Speakers

Imam Siraj Wahhaj

After accepting Islam in 1969, Imam Siraj Wahhaj received Imam training at Ummul Qura University of Makkah in 1978 and has gone on to become a national and international speaker on Islam. Imam Wahhaj has been Vice President of ISNA U.S. since 1997 and has served on Majlis Ash-Shura since 1987. He is a past member of ISNA’s Planning Committee and has served as a member of the Board of Advisors for NAIT from 1989-1993. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the American Muslim Council. He received high praises from the media and NYPD for initiating anti-drug patrol in Brooklyn, New York in 1988. Imam Wahhaj was the first person to give an Islamic invocation to the United States Congress. Imam Siraj Wahhaj is currently the Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa in Brooklyn, New York

Yaser Birjas

Sh. Yaser Birjas is originally from Palestine. He received his Bachelors degree from Islamic University of Madinah in 1996 in Fiqh & Usool, graduating as the class valedictorian. After graduating, he went on to work as a youth counselor and relief program aide in war-torn Bosnia. Yaser Birjas is currently the Head of the Islamic Law and Theory Department at the Al-Maghrib Institute and the Imam at Valley Ranch Islamic Center in Irving, Texas. He is currently serving as an Imam at Valley Ranch Islamic Center, Irving, Texas. Sh. Yaser is a father of four children, and a national speaker appearing at many conventions and conferences around the country. He is very popular for his classes and workshops covering a wide range of topics related to the youth, marriage, parenting and family life among other social matters related to the Muslim community.

Naledi Pandor

Minister Pandor is currently the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa. She has been a member of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa since 1994. She has served as the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Science and Technology,and Minister of Education. Minister Pandor has a Phd from the University of Pretoria (2019) and honorary doctorates from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Stellenbosch, the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and the University College Dublin, Ireland. Minister Pandor has had a remarkable and distinguished career in public service and has been a cornerstone in standing up with a firm voice against injustices.

Imam Suhaib Webb

Imam 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 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.

Sh. Abdallah Idris

Sh. Abdalla Idris Ali served as imam and director, and founded the first full-time Islamic school in Toronto, Canada. He served as the principal of ISNA Islamic Community School for 17 years. He also served on ISNA’s Executive Council, Majlis Ash-Shura, Youth and Education Committee and as president of ISNA for two terms. He is the chair of the Islamic Media Foundation, a member of NAIT Board, a founding member of CISNA, and chair of ISNA Education Forum. Sheikh Abdalla was appointed director for CIENA in Kansas City, Missouri. He served on the board of trustees of IBERR, which serves minority communities. He is currently working as the executive director of ISNA Canada.

Sh Iqbal Nadvi

Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Masood al-Nadvi is a well-known Muslim scholar in Canada, amongst the few who have the authority to confer an Islamic legal ruling.He spent over a decade at Dārul ’Ulūm Nadwatul ‘Ulamā, Lucknow, India, where he completed a ālimiyyah degree and later studied Sharīʿah from the Islamic University of Madinah and completed his Masters and Ph.D. in Sharīʿah. He is the former President of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and Director of Religious Affairs at Al Falah Islamic Centre and the Muslim Association of Calgary, during which he also served as a member of the University of Calgary chaplaincy team. He is currently the Chairman of the Canadian Council of Imams and the Fiqh Majlis of Canada. Dr. Nadvi also serves on the advisory board of several organizations including the Canadian Muslim Chaplain Organization (CMCO), Ayaat Ilm Academy, and the Proposed Islamic Credit Union in Ontario.

Dr. Jasser Auda

Dr. Jasser Auda is a scholar of Islam. His latest contribution is a New Maqasid Methodology that aims to bring about a restructuring of Islamic scholarship around a complex network of the higher objectives/Maqasid of the Quran and Prophetic traditions. He is the President of Maqasid Institute Global, a think tank registered and building research and educational projects in a number of countries. He is Al-Shatibi Chair for Maqasid Studies at the International Peace University in South Africa, a Founding and Board Member of the International Union for Muslim Scholars, an Executive Member of the Fiqh Council of North America, a Member of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, and the Chairman of the Canadian Fiqh Council. He has a Ph.D. in the philosophy of Islamic law from the University of Wales, UK, and a Ph.D. in systems analysis from the University of Waterloo, Canada. Early in his life, he memorized the Quran and undertook traditional studies at the Study Circles of Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, Egypt. He worked previously as a professor at the universities of Waterloo, Ryerson and Carleton in Canada, Alexandria University in Egypt, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Qatar, American University of Sharjah, UAE, and University of Brunei Darussalam, Brunei. Professor Auda lectured on Islam and its law in dozens of countries, and wrote 25 books in Arabic and English, some of which were translated to 25 languages.

Dr. 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. 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.

Sr. Ismahan Abdullahi

Sr. Ismahan is a fierce advocate, community organizer, motivational public speaker who is passionate and relentless in working for justice and equity. In 1992, Sr. Ismahan Abdullahi and her family escaped war-torn Somalia to have a life of hope and opportunity in America. She has 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. 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. 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. Sr. 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.

Abdul Malik Mujahid

Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid is an award-winning author and producer based in Chicago. He is the President of Sound Vision. He is the founder of Justice For All, a 23-year-old human rights organization, he leads efforts to stop genocide and other social injustice campaigns. Imam Mujahid has been selected eight times as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world. Imam Abdul Malik also serves as the Chair for the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, the former chairperson of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, and serves in positions of leadership on various other national task forces and advisory groups. Imam Mujahid has authored more than 400 articles and essays on religion, civil rights and public policy, and also serves as a volunteer imam in Chicago area

Dr. 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, including ISNA Canada. Dr. Ghazali is currently working as the director of the Houston Quran Academy. He is also a consultant for several Islamic schools. Dr. Ghazali is also one of the founders of Alhuda University in Houston, Texas and serves as a professor there. He serves as the chairman of MAS Council of Islamic Schools (MASCIS). He has published several papers and articles on Islamic education. Dr. Ghazali is an expert on K-12 school accreditation. He helped several Islamic schools get accredited. Dr. Ghazali has memorized the entire Quran and did extensive research on it and is in the process of publishing this research.

Br. Wadah Khanfar

Br. Wadah Khanfar is the co-founder of the Sharq Forum and the former director general of the Al Jazeera Network. He began his career with the network in 1997, covering some of the world's key political zones, including South Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was appointed the chief of the Baghdad bureau and later became Al Jazeera's director general. During his 8-year tenure at the helm, the network transformed from a single channel into a media network including Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera English, Al Jazeera Documentary and the Al Jazeera Center for Studies. During this period, the Arab world witnessed historic transformation including Arab Awakening. Khanfar, who resigned from the network in September 2011, has been named as one of Foreign Policy's Top 100 global thinkers of 2011 as well as one of Fast Company's 'Most Creative People in Business' of the year. Khanfar has a diverse academic background with post-graduate studies in Philosophy, African Studies, and International Politics.

Sh. Ahmad Kutty

Sh. Ahmad Kutty was educated in the traditional Islamic Sciences at Islamiyya College, Kerala, and at the Islamic University of Madina Munawwarah. He received his ijazahs (licenses/designations) as an ‘a’lim and faqih from both India and Saudi Arabia. He earned his M.A from the University of Toronto and pursued doctoral studies at McGill University, Montreal. Over the past 40 years, he has been Director of the Islamic Center of Toronto, Director of the Islamic Foundation, Toronto, Canada, and has served on the Fiqh Council of North America.Currently, Sh. Ahmad Kutty is a resident scholar and senior lecturer at the Islamic Institute of Toronto. He actively participates in interfaith seminars, symposia and serves as an expert/resource in cases involving Islamic Law and Theology.

Dr. Mohamed Rida 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 and 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.

Br. Fadel Soliman

Br. Fadel Soliman is a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. Besides being an electronics engineer, Br. Fadel Soliman is an international speaker, orator, film maker and presenter of Islam. He has lectured and debated in many universities, churches and synagogues all over the world. He is founder and director of the Bridges Foundation, which aims to connect people from different backgrounds, especially bridging the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims after 9/11. Br. Fadel Soliman has made 3 documentary films about Islam, called “The Fog is Lifting”.

Amb Ebrahim Rasool

Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool is the former South African Ambassador to the United States and former Governor of Western Cape. Previously, he served as a Member of Parliament in South Africa’s National Assembly and Special Advisor to the State President. He has a long history of involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle, including leadership in the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the African National Congress (ANC). Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool is a former Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School for Foreign Service. He is the founder of the World for All Foundation, Ambassador Rasool is active in rethinking the intellectual tools for co-operative relations between faiths, cultures and communities at a global level, and establishing dignity, inclusion and equity for those marginalized and excluded. The World for All is especially active among Muslim Minority communities, transferring examples of co-existence from South Africa, and increasingly is acting as a conduit for Nelson Mandela’s lessons to the Muslim heartlands in need of freedom, democracy and human rights. He has an incomplete Honors in Literary Criticism, started while in prison. In 2014, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, by the Roosevelt University in Chicago, and the Doctorate of Public Service, Honoris Causa from Chatham University in Pittsburgh.

Sarah Jama

Sarah Jama is an Independent Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre. Jama's community work spans over a decade in Ontario and beyond, and includes running intersectional leadership, education, and civic engagement programming for youth, starting grassroots organizations for different social inequities, including food insecurity programming, and championing anti-oppression initiatives in her communities. Prior to being elected, Jama was a sessional faculty member at McMaster University, and the Executive Director at the Disability Justice Network of Ontario. A well-known changemaker, Jama amplifies and creates spaces for young people by promoting skill building, knowledge sharing, and introductions to community organizing. As a Member of Provincial Parliament, Sarah Jama brings her grassroots organizing experience and deeply rooted connections in community to Queen’s Park to provide platforms for disenfranchised folks who are often dismissed. She encourages them to share their experiences, suggestions, and grievances on a Provincial level.

Dr Khaled Hanafy

Dr. Hanafy obtained his PhD in 2005. He has worked as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Sharia and Law at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, and is specialized in Usul al-Fiqh. He held many positions, including Dean of the European College of Humanities and Social Sciences in Germany; Member of the European Council for Fatwa and Researches; Head of the Council of Imams and Scholars in Germany; Professor at the European Institute of Human Sciences in Paris; Head of research and studies of the European assembly of imams and advisors; Member of the 15 Board of Trustees of the European assembly of imams and advisors; and Member of the Shari’a-Board for the Islamic Funds of Meridio International. His publications include The renewal of Usul al Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence fundamentals) – the necessity and possibility, and Ways and means of uncovering the outcome, among many others.

Abdallah Marouf

Dr. Abdallah Marouf Works currently as Assistant Professor at Istanbul 29 Mayis University in Istanbul – Republic of Turkey. Holds Ph.D. in Islamic Jerusalem Studies from the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom. Interested in Cultural and Historical Studies. Has developed research with interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary ethos, in which many skills in historical study and in dealing with Arabic and Islamic history and core sources were acquired and developed. Dr. Marouf is a researcher and specialist in the sciences of Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque. He worked as an official for media, public relations, and archaeological guidance at Al-Aqsa Mosque between 2000 and 2002. He has organized many courses in the sciences of Jerusalem in different countries across the world and has also taught at Taibah University, in Medina.

Sh. Mohammad Zahid Abu Ghudda

Shaykh Mohammad Zahid Abū Ghudda is the eldest son of the late Shaykh ‘Abd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghudda, who is widely recognized as one of the leading Muslim scholars of the 20th century. Sh. Mohammad Zahid is a successful Canadian business leader in the Canada’s energy sector and internationally. He holds an MBA from the University of Toronto. Sh. Mohammad Zahid serves as an advisor to Canadian Muslim organizations on strategic planning and governance, and Islamic jurisprudence. He has helped establish many Canadian Muslim institutions. Over the years, Mohammad Zahid has met and advised various elected politicians on Muslim community matters. He is a leading Canadian scholar and renowned for his robust expertise in Islamic sciences. He is a regular lecturer and a khateeb (gives sermons) across the Greater Toronto Area. He has authored and translated a number of books in both Arabic and English.

Sh. Ismail Mukhtar

Sh. Ismael Mukhtar is the eldest son and a student of the late Shaykh Ibrahim al-Mukhtar, a prominent scholar and Mufti of Eritrea. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant by profession and author of several publications, including Manitoba Muslims, a history of resilience and growth. His extensive and wide-ranging community contributions include serving as president of the Manitoba Islamic Association, vice-president of the Muslim Student Association, editor-in-chief of the Manitoba Muslim Magazine, volunteer imam, and counsellor. He is an Islamic scholar, regularly lecturing and writing on Muslim issues. He is the current chair of the Manitoba Fiqh Council.

Dr. Monia Mazigh

Dr. Monia Mazigh has worked at the University of Ottawa and taught at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia after obtaining a pHD in finance. In 2004, she ran in the federal election as a candidate for the NDP, gaining the most votes for her riding in the history of the NDP. Dr. Mazigh was catapulted onto the public stage in 2002 when her husband Maher Arar, was deported to Syria where he was tortured and held without charge for over a year. In January 2007, after a lengthy inquiry, her husband finally received an apology from the Canadian government and was offered compensation for the “terrible ordeal” his family had suffered. Dr. Mazigh has since authored a book called “Hope and Despair.” The memoir documents her ordeal after her husband was arrested and how she campaigned to clear his name. Hope and Despair was shortlisted for the Book Award of the City of Ottawa. Dr. Mazigh presently lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children

Sh. Mustafa Umar

Sh. 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. Sh. Mustafa later completed the traditional iftaa program at Darul Ifta Birmingham, UK, granting him the traditional title of ‘Mufti’, or specialist in Islamic Law. He has authored several books, served the Muslim community as a scholar and Imam for two decades, founded California Islamic University, and is currently the Religious Director at the Islamic Center of Irvine, an executive member of the Fiqh council of North America, and a Senior Fellow at the Yaqeen Institute.

Dr. Ali Al Halawani

Dr. Ali Al-Halawani is currently the Content Production Manager at the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC). Ali has previously been the Dean of Student Affairs at Al-Madinah International University as well as an Assistant Professor and Academic Advisor at International Islamic University Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2016, Dr. Ali was awarded the Lecturer of the Year award at IIUM and has since authored 3 books, translated 16 books, participated in 20+ conferences on language, translation, and spiritual themes, published 8 academic research works on Applied Linguistics in international journals, authored 400+ write-ups on linguistic, social, and spiritual topics, and led several translation teams across Egypt, Malaysia and Canada.

Dr. Yaser Haddara

Dr. Yaser Hadarra has served as a community leader for over two decades establishing some of the most important institutions in Canada. He acts as an advisor to leadership of Canadian Muslim organizations, participates in dialogue in networks for interfaith, anti-hate, anti-violence, and policing. Dr. Haddara is regularly consulted by different levels of government on public policy that impacts the Canadian Muslim community. Dr. Haddara completed his Ph.D. at Stanford University. He currently Engineering at McMaster University. He has served as the head of the youth department and as a board member for the Muslim Association of Canada, a member of the founding board of Islamic Relief Canada, chair of the board of Islamic Relief USA, and a member of the board of the Settlement and Integration Services Organization. Dr. Haddara has served the Hamilton Muslim community in different roles, including advisor to the MSA at McMaster, and in the diversity advisory committee to the Hamilton Chief of Police.

Shaun King

Shaun King is a Brooklyn-based activist and writer who focuses on civil and human rights, racial justice, mass incarceration, and law enforcement misconduct. He has been a contributor and writer for several justice-based platforms. He is the Founder and Editor in Chief of The North Star, he also leads the Grassroots Law Project and the Real Justice PAC. A historian by training, Shaun King is the author of several books focused on social injustices, systemic oppression and leading change. Most recently, Shaun King has been inspired by the resilience and faith of the Palestinian people amidst the ongoing crisis in Gaza and embraced Islam.

Sr. Sarah Attia

Sr. Sarah Attia is a mother, educator and community activist. Sr. Sarah is a graduate of The University of Toronto, Faculty of Engineering, holding a bachelor and a master degree in chemical engineering. Sr. Sarah spent over 10 years working on providing quality international education to children in Egypt as a principal, teacher, and founder of an international school in Cairo, Egypt. She has a particular interest in curriculum development, character education, and community contribution. She is currently the Principal of Olive Grove School. Sr. Sarah has always had a passion for working with young people and also currently serves as the Director of Youth for the Muslim Association of Canada. In addition, Sr. Sarah is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance for Children and Youth (NACY), a national charitable organization dedicated to improving the well-being of children and youth in Canada.

Sr. Nimao Ali

Sr. Nimao Ali is a social justice activist and inspirational leader working as an educator for both adults and children for almost 20 years. Ms. Ali completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Mathematics and later received an Adult Education Teaching Certificate. In 2017, she served as an external adviser to the Minister of Children and Youth Services of Ontario. She is a current board member of Somerset West Community Health Centre. In 2017 she was nominated for the Governor-General Award for her outstanding leadership. Sr. Nimao spent many summers working on aid projects in East Africa, and has also co-founded local organizations undertaking key projects in girls’ education and empowerment in Canada. She currently serves as the Muslim Chaplain at Carleton University and the principal of the Muslim Association of Canada Abraar Secondary School in Ottawa.

Amgad El-Sherif

Dr. ElSherif is a board certified thoracic surgeon in Ontario. Dr. El-Sherif graduated from Cairo University Medical School with Honors and joined Boston Children’s Hospital for Research at the Cardiac Registry Laboratory at Harvard Medical School. Dr. El-Sherif is interested in education, global healthcare and sustainability of healthcare during climate change. Dr. El-Sherif was appointed an adjunct assistant Professor of Surgery, leading the surgery program at Johns Hopkins international affiliated hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Most recently, Dr. El-Sherif has travelled through Egypt to Gaza, as organized by non-profit organizations to work in the Nasser and European Hospitals in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

Mona Amer

Mona Amer, PhD, is a professor of clinical and community psychology, scholar-activist, and psychotherapist. She has over 25 years of experience in individual, family, community, and policy-level psychological interventions, with a specialization in Muslim and Arab minorities. Her work emphasizes social justice, empowerment, strengths-based models, advocacy, and transformative systems change. Her more than 50 publications include articles on Muslim and Arab Americans in the leading journal American Psychologist and two landmark co-edited books on counseling Muslims and Arab American psychology. Dr. Amer established the Muslim Mental Health Network in 2000 which remained the primary vehicle for organizing and formalizing the field for more than a decade; designed some of the first training programs for mental health professionals serving Muslims; was on the founding board and previous Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Muslim Mental Health; and most recently co-founded and was first elected president of the American Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African Psychological Association.

Dr. Ehab Bader

Dr. Ehab Bader is a husband, and a father of three kids. He is a professional consultant in leadership and management. He is a physician, and a pediatrician. Ehab graduated from the University of Western Ontario as a specialist in newborns and premature babies in 2014. He is also a graduate of Harvard University in management and leadership. Ehab holds a bachelor degree in Share’a and Islamic studies from Egypt. He lived in different places around the world, including the Middle East, Europe, and North America, in which he worked in the field of character building, personal and community development for more than 15 years. He is passionate about learning and teaching Islam as a methodology and a way of life. He is a writer and author. He is consultant in leadership, management, and quality improvement. He is the director of Members Development Department at MAC. Most recently, while visiting his parents in Gaza, Dr. Ehab became trapped in Gaza in October 2023 and found himself volunteering at al-Shifa hospital. Ehab currently lives with his wife and 3 daughters in London, ON.

Dr. Mohammed Fadel

Dr. Mohammad H. Fadel is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, which he joined in January 2006. Professor Fadel wrote his Ph.D. dissertation on legal process in medieval Islamic law while at the University of Chicago and received his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. Professor Fadel has published numerous articles in Islamic legal history and Islam and liberalism. He recently published translations of the Muwatta of Imam Malik (Harvard, 2019) and The Criteria for Distinguishing Legal Opinions from Judicial Rulings and Administrative Acts of Judges and Rulers (Yale, 2017).”

Sr. Rania Lawendy

Sr. Rania is a social activist, public speaker and educational consultant. She is also one of the founders of the Kitchener Masjid, Islamic Centre of Waterloo, Masjid Aisha, Al Huda Weekend School and MAC Maple Grove School. Sr. Rania helped establish the first Muslim Chaplaincy in Canada at the University of Waterloo along with their MSA, and later the Ontario representative for MSA. She was awarded the National Muslimah Appreciation Award from Mercy Mission and was also awarded the Inspirational Leadership Award presented by the Honourable Bardish Chagger, MP. Rania has also done extensive work around diversity and inclusion through leading workshops in the WRDSB, university campuses around the country especially around the topics of Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia. Rania is currently the CEO of the charitable organization Action for Humanity.

Wael Haddara

Dr. Haddara is the Chief of Critical Care at London Health Sciences Center and Chair of the Division of Critical Care Medicine. He holds a Masters in Medical Education from Dundee University and has been actively involved with the Center of Education, Research and Innovation (CERI) at Schulich School of Medicine. Dr. Haddara also has a strong commitment to community, working with local and national Muslim organizations including MSA National and CAIR-CAN. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Muslim Association of Canada. He is further committed to and engaged in interfaith activities through the Center for Abrahamic Religions at Huron University College, the Center for Jewish-Catholic-Muslim Learning at King's University College and Abraham's Cafe, an interfaith dialogue activity.

Br. Khaled Al-Qazzaz

Br. Khaled Al-Qazzaz is the executive director of the Canadian Muslim Public Affairs Council. He also serves as the chair of the board for the Institute of Religious and Socio-Political Studies. He is an education and communications consultant. He holds a Masters of Applied Sciences in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto (U of T), and pursued a Doctorate of Education in Educational Administration at Walden University. In 2005, Br. Khaled moved to Egypt and established a K-12 international school. He is currently a member of the International Justice Circle of Human Rights Watch.

Sh. Ahmed Khalil

Sh. Ahmed Khalil is a second generation Canadian Muslim, inspirational speaker, imam, and da’wah coordinator. He is the manager of the MAC Islamic Centre in Ottawa, ON, where he also serves as the imam and khateeb. He has more than 20 years of experience in da’wah and Islamic activism. He has a B.Eng. in Computer Engineering, from Carleton University, where he served with the MSA. He also has a diploma in Film Production from Vancouver, where he worked on integrating da’wah through the media. He has a diploma in Shariah and Islamic Studies, from Samaha Academy, under the supervision of Sheikh Jasim Muhalhal Al-Yaseen and another from Zad Academy under the supervision of Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid. He is an avid reader and student of knowledge, and father of three.

Dr. Azzam Aburayash

Dr. Azzam Aburayash holds a masters and a PhD in mechanical engineering, specializing in energy sustainability and smart cities from Ontario Tech University. He is actively involved in the local and wider community as a dedicated volunteer, founder and board member in several non-profit organizations across Canada. Dr. Azzam has also visited and led as an Imam in Masjid al-Aqsa. Most recently, he has been involved in leading advocacy work through the non-profit organization Canadians for Palestine.

Sr. Nisreen Alameddin

Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, Canada has been home for the last twenty two years for Sr. Nisreen Alameddin. Currently, she is teaching in the Peel region of Ontario at Olive Grove High school, while pursuing Doctoral studies at Brock University. Her academic and professional pursuits are driven by a passion to create learning environments that acknowledge and build upon the strengths of all students to provide equitable outcomes. Specifically, her research focuses on understanding how Muslim students conceptualize their identity in Canadian schools, a topic that she believes is crucial for inclusive education. Professionally, she is committed to fostering shared narratives among teachers to encourage self-reflective practices. She believes that by critically examining teaching methods, educators can make classrooms more humanizing spaces where students feel empowered to become agents of change in their communities.

Amal Albaz

Amal Ahmed Albaz is a journalist, poet and speaker. She has been a reporter with the Toronto Star. Before the Star, she covered stories on the ground in Egypt’s Rab’a Square during the coup, and interviewed Syrian refugees on the streets of Istanbul. Amal is an international spoken word poet and speaker with a vision to change the world– one word at a time. She has spoken at conferences around the world, from east to west, and gave a TEDx talk when she was 16. Life is her battlefield, and words are her weapon. Amal currently lives with husband and four children in the Toronto Area.

Ehab El-Komy

Br. Ehab El-Komy is a Khateeb and a lecturer based in Ottawa. While his talks typically touch on Islamic thought and community activism, many know him for his spiritual development sermons and tarbiyah-oriented youth work spanning over 4 decades in Europe, the US, and Canada. Br. Ehab has been involved with MAC in many capacities and has held the positions of: a member of MAC’s first Board of Directors, a member of its National Convention, and MAC Ottawa Chapter chairperson. Ehab has also served on number of national and local boards and executive committees in Canada over the last 30 years. Ehab, a former architect and city planner, has been a business entrepreneur since 1995.

Dr. Aisha Sherazi

Dr. Aisha Sherazi is an Ottawa-based educator, writer, and community advocate. She is the principal of MAC Al-Furqan school, an elementary school program that helps students memorize the entire Holy Quran. She is also a spiritual care worker at Merivale High School and sits on the Steering Committee for the OCDSB Spiritual Care for Secondary Schools program. She formerly represented the Muslim community on COMPAC, a diversity committee containing community and members of the Ottawa Police Service.