship student at the Islamic university of Madinah. He completed an Associates Degree in the Arabic language and a Bachelors Degree from the College of Shariah, graduating with the highest honors from the faculty of Islamic Law. While in Madinah, he also attended classes at the Prophet's mosque studying the various Islamic sciences. He recently moved back to Chicago where he resides with his family. He currently serves as the full time Education director at the Islamic Center of Naperville, and is an instructor with Al-Maghrib Institute.

Nihad Awad

Nihad Awad

Nihad Awad is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest non-profit Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

He has been frequently interviewed on national and international media such as CNN, BBC World Service, PBS, C-SPAN, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Voice of America and Al-Jazeerah. CAIR news releases are disseminated to hundreds of thousands people worldwide on a daily basis.

After the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Mr. Awad flew to Oklahoma to aid in the relief effort. He personally met with Governor Frank Keating and gave the governor a sizable donation for the victims’ fund on behalf of the American Muslim community.

In 1997, Mr. Awad served on Vice President Al Gore’s Civil Rights Advisory Panel to the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security.

In his professional capacity, Mr. Awad has also personally met with former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright andColin L. Powell to discuss the needs of the American Muslim community.

Numerous law enforcement agencies and Fortune 500 companies””including Nike and DKNY””have benefited from CAIR educational seminars on Islamic traditions and culture. In addition to resolving employment discrimination issues involving American Muslims, Mr. Awad has also conducted over 100 public relations and media training seminars nationwide.

For the 2000 presidential election, Mr. Awad was a key figure in the American Muslim Political Coordinating Committee (AMPCC), an umbrella organization of the largest American Muslim organizations, which helped to create the first Muslim voting bloc for a presidential election.

Mr. Awad is a regular participant in the U.S. Department of State’s “International Visitors Program”, which welcomes foreign dignitaries, journalists and academics who are currently visiting the President of the United States.

A few days after September 11, 2001, Mr. Awad was one of the few American Muslim leaders invited by the White House to join President Bush in a press conference at the Islamic Center of Washington, the oldest mosque in Washington DC.

Mr. Awad has testified before both houses of the U.S. Congress, most recently at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on matters involving Muslims in America.

He has also spoken at prestigious educational institutions, including Harvard, Stanford and Johns Hopkins Universities. He was also a featured speaker at the 2002 Reuters Forum on global cooperation at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. In addition, he actively works with local and national interfaith leaders and organizations in the interest of promoting positive relations among people of diverse faith communities.

Mr. Awad is also featured in Silent No More by former United States Representative Paul Findley (R-IL), a book chronicling the history of the American Muslim community.

Wesley Lebron

Wesley Lebron

Imam Wesley Abu Sumayyah Lebron is a Puerto Rican convert who accepted Islam in 1998. He has a BA in Islamic studies from Mishkah University.
He is the co-founder of the 3 Puerto Rican Imams Projects, a non-profit humanitarian organization that has serviced Puerto Rico, Palestine, Pakistan, Nigeria, Haiti, Central and South America, as well as locally in the US.
He is currently the Imam and Director of Education and Programs for MAS NY Reverts Reconnect.

Kifah Mustapha

Kifah Mustapha

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha is the Imam and Director of The Prayer Center of Orland Park. He is the appointed representative for the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Lebanon (Darul Fatwa) on behalf of the Lebanese Community in the USA.

Abrar Omeish

Abrar Omeish

Abrar Omeish currently works in impact litigation as a legal fellow in the Legal Advocacy Team at the National Center for Youth Law. She also serves as a national At-Large Board Member of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) where she is the organization’s youngest-ever elected national board member. Abrar also serves as a School Board Member At-Large in Fairfax County, overseeing a three billion dollar budget for 1.2 million constituents of the nation’s tenth largest school division right outside of Washington, DC. She is the first Libyan ever elected in US history and the first Muslim and youngest ever elected in her role, earning over 161,000 votes. Abrar co-founded an organization providing thousands of underprivileged youth with free tutoring and mentorship in 20 locations over the past ten years. Over the years, Abrar has served in several appointed capacities locally and had worked as a senior organizer at the Democratic National Committee. She was a spokeswoman for the #NoMuslimBanEver campaign and, during the last presidential election, was a Virginia Co-Chair for the Bernie Sanders campaign. Abrar was also a Virginia PLEO (superdelegate) and Rules Committee member to the Democratic National Convention. Abrar holds a double bachelors with honors from Yale University and a dual MPP/JD from Georgetown. She served as MSA president during her time in both high school and college and has spent time pursuing Islamic studies both domestically and abroad.

Hosai Mojaddidi

Hosai Mojaddidi

Hosai Mojaddidi is the co-founder of MH4M (www.mentalhealth4muslims.com), a site dedicated to providing mental health related content tailored for the Muslim community. She has served the American-Muslim community for over 25 years as a spiritual advisor, public speaker, mental health advocate, interfaith organizer, mediator, and writer/editor covering a variety of topics including women's issues, marriage/family, youth/teen issues, education, tazkiyyah, seerah, prophetic emotional intelligence, social media literacy, interfaith bridge building, spirituality, etc. She currently teaches Islamic studies & Qur’an as well as regular educational workshops on social-emotional learning to Muslim youth for local Islamic schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also offers monthly self-development and spiritual wellness classes for Muslim women at MCC East Bay & the Rahmah Foundation. Additionally, she speaks nationally and internationally for the Muslim community at large on a variety of topics both in person and online, and is an active content creator on multiple social media sites including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Clubhouse. To learn more about Hosai, please visit: www.hosaimojaddidi.com.

ABDOOL RAHMAN KHAN

ABDOOL RAHMAN KHAN

Shaykh Abdool Rahman Khan is the Chairman of the ICNA Shariah Council. He is also an executive member of the Fiqh Council of North America. He went to Madinah, to study Islam at the International Islamic University and specializes in the laws of Islamic Inheritance. He received his BA in Education and after teaching for few years in his hometown in Guyana, South America. He was the first Muslim to do the invocation at the inauguration of the Governor of Illinois.
Shaykh Khan has authored, Co-authored, translated and edited a number of books including:
""An easy way to understand the sciences of Fiqh""
""Marital Rights in Islam""
""Islamic Inheritance in the US context""
""Stories of The Companions of the Prophet""
""Beauty pearls for Chemo Girls""
""A Book of Supplications and Incantations”.

Basyouny Nehela

Basyouny Nehela

Dr. Basyouny Nehela holds an MA in Fundamentals of Religion, and a PhD with Honors in Da’wah and Islamic Culture, both from Al-Azhar University. He is currently the President and Dean of Academic Affairs at Boston Islamic Seminary. Dr. Basyouny was previously an associate professor in the Department of Islamic Creed and Da’wah at Qatar University’s Faculty of Shari’ah and Islamic Studies and a faculty member at Al-Azhar University and Islamic American University.
He was also the head and coordinator of many academic committees covering curriculum enhancement, core curriculum development, strategic planning, academic activities and events, and professional development. He has taught many courses including Fundamentals of Da’wah, Ethics, Comparative Religion, Islamic Creed, Islamic Culture and Quranic Studies.
He participated and presented in many academic and Islamic conferences in various countries, including the United States, Egypt, Qatar, Malaysia, Canada, India, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Jordan. He has designed and developed academic curricula and courses for academic organizations and institutions in the US, Africa and some Arab countries.
Dr. Basyouny has published over 200 articles in newspapers and magazines on topics such as the methodologies and means of Quranic education and Da’wah, contemporary youth issues and Islamic thought. He has also been featured in various television and radio shows on Al Jazeera Network. He also offers regular workshops and lectures on family issues and contemporary marital and educational problems.
He received Qatar University’s yearly award for the best academic online course at the university, and another award from the College of Shari’ah for the best chair of the academic activities committee.

OSAMA ABU IRSHAID

OSAMA ABU IRSHAID

Dr. Osama Abuirshaid is the National Policy Director and a board member of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). He is a board member of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), an umbrella organization of eight major national American Muslim organizations. He lectures frequently on Middle East and American politics. He is a regular commentator on Palestinian and Middle Eastern affairs as well as on the American domestic and foreign policy on various Arabic satellite T.V. channels such as Aljazeera. He authored or coauthored several books in Arabic and he published dozens of studies and articles in Arabic and English, on issues relevant to the Middle East and its political climate. He is the co-author of the controversial study: "Hamas: Ideological Rigidity and Political Flexibility," which was published by the United States Institute of Peace in 2009. He is a community activist and speaker. Abuirshaid completed his PhD in Political Science at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom.

SULEIMAN HANI

SULEIMAN HANI

Imam Suleiman Hani is the Director of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute, a research scholar for Yaqeen Institute, a resident scholar at the Islamic Cultural Association, and an adjunct lecturer at the Islamic Center of Detroit. At the age of 14, Suleiman completed a 10-month Qur’an memorization program and began his intensive studies under numerous scholars, earning dozens of traditional religious certifications in the process. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Jordan’s College of Shari’ah, ranking first in his class, and a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied religions, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Over the past decade, he has served as an Imam and community leader in Michigan, lectured in dozens of countries, published a number of books and articles, and was featured on the largest Islamic TV stations worldwide.

OUSSAMA JAMMAL

OUSSAMA JAMMAL

Oussama Jammal is the Secretary General of the US Council of Muslim Organiza'ons (USCMO), an umbrella organiza'on of na'onal, regional, and local Muslim organiza'ons. Mr. Jammal served in di/erent capaci'es including former president and chairman of the Boardof the Mosque Founda'on, Bridgeview, Illinois; Interfaith Advisory Board of the Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS-FEMA)- Cook County, Illinois; member of the strategy board of the Metro-Industrial Areas Founda'on (Metro-IAF), one of the largest community organizing in the United States; the Na'onal Director of MAS-PACE, the Public A/airs and Civic Engagement Division of the Muslim American Society; former President of Fox Valley Muslim Community Center, Illinois; former president of the Council of Arab Organiza'ons; and former chairman of the Steering Commi?ee for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) annual conven'on

SAAD TASLEEM

SAAD TASLEEM

Shaykh Saad Tasleem, born and raised in the USA, is highly in tune with today’s youth struggles and pressures, while grounded with education in traditional Islamic Sciences. In his early years, Shaykh Saad tasted the alternative life as the lead singer of a punk rock band. Moving on from that lifestyle, Shaykh Saad still skateboards, snowboards, and rocks his Converse sneakers. After studying Art History, Modern Art, Graphic Design, and Psychology at the University of Maryland, he decided to take his life in a brand new direction. Shaykh Saad started Islamic education at IIASA in Fairfax, VA. He then went on to study at the Islamic University of Madinah where he dedicated himself to the study of Islamic Sciences. He graduated with a Bachelor’s from the Faculty of Islamic Law, University of Madinah. Today, Shaykh Saad dedicates his teaching to Muslim youth learning to balance their Western lifestyles with Islamic values. At AlMaghrib, he has developed seminars like Fiqh of Chillin’: Entertainment & Recreation in Islam, Trends: Fiqh of Fashion & Clothing, and Deception: Study of Shaytan. His primary message is to empower Muslim youth to be comfortable with their own personal identities as part of Western society.

Ovamir Anjum

Ovamir Anjum

Dr. Ovamir Anjum is the Imam Khattab Endowed Chair of Islamic Studies at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Toledo. His work focuses on the nexus of theology, ethics, politics and law in Islam, with comparative interest in Western Thought. Trained as a historian, his work is essentially interdisciplinary, drawing on the fields of classical Islamic studies, political philosophy, and cultural anthropology. He obtained his Ph.D. in Islamic Intellectual history in the Department of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Masters in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and Masters in Computer Science and Bachelors in Nuclear Engineering and Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before higher education, his Islamic training began at home while growing up in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States with a broad range of scholars including his remarkable grandmother, and continued as he studied fiqh with South Asian Ḥanafī and Ahl-e-hadīs scholars and usūl al-fiqh and qirā’āt of the Quran with scholars from Egypt’s Al-Azhar and Syria. He is the author of Politics, Law and Community in Islamic Thought: The Taymiyyan Moment (Cambridge University Press, 2012). He has translated Madarij al-Salikin (Ranks of Divine Seekers, Brill 2020) by Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 1351), one of the greatest Islamic spiritual classics, which is the largest single-author English translation of an Arabic text. His current projects include a survey of Islamic history and a monograph on Islamic political thought.

Tesneem Alkiek

Tesneem Alkiek

Dr. Tesneem Alkiek graduated from the University of Michigan with an undergraduate degree in Islamic Studies and Early Christianity. She additionally graduated with a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. Dr. Alkiek also serves as Yaqeen Institute’s Director of Expanded Learning. Under this role, she oversees projects that turn research into curriculum.

HAITHAM ALZAMAREEH

HAITHAM ALZAMAREEH

"""Imam Haitham Alzmareeh Ph.D.: Imam and Islamic Studies director at the Prayer Center, Orland Park. Education: Ph.D., MA, and Bachelor's degrees in Islamic Studies from Medina University, Sudi Arabi. Professor of Islmic Studies at Medin Univerrsity, Tibah University - KSA, GTF - USA Some Courses I gave: Usul-Ul-Fiqh, Fiqh, Aqeedh, Qurnic Sciences, Hadith, Hadith Sciences, Seerah, Islmic History History of Islamic Legistltion, Fmily Law, Islmic Finance, Islamic culture, inheritance, jurisprudential rules, Arabic Lnguge, Islamic and Arabic Manuscripts."""

HAMED GHAZALI

HAMED GHAZALI

Dr. Hamed Ghazali, has extensive experience in the field of Tarbiyah and issues related to work in classroom management. He holds a PhD. from the department of Curriculum and Instruction, Kansas State University. Dr. Ghazali worked as a Principal and Superintendent of several Islamic Schools.

Hanan Hashem

Hanan Hashem

Hanan Hashem is a Researcher and Community Educator at The Family and Youth Institute. She completed her Master’s in Counseling Psychology at Wayne State University in 2016 and a Masters in Quantitative Methods from The University of Texas at Austin in Spring 2021. Hanan is also in the last year of her Doctorate training in Counseling Psychology at The University of Texas, Austin. She currently lives in Boston, where she is finishing her clinical work at the Center for Multicultural Training for Psychologists at the Boston Medical Center.

Hanan’s main interests are in research, clinical, and community work. Her current research focuses on contextual factors that influence American Muslim youth development, including the role of their racial, religious, and gender identities on their everyday experiences. Hanan has also taught a course called Intergroup Dialogue for multiple years at UT-Austin, where she explored the psychology of race and gender with her students.

In regards to her clinical work, Hanan has completed training at various sites, including community mental health centers, a youth shelter, and university counseling centers, and currently at community health centers. Hanan is also a community organizer and has focused her efforts on youth empowerment through local youth groups, regional camps and conferences, as well as serving as an educator and mental health consultant for varying institutions.

MAIN ALQUDAH

MAIN ALQUDAH

Dr Main is an experienced lecturer in Islamic Studies. In his teaching career, he has provided instruction and training to learners at schools as well as college level. He also served as an Imam of several Islamic centers throughout the United States and abroad. Additionally, he is a certified as a memorizer of the whole Qur’an with an Ijazah (License) to teach it to others. Currently the shaykh is an assistant professor of Islamic studies in the American Open University and an Imam of MAS Katy Center in Houston Texas. He was the acting academic dean and Assistant professor at Islamic American University and a research assistant at Al-Yarmook University.

Madiha Saeed

Madiha Saeed

Madiha Saeed, MD is a practicing board certified family physician in Naperville and a traditionally published author of a best-selling book The Holistic Rx: Your Guide to Healing Chronic Inflammation and Disease, the best- selling functional medicine children’s book series, Adam’s Healing Adventures (one of Dr Mark Hyman’s favorite pics), and The Pandemic Prescription: Restoring Hope from Quran, Sunnah and Science. Her upcoming books are The Holistic Rx for Kids: Parenting Healthy Brains and Bodies in a Changing World, Adam’s Healing Adventure: The Healing Power of Rainbow Foods and The Quranic Prescription: Living Quran and Sunnah to Optimize Health, Healing and Save Our Future.
Madiha Saeed, MD a mother of four holistically raised boys (who also educate the world), on social media she is Holistic Mom, MD, is the director of education of Documenting Hope (a national organization dedicated to heal chronic disease in children) and KnoWEwell, writes for Holistic Primary Care and is on the Medical Advisory Board for Mamapotamous and Wellness Mama, who was named one of the 100 most influential people in health and wellness, and has one of the largest wellness blogs. She won the “Up and Comer” Award at the Mindshare. She is on the board of Nagamia Institute of Islamic Medicine and Sciences, where she speaks to physicians all over the world.
Her boys have started the popular podcast called, “The Holistic Kids’ Show”, where they interview the biggest names in health and wellness, including Dr Terry Wahls, Kaya Purohit, Reed Davis, Dr Ana Maria Temple, Dr Joel Warsh and so many more! Kids empowering and educating other kids.
She speaks internationally igniting the world with her energy and passion to ignite a healing revolution! She has appeared in numerous prestigious holistic online summits, conferences (even Dr. Terry Wahl’s conference, Academy of Integrated Health and Medicine), podcasts ((including MindBodyGreen), radio, and newspapers. She is a regular on the international Emmy winning medical talk shows, the Dr. Nandi Show (Airing on seven networks, in 95 million homes in the US and over 80 countries), The Deen Show (over 5.9 million followers on Facebook) and My Halal Kitchen (with over 1.5 million followers alone on Facebook). She has been a keynote speaker for the MAS-ICNA convention in December 2018 with an audience of 12,000 at McCormick Place, Chicago. She continues to speak worldwide igniting the world with her passion! Her patients have changed the diet in the African Union, and has world-wide clients in the highest positions.
With her four boys, Abdullah, Zain, Emaad, and Qasim, Dr. Saeed exemplifies the holistic healing model for a happy and healthy life. She loves to walk alongside her patients, being their cheerleaders along the way toward optimal health. She gives others hope that if she can do it with a busy lifestyle, anyone can!

Sarah Syed

Sarah Syed

Dr. Sarah Syed feels strongly about working with the Muslim community and enhancing the lives of her clients. As a working adult and mother of two, she understands the need to have balance in your life in order to be successful in other important arenas such as marriage, career, parenthood, relationships, etc. Dr. Syed utilizes a systemic approach to therapy and encourages clients to be hands on in their healing. She also is available for community level speaking and workshops. Dr. Syed has been in the field of mental health for 15 years and working with Muslims at the Khalil Center for the past 7 years. Additionally, Dr. Syed is on staff as adjunct faculty at North Central College in Naperville, IL and teaches undergraduate psychology courses. As Director of Clinical Training, Dr. Syed oversees and supervises both undergraduate internships and graduate practica and internships. Students are given the training needed to be qualified and competent clinicians and are expected to be self-motivated and hands on during their training experience. Dr. Syed works with students to ensure their training needs are met both in clinical experience and hours and also in working with diverse populations, presenting and speaking, as well as supporting research interests.

Mohsin Ansari

The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) National Election Committee announced that Dr. Mohsin Ansari has been elected as the President of ICNA for the 2021-2022 term. Dr. Ansari has been with ICNA, serving in different capacities for the past three decades. He previously served as the Chairman of ICNA Relief and Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD).
He completed his pediatric residency at Metro health Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio. He continued to broaden his training and experience at the same institution in the capacity of a Chief Resident. Dr. Ansari then did his pediatric specialization and fellowship in Neonatology (Newborn and Premature baby care) at Metro heath Medical Center. Dr. Ansari is currently licensed to practice medicine in several states. He is also an author of multiple research papers published both in national and international medical journals. He lives in Maryland with his wife and five sons.

Nadeem Siddiq

Nadeem Siddiq

Nadeem Siddiqi, PhD currently serves The Family and Youth Institute as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Business Manager, and a Community Educator. He holds a PhD in Finance from York University and works in the area of Strategy and Analytics. In his professional career, Dr. Siddiqi has worked in Financial Services, with clients from across multiple industries as a Management Consultant, as well as taught BBA and MBA classes.
Dr. Siddiqi is a trained marriage educator and has been a youth mentor and trainer for the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) and the Muslim American Society (MAS). He has been extensively involved in community organizing at both the local and national levels for over 25 years and served as the National Chairman of the Muslim American Society from 2012-2016.

Majed Mahmoud

Majed Mahmoud

Sh. Majed holds a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Windsor, a Bachelor’s in Islamic Studies in Islamic Jurisprudence and Legal Theory from Al-Madinah International University, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Wayne State University. He's an instructor at Al-Maghrib Institute, and travels worldwide lecturing about different aspects of Islam while working full-time as a mechanical engineer. He currently lives in Michigan with his wife and children.

AKRAM KASSAB

AKRAM KASSAB

سيرة ذاتية د: أكرم كساب حاصل على الدكتوراه في الفكر الإسلامي. له اهتمام خاص بالدعوة إلى الله والسياسة الشرعية والسيرة النبوية وفقه الأقليات. له مئات من المقالات في العديد من الصحف والمجلات العربية والإسلامية، ومواقع النت. شارك في التدريس بالجامعة الإسلامية بأمريكا، ومعهد المنارة بأمريكا. له العديد من البرامج والمشاركات في القنوات التلفزيونية. رئيس لجنة الإفتاء والبحوث واللجنة العلمية بمجلس الأئمة بالولايات الثلاث بشمال أمريكا. عضو اللجنة الدينية لاتحاد أئمة أمريكا الشمالية (نيف). له أكثر من 20 مؤلفا، منها: أعياد غير المسلمين ومناسباتهم ... رؤية شرعية. فقه الأقليات: الأسباب والخصائص والأهداف. وسطية الإسلام ودور العلماء في إبرازها. علاقة الإسلام بالنصرانية في القرآن والسنة وعبر التاريخ. مع المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم في ضحكه. وسطية الإسلام ودور العلماء في إبرازها. السياسة الشرعية أصول ومرتكزات. مبادئ وضوابط. علاقة المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم بربه. الأحكام الشرعية المتعلقة بــ (كورونا). نقل الأعضاء والتصرف في جثمان الميت رؤية شرعية. له العديد من البرامج التلفزيونية منها: (فاغتنموه) 30 حلقة عن رمضان. (أيام معدودات) 15 حلقة عن الحج. (النبي الملهم) 30 حلقة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم. (وقفات قرآنية) 30 حلقة عن القرآن. الوسطية في الإسلام 30 حلقة. سنن مهجورة 30 حلقة.

MUSTAFA UMAR

MUSTAFA UMAR

Shaykh Mustafa Umar completed a B.S. in Information and Computer Science from UC Irvine, a B.A. in Theology & Islamic Law from the European Institute of Islamic Sciences in France, and an M.A. in Islamic Studies from the University of Gloucestershire in the UK. He also studied the Islamic sciences for a year at Nadwatul ʿUlamā’ in Lucknow, India and spent another year studying in Cairo, Egypt. He has authored several books, served the Muslim community of Southern California as an Imam and activist for over a decade years, and is currently the founder and president of California Islamic University, the Director of Education and Outreach at the Islamic Institute of Orange County, and an executive member of the Fiqh council of North America.

RAMI KAWAS

RAMI KAWAS

Rami Kawas currently serves as the Executive Director and Instructor at Oaktree Institute. For over 10 years, Rami has focused on learning and teaching personal development and leadership. He had served in different capacities at various community based organizations, including his role as the Director of Development and Training at MAS Dallas. He has extensive experience in organizing and delivering various educational and training programs. He also has a long track record in leading and creating various departments and projects that concentrate on human development and leadership training. Rami is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Human Developmental Psychology from Harvard University Extension School. He enjoys sports and traveling, and resides with his family in Dallas, Texas.

Suhail Mulla

Suhail Mulla

Shaykh Suhail Mulla is the Director of the Los Angeles branch of the Khalil Center – a community spiritual and psychological wellness center. Shaykh Suhail currently serves as Resident Scholar at the Islamic Society of West Valley in Canoga Park, CA. He also serves as the IOK Muslim Chaplain at both UCLA and CSUN. In addition, Shaykh Suhail serves as Religious Advisor to UMMA Community Clinic. And he is the co-founder of the Muslim Marriage Rejuvenation Retreat. Shaykh Suhail has worked as a social worker in LAUSD and Sylmar Juvenile Court, has served as an Imam at the Islamic Society of Orange County and as Interim Executive Director and Director of Mental Health at Access California Services.

Shaykh Suhail earned his Bachelor’s Degree in African-American Studies from CSUN, his Master’s in Social Welfare from UCLA and another Bachelor’s Degree in Shari’ah (Islamic Law) from one of the world’s most prestigious Islamic seminaries – Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. He also completed a two year Islamic Studies program at Al-Asheera Al-Muhammadiya in Cairo, Egypt where he studied privately with numerous Azhari scholars.

Shaykh Suhail resides in Los Angeles with his wife and four children. He is a student of the outdoors and enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, woodworking and gardening in his free time.

RIZWAN ALI

RIZWAN ALI

Rizwan Ali is currently the Imam and Religious Director of the Islamic Center of Naperville. He completed his bachelor's degree from Benedictine University in Social Sciences and a minor in Secondary Education. He completed his master's degree from Saint Xavier University in Curriculum and Instruction. He completed his doctorate in Educational Leadership at Creighton University. He completed his Islamic Studies degree from Al Azhar University in Cairo. He works very closely with the youth at CPSA as an Islamic Studies Teacher for boys from 7-12th grade, and Head of the Arabic and Islamic Studies Department. He is married to his wife Mariyam, and they have three daughters. In addition to be being a mentor and speaker, Lobna has written for myvirtualmosque.com and the MAS Blog. Lobna is a recent graduate of Chapman University with a Masters of Fine Arts in Screenwriting. She is the creator of the YouTube channel, Double Shot Mocha Productions, where she strives to promote social awareness through humor. Lobna was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from California State University, Northridge in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting. She worked as an accountant for ten years until she began her career as a mother. Lobna moved to Egypt for three years with her husband, Shaikh Suhail Mulla, and her children and studied Arabic, Qur’anic Recitation and Islamic Sciences under Azhari scholars. Lobna Mulla currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and four children.

HATEM BAZIAN

HATEM BAZIAN

Hatem Bazian is a co-founder and Professor of Islamic Law and Theology at Zaytuna College, the 1st Accredited Muslim Liberal Arts College in the United States. In addition, Prof. Bazian is a lecturer in the Departments of Near Eastern and Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Bazian between 2002-2007, also served as an adjunct professor of law at Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. He teaches courses on Islamic Law and Society, Islam in America: Communities and Institutions, De-Constructing Islamophobia and Othering of Islam, Religious Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies. In addition to Berkeley, Prof. Bazian served as a visiting Professor in Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California 2001-2007 and adviser to the Religion, Politics and Globalization Center at UC Berkeley. In Spring 2009, Prof. Bazian founded at Berkeley the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at the Center for Race and Gender, a research unit dedicated to the systematic study of Othering Islam and Muslims. Prof. Bazian in Spring 2012 launched the Islamophobia Studies Journal, which is published bi-annually through a collaborative effort between the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project of the Center for Race and Gender at the University of California at Berkeley, the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Initiative for the School of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University; the Center for Islamic Studies at the Graduate Theological Union, the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding at the University of South Australia, and Zaytuna College. In addition to academic work, Dr, Bazian is a weekly columnist for the Turkish Daily Sabah Newspaper and Turkey Agenda online magazine. Dr. Bazian is founder and national Chair of American Muslims for Palestine, board member of the Islamic Scholarship Fund, Muslim Legal Fund of America, President of Dollar for Deen Charity, and Chair of Northern California Islamic Council.

Sami Hamdi

Sami Hamdi

Sami Hamdi is the Managing Director of the International Interest, a global risk and intelligence company. He advises government institutions, global companies, and NGOs on the geopolitical dynamics of Europe and the MENA region, and has significant expertise in advising on commercial issues related to volatile political environments and their implications on market entry, market expansion, and management of stakeholders. Sami is a frequent guest on Aljazeera (Arabic and English), Sky News, BBC and other outlets.

Tom Facchine

Tom Facchine

Imam Tom Facchine (fuh-KEEN-ee) converted to Islam in 2010. He finished his BA in Political Science from Vassar College in 2011 and was granted the opportunity to study at the Islamic University of Madinah from 2015-2020, where he obtained his BA from the Faculty of Shariah. Imam Tom is currently the Research Director of Islam and Society at the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. He is also resident scholar of Utica Masjid (Utica, New York), as well as the Imam of Hamilton College where he does chaplaincy work.
He also teaches Tafseer to middle-schoolers online through Legacy International Online High School. Imam Tom Facchine (fuh-KEEN-ee) accepted Islam in his early twenties. He holds a BA in Political Science from Vassar College (2011) and a BA in Islamic Law from the Islamic University of Madinah (2020).
He also holds a chaplaincy certificate from The Chaplaincy Program conducted by the Prophet's Mosque (2019). Tom is currently the Resident Scholar of Utica Masjid (Utica, New York). He also teaches Tafseer to middle-schoolers online through Legacy International Online High School. When not engaged in study or dawah, Imam Tom’s idea of a good time includes espresso and taking long hikes deep into the woods. Check out his short reflections and khutbahs on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MCAMVUticaMasjid

Enes Yalman

Enes Yalman

Enes Yalman is an academic researcher and political analyst who is active with a number of international organizations, think tanks, media networks, and newspapers focused on regional politics and international relations, as well as youth policy and leadership. He has previously served as the Secretary General of IIFSO.

Currently, he serves as the Director of International Relations at Ibn Haldun University in Turkey. He is also the Istanbul Representative of the Young Academics Union of Turkey and a Member of the Board of Directors at the Turkish Arab Media Association.

Sabeel Ahmed

Sabeel Ahmed

Dr. Sabeel Ahmed is the Executive Director of the GainPeace Project, an outreach project of Islamic Circle of North America. As a Director of GainPeace, Dr. Sabeel's aim is to bring out the commonalities and build bridges between people of various faith, races, and nationalities and share the beautiful faith of Islam with our fellow Americans. Some of the projects of GainPeace include advertising the message of spirituality via Bus, Billboards, Trains, TV, Radio and Newspapers. Dr. Sabeel had given many outreach presentations and workshops in various cities in the USA on the topics of Shariah, Freedom of Speech, Comparative Religion and Youth Empowerment. After completing his medical education from the Carribean, he decided to dedicate his time as a full-time (daee) educator of Islam to tackle Islamophobia and to convey the peaceful message of Islam. He is married with three children and resides with his family in Morton Grove, IL, USA. Dr. Sabeel is being featured on many local and national media news outlets.

OSAMA JABER

OSAMA JABER

PHD with Interpretation and Qur’an Sciences. Connected Chain of Transmission to Messenger of Allah in memorizing and recitation Qur’an. Two Ijaza of recitation for Hafs from Asem and Ibn Kather Al Meccan recitation. Imam and Orator for 15 years.

Arshia Ali-Khan

Arshia Ali-Khan

Arshia Ali-Khan, M.A. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) A visionary leader, with a professional career reflecting over two decades of creative, transformational leadership, in corporate and non-profit organizational development. From high-profile organizations to local individuals and entrepreneurs, Arshia serves as an experienced transformational organization development and human emergence leader and adviser. She has led organizations effectively with cross-functional & multi-cultural teams to transform and expand organizations throughout her career.
Arshia was chosen as one of eighteen nonprofit leaders in the world to join the first cohort of the Muslim Philanthropy and Humanitarian Studies Fellowship at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (IULSP). After completing her fellowship in the summer of 2021, she went on to pursue her second Master of Arts (M.A.) degree, this one in Philanthropic Studies also from (IULSP) and graduated with honors in August 2022. She is also the current apppointed Chair of the Board of Directors for the Muslim Civic Coalition (The Coaltion), a partnership of activists, influencers, and organizations who amplifies social and civic efforts with diverse and underrepresented races, faiths, and communities that drive us towards Equity and Civic Justice. And she is a Board of Trustee member of the USCMO.

Dr. Abdulgany Hamadeh

Dr. Muhammad Abdulgany Hamedeh has served on the CIOGC’s Interfaith committee for many years. By profession, he is a specialist in the fields of pulmonary, critical care & sleep medicine as well as the Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago.

He is also the Chief of the Pulmonary Department and the Director of the Sleep Center at the Christ Hospital & Medical center. His experience includes serving on the Board of The Mecca Center as President from 2002- 2018, and past President on the Board of Syrian American Medical Society, Midwest Chapter.

Dr. Hamadeh is married with four children and currently resides in Burr Ridge, Illinois.

Hadia Zarzour

Hadia Zarzour

Hadia Zarzour is a Licensed Therapist who came to the US in 2009 on a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her Masters in Community Counseling at Loyola University. Since then, she has been working with refugees, immigrants and the underserved from all parts of the globe. She is certified in Global Refugee Trauma from Harvard University. Hadia co-founded nonprofit organizations; Insan and Syrian Community Network, which support the Syrian refugees locally and internationally. In 2017, Hadia joined the trauma training team at the Center for Children Resilience of Lurie Children’s Hospital. In 2019, Hadia led the trauma team responding to the Christ Church Shooting in New Zealand and supporting survivors and their families. In addition to her non-profit work, Hadia established her private practice, Healing Zone, in 2020 where she works with adults, teenagers and families. Hadia received her Bachelor degree in Psychology and her Masters degree in Education from Damascus University, Syria; after which, she spent eight years teaching psychology at Arab International University in Damascus.

Fahad Khan

Fahad Khan

Dr. Fahad Khan is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Masters degree in Biomedical Sciences. He has also been a student of religious studies, beginning with his memorization of Qur'an at the age of 16. He currently serves as the Deputy Director at Khalil Center, the largest provider of Muslim mental health in North America providing psychological services while supervising clinical and research work. He also teaches undergraduate as well as graduate courses in various academic institutions. His research and writing interests include Muslim mental health and Islamic psychology. He is a fellow of the International Association of Islamic Psychology and serves as a reviewer and editor for various peer-reviewed journals in United States and Pakistan. He is actively involved in professional organizations and has served on many committees and divisions of the American Psychological Association (APA) as well as Illinois Psychological Association (IPA). For his work and dedication, the APA awarded him the 2021 Early Career Psychologist Champion and 2020 Early Career Achievement Awards.

Dilara Sayeed

Dilara Sayeed

Dr. Dilara Sayeed’s story goes from Headstart to Harvard, and through public school systems. These experiences have fueled her ambition for equity and access for all our residents, especially in marginalized and often invisible communities. Dilara has served as an award-winning teacher/administrator, a nonprofit civic leader, and a social impact tech entrepreneur. Dilara is the President of the IL Muslim Civic Coalition. Her team works with partners and allies of all races, faiths, and backgrounds towards Civic Justice. Dilara ran for elected office in a historic race in 2018 to highlight social and fiscal inequities in our state and nation. To meet the needs of today’s remote and isolating work culture, Dilara leads the founding team for vPeer, a platform and mobile app connecting virtual peers for authentic mentoring and thought partnership. In 2021, Dilara was appointed by Governor Pritzker to the IL Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes (CDHC), where she serves as the Co-Chair of the Education and Outreach Committee. Dilara is on Advisory Councils for Chicago Mayor Lightfoot and Illinois Comptroller Mendoza and serves on the Field Museum, and IADO Boards. Dilara and her husband enjoy riding on bike paths and kayaking on waterways exploring our cities, nation, and world.

YASIR FAHMY

YASIR FAHMY

Shaykh Yasir began the study of Arabic and Islamic Sciences in his high school years under the guidance of local teachers. At the age of seventeen, he traveled to Amman, where he spent a year studying at the Islamic University of Jordan. He returned to the US and completed a Bachelor’s of Science from Rutgers University. After working in corporate America for three years in finance, he returned to the Middle East and enrolled in the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo. After seven years of intensive study, Shaykh Yasir received a degree in Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar and attained numerous ‘ijazas (independent certifications) in the subjects of fiqh, hadith, aqida, usul al-fiqh, sirah, tazkiyyah, mantiq, Arabic grammar (nahu), morphology (sarf) and rhetoric (balagha). In 2013, Shaykh Yasir Fahmy became the first American Azhari to teach in the renowned Al-Azhar Mosque. Through his teaching, lecturing, mentorship, and religious leadership, Shaykh Yasir aims to foster love for the deen and appreciation of the vast richness of Islamic tradition in new generations of American Muslims. Alongside his religious studies, Mufti Kamani was blessed with having the opportunity to study the secular and academic sciences. He completed his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in England as well. Mufti Kamani currently resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and four children. He serves as an Imam and is on the Board of Directors for the Islamic Association of Carrollton (Masjid Al-Rahman). He is also an instructor for the Qalam Institute.

Abdul Malik Merchant

Abdul Malik Merchant

Imam Abdul-Malik Merchant completed his undergraduate program in Islamic Studies — specializing in Islamic culture from Umm al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia — and where he realized his passion for service, particularly to the disenfranchised. After nearly 10 years of studying and living abroad, Imam Merchant returned to Boston, MA in 2016 to take a leadership position primarily focusing on spiritual care and counseling in New England's largest mosque. Then, in 2019, he served as the Muslim Chaplain at Tufts University and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. In these roles, Imam Merchant offered mentorship and support, taught students and inmates, and coordinated programs and activities related to Muslim life in their respective facilities. In the Spring of 2020, Imam Merchant completed a Master of Theological Studies at Boston University’s School of Theology concentrating on practical theology. and was awarded the Tisch Faculty Fellowship and Boston Bridges Fellowship upon graduation. Imam Merchant currently serves as the Resident Imam of the Muslim American Society Community Center in Alexandria, VA (MAS–DC) and a Youth Counselor at All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS). He also serves as a board member of the Muslim Wellness Foundation. In his free time, Imam Merchant enjoys spending time with his wife and children. He asks that you keep him and his family in your prayers.

FAHAD KHAN

FAHAD KHAN

Dr. Fahad Khan is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Masters degree in Biomedical Sciences. He is also a Hafiz of the Qur’an (having committed the entire Qur’an to memory) and has studied Islamic studies with various scholars in the Muslim world and the US. He is currently a student at Darul Qasim continuing his Arabic and Islamic studies under the supervision of Sh. Amin Kholwadia. He is a faculty member at Concordia University Chicago and College of DuPage. He has conducted numerous research studies and have published book chapters and articles on Traditional Islamically-Integrated Psychotherapy (TIIP), help-seeking attitudes of Muslim Americans as well as the effects of Acculturation & Religiosity on Psychological Distress. He is a fellow of the International Association of Islamic Psychology and serves as an editor for the Journal of Muslim Mental Health.

Mohamed R. Beshir

Mohamed R. Beshir

Dr. Mohamed Rida Beshir is a Community Educator at The Family and Youth Institute. He holds a PhD in Telecommunications and a Master’s in Engineering from Carlton University as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications from Alexandria University. In addition, he has pursued independent studies in marriage and family studies as well as classical Islamic sciences in the areas of Qur'anic exegesis (tafseer), Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), and Human Development (tarbiyah) with varying scholars. He is the author of many popular books including, When Muslim Teens Rebel: Causes and Solutions and Family Leadership (Qawama): An Obligation to Fulfill, not an Excuse to Abuse. Dr. Beshir has also co-authored numerous internationally recognized books on marriage and parenting with his wife, Dr. Ekram Beshir including, Meeting the Challenge of Parenting in the West: An Islamic Perspective, Muslim Teens: Today’s Worry, Tomorrow’s Hope – a Practical Islamic Parenting Guide, Blissful Marriage, and, Parenting Skills based on Qur’an and Sunnah. His books have been translated into Arabic, French, German and Albanian. Dr. Beshir is an internationally renowned family life educator, presenting workshops on parenting, marriage, and human development (tarbiyah) throughout North America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, Morocco, and Malaysia.
Dr. Beshir has served the Muslim community for more than 40 years. He has been active at both the local and national levels through Muslim Student’s Association (MSA), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Muslim American Society (MAS), and Muslim Association of Canada (MAC). He is a Founding member of Human Concern International (HCI) and Family Dawn, and received The City of Ottawa Certificate of Appreciation for his volunteer work in the area of education. He is the father of four adult children and grandfather to many grandchildren.

SIRAJ WAHHAJ

SIRAJ WAHHAJ

Siraj Wahhaj, Imam of Masjid Taqwa in New York is well known among Muslims in North America as a dynamic speaker and tireless supporter of Islamic causes. Imam Siraj Wahhaj, currently the Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa in Brookyn, New York, accepted Islam in 1969. He received Imam training at Ummul Qura University of Makkah in 1978 and has gone on to become a national and international speaker on Islam.

RANIA AWAAD

RANIA AWAAD

Dr. Rania Awaad M.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab and the Executive Director of Maristan.org, a community non-profit. Associate Chief of the Division of Public Mental Health and Population Sciences, and Co-Chief of the Diversity and Cultural Mental Health Section. She is currently a Senior Fellow at Yaqeen Institute and ISPU. In addition, she serves as the Director of The Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Muslim women and girls. She has previously served as the founding Clinical Director of the Khalil Center-San Francisco as well as a Professor of Islamic Law at Zaytuna College. Prior to studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria and holds certifications (ijaza) in Qur’an, Islamic Law and other branches of the Islamic Sciences. Follow her @Dr.RaniaAwaad In her past role as Director of Movement and Campaign Strategies at PANA, she helped to build a newly founded organization as she built grassroots community power through organizing, advocacy, alliance building, designing and implementing a civic engagement infrastructure in refugee communities, developing leaders, addressing hate crimes and using an integrated voter engagement strategy to build a visible refugee electorate. She continues to be engaged in and work on issues that address racial disparities, social injustices, equity and inclusion for marginalized communities. She is a former co-host on Flip the Script: The Future is Female podcast which lifts up women game changers and leaders in San Diego county. She also served as a member of the Strategic Council for statewide tables Mobilizing the Immigrant Vote and Steering Committee member for Power California as well as a representative on California Calls’ African-American Civic Engagement Program. Ismahan received her Bachelor’s in Human Biology from UCSD and a MA in Education with Concentration in Counseling from SDSU. She currently serves as the National Deputy Director for the Muslim American Society’s Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Department and also serves as the Executive Director at MAS PACE San Diego. Ismahan has received numerous recognitions and awards for her work including Assemblywoman Gonzalez-Fletcher’s 2018 Woman of the Year recognition, Power-Builder Award, recognized by NAACP for her service in the community, Moxie Theatre’s Women with Grit and Determination award, Youth Adult Ally 2019 and more. . As a frequent speaker in local and national platforms, Ismahan is passionate about working for justice and building an inclusive society.

Ahmed El-Shekhei

Ahmed El-Shekhei

Sheikh Ahmed Muhammad Al-Sheikhi, born in Benghazi, Libya. Sheikh Ahmed embarked upon teaching the Quran according to the Libyan standards of teaching for five years in Libya with his teacher Sheikh Adam Al-Hasnawi. He moved on to teaching in various Islamic communities throughout Switzerland for over 6 years. He finally moved to the United States of America in 2004, and began his quest, teaching in various cities such as Chicago. Several students in Chicago have memorized the Quran with Sheikh Ahmed. Sheikh Ahmed formulated this approach to learning and reading Quran (the Bidaya curriculum) only after 20 years of experience in teaching in Libyan, European, and American communities. This approach has earned high recognition from various scholars in the U.S, Arab, and Muslim worlds (such as Sheikh Muhammad Kurayyim Raajih and Sheikh Yahya Al-Ghawthani.)

RANA KHALAF

RANA KHALAF

Rana Khalaf Is a Community Educator at The Family and Youth Institute. She holds a Master’s in Educational Psychology and a post-graduate degree in principal-ship and K-12 school administration. She has served as a parent coordinator then as the dean of students in schools in Dearborn, Michigan. Currently, she is the principal in Frontier International Academy, a K-5 school in Warren, Michigan. Rana has been active with the Muslim community for the past 23 years. Her work within the community has primarily focused on youth and parenting issues. She volunteered as the Youth program director for a number of years at the Islamic Cultural Association. She now sits on the advisory youth committees at the Muslim Community Mosque (MCM) and the Muslim Unity Center (MUC) in Michigan.

DALIA FAHMY

DALIA FAHMY

Dr. Dalia Fahmy is Associate Professor of Political Science at Long Island University where she teaches courses on US Foreign Policy, World Politics, International Relations, Military and Defense Policy, Causes of War, and Politics of the Middle East. Dr. Fahmy is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Policy in Washington DC, and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights and UNESCO Chair at Rutgers University for 2018. Dr. Fahmy's books include The Rise and Fall of The Muslim Brotherhood and the Future of Political Islam (forthcoming), and two co-edited volumes Illiberal Intelligentsia and the Future of Egyptian Democracy, and International Relations in a Changing World. Dr. Fahmy has published several articles in academic journals focusing on democratization and most recently on the effects of Islamophobia on US foreign policy. She has given several briefings on the future of democracy in the Middle East. She has been interviewed by and written editorials in various media outlets including ABC, CBS, CBC, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, the Huffington Post, the Immanent Frame, the Washington Post, and appears often on Aljazeera. She has presented her research in various venues including Columbia, Georgetown, Harvard, Princeton, UCLA, The Middle East Institute, The Asia Society, The World Bank, The Wilson Center and The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy. Dr. Fahmy has won several academic awards and fellowships for her research. In 2014, Dr. Fahmy was one of the recipients of the prestigious Kleigman Prize in Political Science, was the 2016 recipient of the Newton Prize for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2017 was named NPR’s "Source if the Week."

Alaa Mohammad Shareef

Alaa Mohammad Shareef

Alaa Mohammad Shareef holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as well as Certificates in Childhood & Adolescence Studies and Cultures & Communities Studies. She has also received formal training for Quranic exegesis skills at Al Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan. Alaa has served on the Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s Education Board as Curriculum Developer where she designed and implemented a uniquely engaging program for children and young adults. She has years of experience conducting behavioral therapy intervention and community education.

Alaa currently conducts research with The Family and Youth Institute on the history of Muslim mental health. Her interests include expanding the field of Islamic Psychology, eliminating stigma surrounding mental illness, Islamic education curriculum development, Muslim mental health advocacy, and content creation of mental health literature and resources.

BASYOUNY NEHELA

BASYOUNY NEHELA

Dr. Basyouny Nehela holds an M.A. in Fundamentals of Religion, and a Ph.D. with Honors in Da’wa and Islamic Culture, both from Al-Azhar University. He is currently the President and Dean of Academic Affairs (as well as a professor) at the Boston Islamic Seminary. Dr. Basyouny was previously an Associate Professor at Qatar University’s Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies Department of Islamic Creed and Da’wa. He was also a faculty member at Al-Azhar University and Islamic American University. He was also Imam of the Islamic Society of Boston. He has also served as a leading head and as a coordinator of many academic committees covering Curriculum Enhancement, Core Curriculum, Strategic Plan, Academic Activities and Events, and Professional Development. He has taught many academic courses including Fundamentals of Dawa, Ethics, Comparative Religion, Islamic Creed, Islamic Culture, and Quranic Studies (among others). He participated and presented in many academic and Islamic conferences in the United States, Egypt, Qatar, Malaysia, Canada, India, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Jordan (among others). He has designed and developed academic curricula and courses for academic organizations and schools in North America, Africa, and some Arab countries. Dr. Basyouny has published over 200 articles in newspapers and magazines on topics such as the methodologies and means of Quranic Education and Da’wa, contemporary youth issues and Islamic thought as well as appeared in various television and radio shows at Al Jazeera network. He also offers regular workshops and lectures on family issues and contemporary marital and educational problems. He received Qatar University’s yearly award for the best academic online course at the university. He recently received an award from the College of Sharia for the best chair of the academic activities committee Alongside his religious studies, Mufti Kamani was blessed with having the opportunity to study the secular and academic sciences. He completed his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in England as well. Mufti Kamani currently resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and four children. He serves as an Imam and is on the Board of Directors for the Islamic Association of Carrollton (Masjid Al-Rahman). He is also an instructor for the Qalam Institute.

RUKHSANA IQBAL

RUKHSANA IQBAL

Rukhsana Iqbal, MD is a board-certified physician and specializes in treating patients with both medical and psychiatric illness. She received her medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, OH and went on to do a dual residency in Family Medicine and Psychiatry at University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. She then completed her fellowship in Consult-Liaison psychiatry at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. She has practiced in Hinsdale, IL for the last 12 years and is an adjunct professor at Midwestern University, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in Downers Grove, IL. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and their 3 children, among whom she counts as her best teachers.

Hiba Rahim

Hiba Rahim

Hiba Rahim is an American Muslim activist and community organizer. She has a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Florida State University. She currently works for the Florida chapter of CAIR—the Council on American-Islamic Relations—where she focuses on programs, outreach, and advocacy. Her work with Muslims Inmates Advocacy includes working toward policy change, challenging cases of religious discrimination, and creating a network of volunteers to support the incarcerated Muslim community.

Nabeela Syed

Nabeela Syed

Nabeela Syed is running for the 51st District in the Illinois State House of Representatives, ready to serve the communities of Palatine, Inverness, Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows, Lake Zurich, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, Deer Park, Vernon Hills and Long Grove. As a Palatine native, Nabeela will be an advocate for the issues most important to us, including healthcare, education, taxes, and equal rights. Nabeela has been an active voice for her community, especially those who are underserved and underrepresented in government institutions. Most recently, she served as the Campaign Manager for current Township High School District 211 School Board Member Tim Mc Gowan — a campaign that emphasized the values of accountability, community, and equity in our schools. From knocking on doors to help elect Democrats in Schaumburg and Palatine to organizing Asian American voters to flip Senate seats in Georgia, Nabeela has worked to advance progressive causes on both a local and national scale. Professionally, Nabeela has worked with a variety of organizations, including EMILY’s List, to raise money to elect Democrats to Congress. Currently, Nabeela works for a non-profit in digital strategy supporting a variety of their civic engagement efforts including voter mobilization, ending sexual assault on college campuses, and promoting gender equity. Nabeela has been engaged in her community, serving as a mentor for youth as a high school debate coach. She is also active in her religious community at the Islamic Society of Northwest Suburbs and is a strong advocate for promoting interfaith dialogue and empowering young Muslim women to lead. Nabeela graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Political Science and Business Administration, where she served as the president of a pro-bono consulting organization assisting local businesses and nonprofits.

Amany Suleiman

Amany Suleiman

Amany Suleiman is a life coach who holds self- development workshops which include topics like nurturing a productive mind set, ways to better your marriage, cultivating the inward to affect the outward, and choosing progress over perfection.

Mika'il Stewart Saadiq

Mika'il Stewart Saadiq

Imam Mika’il taught and administrated at the historic Al-Ikhlas Training Academy in Detroit from 1999 to 2020. He is a former Police Chaplain, an Associate Imam at the Muslim Center (Detroit), and the Chairperson of the Imams Council of Michigan. From 2016 to 2021, as a Detroit City Council liaison, he advocated for civic engagement, social equity, and empowerment. Imam Mika’il has become known for his political and social activism, and his passionate commentary on black and youth social issues. In 2013, he became the first Muslim to offer the invocation for a Michigan State Senate session. At the end of 2014, he gained international notoriety when he organized 65,000 people to participate in a 24-hour social media blackout called The National Black Day of Silence; to protest the exploitation of violence against Blacks and marginalized peoples. The imam currently lives on Detroit’s northwest side where he and his wife raise their four youngest children.

Edmund Arroyo

Edmund Arroyo

Edmund Arroyo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified School Social Worker. He is a graduate of University of Illinois at Chicago Jane Adams School of Social Work and Knox College in Galesburg, IL. He is the founder of The Heartspeak Institute, where the goal is to provide counseling and education to individuals, couples, and families in an environment that respects their individual and cultural dynamics. This could be as fundamental as the individual’s family culture or broader. He employs principles within Cognitive-Behavioral therapy & Dialectical Behavior Therapy, within the framework of Systems Theory, when working with his clients. As a result of his extensive experience counseling families and couples, Mr. Arroyo has been asked to present on marriage and family issues at numerous conferences. He has been doing individual, group, and family counseling since 1998. With experience in hospital, public schools, and a child welfare agency, Edmund has worked with clients on many types of individual, family, and societal issues. He has been conducting yearly parenting seminars, teacher institute trainings, and motivational speaking since 2001.

Petra Alsoofy

Petra Alsoofy

Petra Alsoofy is the Outreach & Partnerships Manager at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she strengthens valued partnerships and forges new ones with organizations who share ISPU’s goal of strengthening Muslim communities and building understanding. Petra’s work includes overseeing ISPU’s large network of scholars and equipping policymakers, community leaders, faith leaders, educators, and the general public to make informed decisions about American Muslims. Petra serves as a Commissioner on the Michigan Board of Social Work, on the boards of the Michigan Center for Civic Education, and the American Association of Yemeni Students and Professionals. She was previously a Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL) Racial Equity Fellow and is an alum of New Detroit’s Multicultural Leadership Series. Born in Yemen and raised in Michigan, Petra holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Grand Valley State University. Petra has worked for the Arab American National Museum (AANM) and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in different roles. Over the last ten years, she has worked with thousands of students, educators, community members, and policymakers. She has coordinated Smithsonian Affiliated Programs and developed and conducted cultural competency training for educators, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, and interfaith leaders. Petra has coordinated and executed leadership programming across the country, including briefings on Capitol Hill, researchers convenings, major conference presentations, subject area expert meetings, media appearances, and presentations to local university classrooms on topics related to American Muslim communities. She has been a leader in interfaith work and public education for more than 15 years.

Asima Ahmad

Asima Ahmad

Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, is Carrot's Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Ahmad is also a practicing reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist double board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and obstetrics and gynecology. She earned a combined medical and public health degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, completed her residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and completed fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco. Her work has been published extensively on a wide range of topics related to infertility, reproductive and hormonal health, gynecologic malignancies, and patient safety. Dr. Ahmad has held leadership roles on the Access to Care Special Interest Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), most recently as the Chair and previously as the Vice-Chair. She has also founded Umeed Foundation, helped in healthcare delivery and optimization with global organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), and worked on global health projects to reduce rates of maternal mortality. Dr. Ahmad has also been awarded University of Chicago’s Humanitarian Award, named to Business Insider’s 30 under 40 in Healthcare list, and recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor, and one of the Top 100 University of Chicago Alumni in Technology. In addition to her extensive work in maternal health, Dr. Ahmad and her husband live in Chicago, IL, with their three children. They are expecting their fourth child later this year.

Yahya Hersey

Yahya Hersey

Yahya Hersey is currently the Senior Housing Case Manager at the Inner City Muslim Action Network in Chicago (IMAN), where he oversees and facilitates Case Management needs to the Residents in their Transitional Housing Program. In 1991, at the age of 17, he was incarcerated as a Juvenile Offender and charged with Accountability to Murder. He was with an individual who shot someone, and despite not having a role in this crime, he served 28 years in prison, after which the Supreme Court ruled that it was Unconstitutional. He was released from prison immediately after, on February 27, 2020. Yahya witnessed and suffered through countless attacks and situations during his 28 years of incarceration. Because of his faith, he was discriminated against and targeted. Especially after 9-11, Islam became the mutual enemy. While incarcerated, Yahya Hersey obtained his College Degree. He was among the first group of Individuals who were allowed to Earn a Licensure as a Substance Abuse Counselor while still being incarcerated. This allowed him to advocate for prison rights in a new way and because of this, he was able to push real issues before the administration in a way that had never been done before. The Department of Corrections recognized his sincerity and saw the benefit of attempting to try and address the issues.

Roohi Tahir

Roohi Tahir

Coming Soon

Osman Umarji

Osman Umarji

Dr. Osman Umarji holds a Bachelor's of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master's and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from UC Irvine. He has studied Islam at al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. His research interests include the development of human motivation, religious socialization, spirituality, and Islamic legal theory. Dr. Umarji is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at UC Irvine. He has previously taught child development, adolescent development, and statistics. His expertise in both psychological and Islamic sciences allows him to conduct empirical research on contemporary issues facing Muslims.

Marwa Assar

Marwa Assar

Dr. Marwa Assar is a psychologist and psycho-spiritual teacher who specializes in providing counseling as well as psycho-spiritual education that is rooted in Islamic teachings and approached through an Islamic Psychological Lens. Alongside her constant pursuit of Islamic studies, Dr. Marwa has studied psychology extensively for 10 years. In addition to completing both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology, she has also completed her doctorate of psychology (PsyD) degree at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her doctoral research focus was on Islam & Psychology as she completed a research study titled, “An Islamic Psychological Approach to Psychotherapy (2017)” highlights what Islamic teachings have to offer to the world of psychological wellness and psycho-therapy with Muslim clients.

Through her work as both a psychologist and teacher, she is dedicated to empowering others on a spiritual, mental, and emotional level, and has spent over a decade extensively exploring and merging traditional Islamic teachings with psychology to help others cultivate greater psychological health, navigate their human experience beautifully, and tackle the spiritual & psychological barriers that come between them and experiencing healthy, fulfilling relationships with God, themselves, and others.

In addition to her studies, Dr. Marwa’s training as a psychologist involved working in diverse settings from an inpatient substance abuse treatment facility, to schools, private practice, and mental health organizations. She currently serves as a psychologist at the Islamic Center of NYU (ICNYU). Dr. Marwa is also The founder of The H.O.M.E Institute, which is named after her Heart Over Mind & Ego (H.O.M.E) approach to psycho-spiritual wellness, a methodology she conceptualized through an Islamic psychological lens to help others understand their psychological and spiritual design and experience greater inner peace and alignment. Through her work at The H.O.M.E Institute, Dr. Marwa offers both online and physical spaces for the hearts of others where students can learn the heart-centered knowledge and tools they need to thrive spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.

Abdelnasser Rashid

Abdelnasser Rashid

Abdelnasser Rashid is a Democrat running for State Representative because working families deserve ethical representation. As State Representative, Abdelnasser will put people, families and communities first, not corporate special interests. He will fight to root out corruption, fund public education, and work to fix the broken property tax system that punishes working families while giving huge corporations major tax cuts.
His family’s story drives him to fight for our families. 55 years ago, Abdelnasser's parents moved to America from a rural Palestinian village where educational opportunities were scarce, especially for women. They were among the first in their village to send their daughters to college. Abdelnasser grew up helping his mother run a booth at the local flea market and his father operate a small retail business in Chicago. He went on to receive his degree from Harvard University.
After graduating, Abdelnasser came back home and joined the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, fighting for immigration reform in Illinois and across the country. He was the field director for Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's mayoral campaign, and served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Cook County Clerk David Orr.
Abdelnasser recently led a successful effort to help senior citizens save time and money by passing legislation to automatically renew the senior exemption, instead of forcing seniors to apply for the exemption each year.
Abdelnasser is committed to bringing common sense leadership to Springfield. Abdelnasser is married and has three children.

Mohamad Ata

Mohamad Ata

Dr. Mohamad Ata received his doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) from Rush University in 2017 and worked as a psychiatric nurse since 2012. His medical training includes a residency in psychiatry. He became board certified in psychiatry in 2018. He works at Khalil Center where he helps several Muslims cope with mental health issues including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, alcohol and drug abuse, addictions, and several other illnesses. He is an active member of the Muslim American Society and hopes that his work in psychiatry will help alleviate stigma of seeking professional help within the Muslim community. Dr. Ata believes in a holistic approach to treating mental illness including the integration of Islamic principles, medical interventions, and psychotherapy for optimal outcomes.

Ameena Matthews

Ameena Matthews

Mother and wife Ameena Matthews has dedicated her life and career to peace building and social change. She has worked for six years with the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention’s Ceasfire Program in the University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Public Health. Matthews is a Senior Violence Interrupter whose job is to mediate conflict on the front end to stop the transmission of violence from one person to another. She and two of her co-workers are the subjects of an award winning documentary titled “The Interrupters.” The film features her as a riveting community activist while showing her loving and nurturing attributes. The film has been accepted in many film festivals and won honors at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah where Matthews had the honor of sharing the experience with her family. She has appeared on every major television network, CNN, BBC, Frontline and HLN. She has been interviewed by National Public Radio, USA Today, Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, Jet Magazine, New York Times and others. In 2011, Matthews received the TedX Midwest Heroes Award presented by Illinois Governor Quinn and was honored as the 2011 Chicagoan of the Year. In February of this year she was a guest on the Colbert Report. Matthews was raised in one of Chicago’s tougher neighborhoods by her grandmother. She is the daughter of Jeff Fort who until his conviction in the 1980s was a leader of the El Rukn gang. After some gang-affiliated years of her own, she went straight. Raised as Muslim, she began practicing her religion and started promoting peace building through the art of music, dance and spoken word. Once Matthews began working with Ceasefire, she became involved in mediation after being called to assist with two brothers who attended Leo High School. One of the brothers got into a fight with a student inside the school who took his money and gym shoes. The mother called Tio Hardiman, Director of Ceasefire and said she needed help; her son was planning to go to school with a weapon to get his brother shoes back. Tio dispatched James Highsmith, who asked for Ameena’s help. “We worked hard and resolved that conflict which would have lead to a death. I got the young man out of Chicago and he is now a graduate of Morehouse College with a major in Criminal Justice.” Matthews says “I don’t feel like violence interruption is a job, I feel it’s my purpose. I didn’t know better so I didn’t do better coming up. Once I learned better and started doing better, it was my call to duty to educate and reach out to my young brothers and sisters all over. For my children to hear the news that a young person is missing or has been shot, and ask Umma(mom) aren’t you gonna do something? That makes me happy. My children look at me as a cool mom and are proud to be my children. My husband did not know what a violence interrupter’s job duties meant and how dangerous it was. He was and is still worried about his wife, but he is on board 100%. The love we have for one another makes us both understand each other’s life purpose is to be of service.”

Seema Imam

Seema Imam

Dr. Seema Imam is a lifelong educator with numerous educational certifications, including elementary and special education teaching, school administration, and superintendent. She is a full professor at National Louis University, where she has been teaching for twenty-seven years. She holds two Master of Arts Degrees, one in Reading and one in school Administration, as well as two Doctorates, one in Curriculum and Social Inquiry and one Doctorate in Islamic Education. Dr. Imam is a former founding principal of one of the oldest and largest Islamic schools. She has served as Chair of the Islamic Schools League of America for 4 years and continues to serve on the board. She is the co-author of a children’s book, as well as numerous chapters and articles. Her research revolves around diversity and technology. She was a faculty participant in an early Online teacher preparation program for Islamic school teachers, called, Islamic Teacher Education Program or ITEP, preparing candidates worldwide for teaching in Islamic Schools.

Yadira Thabatah

Yadira Thabatah

Yadira Thabatah is a Puerto Rican woman who was born blind due to congenital glaucoma. She was raised in a Catholic home and embraced Islam in 2004. In 2005 she became a graduate of The Seeing Eye; fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a guide dog handler. Shortly after completing her training at The Seeing Eye, she went on to acquire her associates degree in early childhood education. Unsure if pursuing the path of education was what she wanted, she took some time off to reflect and figured out her next steps. It was during this time that she married Nadir Thabatah. They now have four children which they homeschool and have been doing so since 2013. From 2013 to 2017, Yadira ran a blog and a YouTube channel chronicling her life as a blind Muslim mother. In 2016, both Yadira and Nader founded Islam By Touch; an organization dedicated to making Islam accessible to the blind community. The organization’s first and main project has been to transcribe and distribute the English Meanings of the Quran by Sahee

Nadir Thabatah

Nadir Thabatah

Nadir Thabatah was born and raised in New Jersey. He is of Palestinian decent and he was born legally blind, meaning that he can see but his vision is so limited that according to the law he is considered blind. He is married and has 4 children. Br. Nadir has a background in sales and business management and has completed his hajj in 2018. Along with his wife Yadira, who is also blind, Nadir cofounded Islam By Touch in March of 2016. Islam By Touch is the only organization in North America dedicated to making Islam accessible to the blind community. One major way they have done this is by taking a reliable English translation of the Quran., editing, formatting, and transcribing it into braille, then proofreading the entire text, and finally embossing the braille books themselves and distributing them around the world free of charge. They have also developed and iOS application with the same name as the organization that has the English translation of the Quran along with other Islam it books. Islam By Touch.

Abdel Rahman Badawy

Abdel Rahman Badawy

Abdelrahman Badawy hails from Brooklyn, New York. He received his Islamic education at Umm al-Qura University in Makkah, Saudi Arabia where he first studied Arabic Language before moving on to a degree in Islamic Law & Legal Theory. Abdelrahman is now serving as the Resident Scholar and Youth Development Leader at MAS New York where he teaches several Islamic classes and youth programs.

Amjad M. Quadri

Amjad M. Quadri

Amjad M. Quadri, Regional Manager, joined the Chicago office of Saturna Capital in June 2015. He brings experience in Islamic banking, including business and product development. Previous employers include Guidance Financial (Chicago) and University Bank (Ann Arbor MI). He has a BS in Information Decision Sciences from the University of Illinois. Amjad has also been very involved with Muslim Community Center of Chicago for many year as a board member and previous Vice president as well as his High School and University MSA’s founder and board member.

Eaman Attia

Eaman Attia

Eaman Attia is a native of Toronto, Canada where she graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto. She has lived in the US for over 20 years during which her passion has been and continues to be mentoring and inspiring lifelong growth and transformations in youth and community members. She has served many communities as an inspirational speaker, youth director and mentor, tarbiya director, and Islamic School principal and teacher. She currently serves as the MAS National Tarbiya Director and on her local MAS Dallas Leadership Team. She resides in Dallas, TX with her husband and five children.

Monem Salam

Monem Salam

Monem Salam is Executive Vice President and a Director of Saturna Capital. He received his degrees from the University of Texas: BA (Austin) and MBA (Dallas). He worked as the Chief Investment Officer for ITG & Associates (Dallas) until 1999; then as a representative with Morgan Stanley (suburban Dallas) until joining Saturna Capital in June 2003. He served as the Director of Islamic Investing and a Deputy Portfolio Manager to the Amana Mutual Funds Trust until moving to Kuala Lumpur in 2012 to oversee Saturna Sdn. Bhd. In 2018, he returned to the United States. He is Portfolio Manager of the Amana Income and Developing World Funds, as well as investment management accounts, and a Deputy Portfolio Manager of Amana Growth Fund. Monem is Adjunct Professor at IE Business School and speaks at Islamic finance/investment conferences worldwide and he is co-author of A Muslim's Guide to Investing and Personal Finance. Monem has authored chapters on Islamic Investing in both Contemporary Islamic Finance and Islamic Capital Markets and he contributes articles to leading Islamic financial magazines. As a mark of recognition of his achievements in Islamic economy, Monem has been ranked among 500 of the Islamic world's most prominent and influential leaders by ISLAMICA 500 in both 2015 and 2019.

Farheen Beg Mohammad

Farheen Beg Mohammad

Farheen Beg Mohammad taught math, social studies, and technology before starting her education administration career. Farheen began her professional career as a software engineer with Accenture. In her previous role as the Strategy and Innovation Director of Technology, she transitioned her district to a 1:1 device program and has been a huge advocate for implementing impactful collaborative platforms that are aligned with the curriculum and the latest standards. One of her more recent projects was to redesign learning spaces to meet the needs of all learners. Farheen earned her undergraduate degree in computer science from Depaul University, her master of education from National-Louis University, and her master’s in educational leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Noor Ali

Noor Ali

Noor Ali is a social justice educator with over 10 years of experience in higher education and corporate DEI learning. Noor was born in Jerusalem then raised in Rockford, IL, and later lived in Ramallah where she finished high school at the Friends School. She earned her MSW from the University of Michigan and worked at the Program on Intergroup Relations. She then worked in Social Justice Education at Northwestern University. She currently serves as Head of Learning at the Nova Collective, a Black-owned, female-owned company devoted to transform organizational cultures around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). She also has served on the Chicago chapter board for the American Muslims for Palestine for the past 5 years.

Irshad Khan

Irshad Khan

Irshad Khan has served as President of Islamic Foundation North and has been a CIOGC Board Member since 2016. He has worked on different CIOGC committees including Civic Engagement, Interfaith, Zakat, Annual Dinner, Pillars, Action Network C4 (General Secretary), and served as Chair of Illinois Muslim Action Day (IMAD). In addition, he is a School Board member for District 24 and past Chairman of IHOPE (International Haven of Practical Education) and serves as a Board Member for Advocate Health Hospital Committee. Professionally, He is Vice President of Engineering & Strategy Deployment at a Private Equity company in Evanston, Illinois and is managing a portfolio net worth of over $1 billion. Irshad Khan is married to wife Asma Khan and they have four kids, two boys, and two girls.

His vision for CIOGC is to address the growing needs of the Chicago Muslim community, with a focus to rebrand CIOGC with short- and long-term strategic plans, access current programs, and amplify programs which address the needs of the Muslim community. He wishes to collaborate with partners to build strong relationships and work together as one voice for the betterment of our children’s future, and community at large. CIOGC, as an umbrella organization has HR members which are our the biggest assets. When utilized, these resources and their strengths can build, mobilize, and amplify core values to bring justice, equity, peace, and harmony.

Wafa Manasrah

Wafa Manasrah

Wafa Manasrah is a native of Riverside, California where she grew up in a traditional Palestinian household with her parents, 6 siblings, and a very large extended family made up of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She moved to Dallas, Texas in 2010 when she got married to a fellow MAS activist. They currently have 4 children and 1 child waiting for them in Paradise. Her passion is youth and providing support as a mentor and activist in the local Muslim community, and across the nation. She has served multiple communities, previously serving as youth director and board member, amongst other leadership roles. She current serves as the MAS National Operations Manager, focusing on membership engagement and empowerment, acting as the liaison for chapter conventions, and providing further support to chapter leadership for grassroots endeavors.

Ahmed Ewaisha

Ahmed Ewaisha

Dr. Ahmed Ewaisha, Ph.D., is the Chairman of the Arizona Muslim Alliance (AMA). He assumed this position after serving as the first elected AMA Treasurer from 2018-2021. He has an outstanding history of community service in mosques, interfaith councils and educational groups. He works to unify Arizona Muslims by promoting harmony among organizations, encouraging communication to avoid effort duplication and ensuring awareness and engagement in the political and media arenas. Dr. Ewaisha is a very involved chairman and has led multiple efforts and initiatives locally in Arizona and nationally with USCMO such as First Arizona Muslim business directory (www.arizonatradenetwork.com) and the first Shura Councils Conference held in October of 2022 in Chicago.

By profession, Dr. Ahmed Ewaisha is an electrical engineer and currently holding an Assistant Teaching Professor position at Arizona State University. He resides in Tempe, Az.

Mukhtar Kaluka

Mukhtar Kaluka

Mukhtar Kaluka’s BioMukhtar Kabuka is an active member of the Muslim American Society (MAS); and presentlyserves as the National Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT). He has previously served indi$erent levels of MAS leadership from president of local chapters, General Assembly, BoT, and Executive Council. He has been extensively involved in community activism both local and national. As an architect, he served in various local governmental and professional boards

Mounira Madison

Mounira Madison

Sr. Mounira Madison serves on the MAS National team and is currently a student of sacred knowledge and MAS Fellow in Boston Islamic Seminary’s Master of Islamic Religious Leadership (MIRL) program. She has fifteen years of experience in community organizing, leadership development, international education, and spokesmanship. Mounira studied politics with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa and music performance at Converse University, graduating in 2009 as the first Fulbright Fellow from that institution in 40 years. Two years into officially being Muslim, and passionate about applying her experiences and skillsets in the American Muslim community, Mounira began her faith-based career at an established third space Muslim organization in northern Virginia. In 2019 she was featured on NPR’s Weekend Edition highlighting her personal story and public service, particularly in new Muslim support and care, before moving on to join the MAS National family in January 2020. Mounira currently resides in Chester, VA - a location that has very few visible Muslims - and continues to care for her mother who is a director of music and youth ministry in the United Methodist church. Her interactions in a place wrought with misunderstanding only reaffirms her faith and fuels her passion for inter and intra-faith understanding, intergenerational engagement, youth empowerment, and calling others to Islam on a daily basis.

Raed Abusawwa

Raed Abusawwa

Educational journey thus far, 2 years of islamic studies at The Institute of Islamic and Arabic Sciences, Fairfax, VA BA in biophysics from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD Medical degree from A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, Kirksville, MO Neurosurgery residency at Stroger hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL Fellowship in complex spine surgery at a Advocate Health, Downers Grove, IL Currently positions, Division lead of Neurosurgery at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, IL Clinical assistant professor at Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL President of Muslim American Society-Chicago chapter, IL President of Mosque Foundation, Bridgeview, IL

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TARIQ EL AMIN

TARIQ EL AMIN

Imam Tariq I. El-Amin is the host of Radio Islam, the nations only daily Muslim Producd radio program airing on WCEV 1450am in Chicago,IL (6pm-7pm CST) and streaming live at www.wcev1450.com. Tariq has served as the Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa since 2014, and is the founder and Executive Director of Bridging The Gap Inc, a non-profit social service organization which builds bonds of community through community service and dialogue. Tariq uses his platform to address the concerns of improperly served communities within the Chicagoland area through volunteerism and activism focusing on connectivity and justice. Tariq is a past appointee to former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's Muslim Advisory Council, and is a past Convener of the Chicagoland Shura Council (the gathering of masaajid and organizations comprising the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed). He serves on various organizational boards that reflect his core values of service, education, and activism. When he's not engaged in community work, Tariq enjoys spending time with his wife of 17 years, and their three teenage daughters. In her past role as Director of Movement and Campaign Strategies at PANA, she helped to build a newly founded organization as she built grassroots community power through organizing, advocacy, alliance building, designing and implementing a civic engagement infrastructure in refugee communities, developing leaders, addressing hate crimes and using an integrated voter engagement strategy to build a visible refugee electorate. She continues to be engaged in and work on issues that address racial disparities, social injustices, equity and inclusion for marginalized communities. She is a former co-host on Flip the Script: The Future is Female podcast which lifts up women game changers and leaders in San Diego county. She also served as a member of the Strategic Council for statewide tables Mobilizing the Immigrant Vote and Steering Committee member for Power California as well as a representative on California Calls’ African-American Civic Engagement Program. Ismahan received her Bachelor’s in Human Biology from UCSD and a MA in Education with Concentration in Counseling from SDSU. She currently serves as the National Deputy Director for the Muslim American Society’s Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Department and also serves as the Executive Director at MAS PACE San Diego. Ismahan has received numerous recognitions and awards for her work including Assemblywoman Gonzalez-Fletcher’s 2018 Woman of the Year recognition, Power-Builder Award, recognized by NAACP for her service in the community, Moxie Theatre’s Women with Grit and Determination award, Youth Adult Ally 2019 and more. . As a frequent speaker in local and national platforms, Ismahan is passionate about working for justice and building an inclusive society.

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