Speakers – MAS-ICNA ANNUAL CONVENTION

2025 SPEAKERS

The opinions expressed herein by the guest speakers at the MAS Convention are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Muslim American Society (MAS).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. "

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Mikaeel Ahmed Smith

Mikaeel Ahmed Smith

Within the heart of every Muslim is the desire to be more like the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We all aspire to learn how he connected to people and how he helped people reach their full potential. Bringing the best out of people begins by understanding people and what makes them who they are. In his seminal books on attachment theory, John Bowlby proposed that human infants display a number of behaviors, like crying and clinging, that are designed to make sure that children gain closeness and proximity to their parents. It is the responses of the parents to those calls for proximity that shape the child's expectations about others people’s desire to connect to them and their own self-worth. Throughout the Quran we are reminded of our interdependent nature. From the moment we are born, and subsequently, throughout our entire lives, we are seeking proximity and relationships with protective attachment figures, using the attachment figure as a secure base, and fleeing to the attachment figure when we experience a dangerous situation or difficult times. David Wallin explains that humans, like other primates but unlike many animals, when threatened, seek protection not in a place but in the company of a person who is viewed as stronger or wiser. From the perspective of Attachment Theory, the prophetic narration that says, “All of you are shepherds” means that all of us seek protection from others when we feel in danger and that all of us will also need to be people who others come to when they feel threatened.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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