Aneelah Afzali is the Executive Director of the American Muslim Empowerment Network at the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS-AMEN). She also serves as a Governing Board Member of the Faith Action Network; an Advisory Board Member of Washington For Black Lives; on the Steering Committee of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network; a Founding Member of AI and Faith; and a member of the Washington Tech Equity Coalition, Everytown for Gun Safety Interfaith Advisory Council, and the national Combating Islamophobia Roundtable. As an Afghan-American, Aneelah is also currently partnering with the Statewide Refugee Coordinator to help coordinate the welcome and resettlement of Afghan refugees in Washington state.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Aneelah made partner at a law firm before becoming General Counsel of a local healthcare IT company. In 2013, after a spiritual awakening, Aneelah left her legal career to pursue service and knowledge. Since then, she has worked as a community activist, interfaith leader, and civil rights advocate, working to combat hate and advocate for justice for all. She founded MAPS-AMEN in December 2016 to (i) educate our fellow Americans about Islam and Muslims; (ii) build coalitions and mobilize allies to take effective action against hate, Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry, and toward achieving peace and justice for all; (iii) challenge negative stereotypes and misinformation in media; and (iv) empower and engage the American Muslim community to represent and best serve their communities. Aneelah’s work with faith and non-faith communities has helped to increase understanding of Islam and Muslims; build relationships across religious, racial, cultural and political differences; create alliances to advocate for justice together, including in combating Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism, antisemitism, and other forms of hate; and promote dignity, fairness and respect for all.

Among other honors, Aneelah has been named one of the Most Influential People by Seattle Magazine; was recognized as a Rising Brand by Adweek, and a Rising Star by Washington Law and Politics; and received the Humanitarian Leadership Award from International Rescue Committee, the American Muslim of the Year award from CAIR National, and the Human Rights Leader Award from the Seattle Human Rights Commission.

Arshan Khalid is the Director of the Islamic Society of North America's National Office of Interfaith, Government Relations and Community Alliances (IOICA). Arshan holds a Master's in Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His senior thesis was entitled 'A Place for All People: The Possibilities and Challenges of Interfaith Organizations, from a Muslim Perspective,' where he studied the leading interfaith organizations in our country. Arshan has also studied Islamic Studies traditionally traveling to Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and Mauritania. He has worked with some of the leading Interfaith organizations in our country, including the Parliament of World's Religions, Interfaith America, Multi-faith Neighbors Network, Religions for Peace, the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, and others.

"The work of the Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign is important because it is keenly interested in realizing and working towards the ‘Perfect Union’ that we hope will be America. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other luminaries believed that there was something beautiful about America despite its struggles and not living up to its highest ideal at times. That somehow, that dream of what America ought to be was achievable, and that someday, Dr. King believed that the 'promissory note' that all Americans “were to fall heir to” would be fully realized. Shoulder to Shoulder is part of that hope, as the Founding Fathers believed that the Muslim community and all communities were to be a part of that hope and dream. Indeed, they are a part of the vision of ‘E Pluribus Unum,’ that out of many, we are certainly one."

Aseelah Rashid is Co-founder and CEO of The Muslim Mix, Inc. a 501c3 non-profit organizationwhich presents creative social events and environments targeted at Muslim young adults, while also fostering social justice activism, and work specifically directed at changing the narrative about Muslim Americans and how they’re portrayed in the media, and society.

As an active organizer within the Interfaith community, she currently serves on the Board for Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters (AIB) and Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta (FAMA). She partners with the American Jewish Committee (AJC), serving on the steering committee to facilitate Muslim-Jewish Dialogues. And she regularly hosts Interfaith Visits to the Local Mosques in the Atlanta, GA area.

She is well known and recognized for her exceptional leadership within the Muslim community in the United States. Aseelah has curated, and convened high quality, high impact programming for people in Georgia and across the region. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East to build bridges and amplify female voices across religious, cultural and ethnic lines.

Outside of her work within faith communities and service, Aseelah enjoys spending time with her Husband, Adrian “Asim” Rogers and their three sons, Righteous, Noble and Scholar.

Dr. Debbie Almontaser is an internationally recognized, award-winning educator, entrepreneur, speaker, authority on cross-cultural understanding and author of, Leading While Muslim: The Experiences of American Muslim Principals After 9/11. She is an influential community leader and the Founder and CEO of Bridging Cultures Group Inc., a for-profit business that provides professional development and coaching for companies, nonprofits, universities, firms, and K–12 education personnel.

Dr. Almontaser was the founding and former principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy in Brooklyn, NY. A twenty-five-year veteran of the NYC Public School System as a teacher, teacher trainer, administrator, and diversity advisor. Dr. Almontaser is Senior Advisor to Emgage NY Metro, an advisor on cultural and religious diversity issues for New York City elected officials and city agencies. She is also an advisor at the NYC Department of Education School Diversity Advisory Group. Currently, she is the Board President of the Muslim Community Network (www.mcnny.org) and sits on the boards of the Yemeni American Merchants Association (www.yamausa.org), Therapy and Learning Center Preschool, and 21in21 (www.21in21.org).

Dr. Almontaser was a featured speaker at the 2016 National Democratic Convention and offered a Quranic recitation at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration at Washington National Cathedral Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service. She has been featured on the front page of the New York Times and profiled in Time Magazine, Newsweek, and featured in a number of documentaries. Dr. Almontaser also organized numerous interfaith and cultural events to develop cross-cultural understanding locally and nationally. Dr. Almontaser is also known for her leadership role in organizing the historic Yemeni Bodega Strike Rally and I Am a Muslim Too Rally in resistance to the Muslim Ban in 2017.

Faria has been involved in numerous philanthropic and community outreach efforts. She currently also serves on the board of Women for Women International, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Ta’leef Collective and the Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN). Faria is a member of NYU President’s Global Council.

In the years prior, she has served as a board member of the Interfaith Center of New York, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Medina Clinic, Duke Islamic Studies Center, and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. She has also served as Board President of the Princeton Girlchoir and the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. Faria co-founded the Mizaan Retreat, hosted annually by Princeton University’s Muslim Life program.

Faria holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and an M.S. in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins University. Faria currently works for Bayan Tours, an organization that coordinates travel experiences centered on Islamic history and heritage. She lives in the DC area with her husband and three children.

Hind Makki is an interfaith and anti-racism educator who holds a degree in International Relations from Brown University. She is an Educator with the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) and is the founder and curator of Side Entrance, an award-winning website documenting women’s prayer experiences in mosques around the world. In 2018, Hind was recognized as one of CNN’s 25 Influential American Muslims and her work has been featured in a variety of national and international media.

She has served on the Islamic Society of North America’s Mosque Inclusion Taskforce and is a former Fellow of the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute. Hind is an advisor to the ISPU project Reimagining Muslim Spaces, and currently offers consultations, lectures, and workshops on building inclusive Muslim spaces in Western Europe and the United States. Locally, Hind serves on the advisory boards of the Br. Jeffrey Gros, FSC Institute for Dialogue, Justice, and Social Action at Lewis University and the Chicago History Museum’s exhibit “American Medina: Stories of Muslim Chicago.”

Hussein Rashid, PhD, is the founder of islamicate, L3C, a consultancy focusing on religious literacy. He is currently a freelance academic and his research focuses on Muslims and American popular culture. His work includes exploring Shi’i theology, the interaction between culture and religion, and the role of arts in conflict mediation. He has been active in interfaith work in New York City when it was just known as “hanging out with his friends.” Has served on the boards of Project Interfaith and Al-Rawiya. He is an Ariane de Rothschild Fellow for interfaith relations. His current projects include an independent film, a documentary, and a museum project on religion and jazz. He worked with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan as a content expert on their exhibit “America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far.”

https://www.husseinrashid.com | @islamoyankee

Inspired by faith and family to work for change at the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, and religion, Jenan has served in a leadership position at IFYC for thirteen years. She currently directs overall strategy, design, and implementation of the organization’s programs focused on alumni and student leaders, including the annual Interfaith Leadership Institute.

For over a decade, Jenan has trained hundreds of young people from both religious and secular backgrounds to foster a vision and practice of civically engaged interfaith leadership. Featured on National Public Radio and participating in interfaith conference panels across the country, Jenan holds a BS in elementary education and Islamic studies from DePaul University and is currently pursuing her MA in religious studies at Chicago Theological Seminary. She also volunteers with Sirat Chicago, a neighborhood space that fosters a healthy community by supporting initiatives centered upon service and worship, education and arts, and family life. Living on the south side of Chicago with her husband and three children, Jenan is an enthusiastic collector of old children’s books.

Madihha Ahussain is a policy and legal professional who spent nearly a decade working at a national civil rights organization advocating for vulnerable communities across the country. She spearheaded large coalitions, led national advocacy campaigns for policy change with lawmakers, and developed a special focus on issues related to the intersection of civil rights and tech, which led her to her current work. Ms. Ahussain recently worked at TikTok evaluating company policies and practices through the lens of civil rights, equity and inclusion. Currently, she works at Spotify leading the company’s Safety Advisory Council, which is compromised of external experts and is consulted on a wide range of issues related to the company’s policies, products and features.

Ms. Ahussain studied sociology and behavioral psychology in college and then attended law school. She is currently admitted to the State Bar of California. After spending 12 years in San Francisco, she recently moved back to her hometown in Southern California with her husband and young daughter.

Imam Mohamed Magid is the Executive Imam of All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center in Sterling, Virginia. He is the Chairman of the International Interfaith Peace Corps (IIPC) and the former President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He is also the Chairman of Muflehun, which focuses on the prevention of violence and hate. He serves on the advisory board of the Peaceful Families Project and as Co-President of Religions for Peace. He is also the Co-Founder of the Multifaith Neighborhood Network which focuses on building bridges between Muslim, Evangelical Christian, and Jewish communities.

Imam Magid has co-authored two books: Before You Tie the Knot: A Guide for Couples and Reflections on the Qur’an. His areas of interest and focus are religious freedom, violence against women, and preventing violence and hate in our societies. He has written for the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and has been featured in Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. Imam Magid has received several awards including the El-Hibri Foundation’s Peace Education Prize in 2017.

Mona Malik serves as the President of the historic Rockwood Estate and Farms since 2018. Prior to her current role at Rockwood Farms, Ms. Malik has spent over two decades doing philanthropic and non-profit work.

Most recently she served as President for seven years at the Peaceful Family Project. In that role, she created and led community service programs for domestic violence, clergy training, conflict resolution, youth engagement, and other social services required for immigrant and minority communities in Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, and the growing American Muslim community. She has also worked with both state and federal agencies as a social worker in her career.

After serving as the President of the Peaceful Families Project for seven years, she now serves as an Advisory Board Member. Ms. Malik also currently serves on the Board of Duke Islamic Studies Center and the Virginia Department of Social Services.

She previously served as a Board member for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and as Commissioner for Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity.

Ms. Malik earned her Bachelors and Masters of Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and three children.

Shariq Abdul Ghani is the Executive Director of Minaret Foundation, an organization focused on bringing faith communities together through multi-faith and civic engagement. Apart from dialogue, dodgeball, and BBQs, Minaret Foundation works with faith communities to change the world through advocacy in food insecurity, child welfare, and religious freedom.

Simran Jeet Singh, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Religion & Society Program at the Aspen Institute. He is a well-known scholar and champion of religious pluralism who is committed to driving civic change through disrupting bias and building empathy. He is an Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, Senior Adviser on Equity and Inclusion for YSC Consulting, and a Visiting Professor at Union Seminary. Simran is a regular contributor to major outlets, including The Washington Post, CNN, and TIME Magazine, and he writes a monthly column for Religion News Service. His latest book, The Light We Give: The Power of Sikh Wisdom to Transform Your Life, will be published by Riverhead (Penguin Random House) in 2022.

Dr. Singh first became involved in Religion & Society’s programming as a panelist at its Conscience, Community, and Citizenship Symposium in 2018. He continued to share his expertise at RSP’s NYC Briefing on Religious Pluralism, Social Capital and Philanthropy event (2019), and as a member of two Powering Pluralism Network cohorts (Religious Literacy and the Racial Justice and Religion Task Force). At the Aspen Institute’s invitation, he also attended the 2019 Ideas Festival as an Aspen Ideas Scholar.

Prior to joining the Religion & Society Program in 2021, Simran published a children’s book with Penguin Random House about a personal hero, Fauja Singh, who is the oldest person to ever run a marathon. In 2016, he completed his Ph.D. at Columbia University and began teaching Islamic Studies at his alma mater, Trinity University. In 2018, he received the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Award from Harvard University for his work in religious pluralism. Simran’s thought leadership on bias, empathy, and justice extends across corporate, university, and government settings, and his work has been featured in various outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, BBC, and NPR.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Simran now lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys running, writing, and chasing his kids.

Nationally recognized for his commitment to improving the public understanding of Islam and policies impacting American Muslims, Salam is president and co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. He oversees MPAC’s groundbreaking civic engagement, public policy, and advocacy work.

He is an expert on Islam in the West, Muslim reform movements, human rights, democracy, national security, and Middle East politics. He has spoken at the White House, Capitol Hill and represented the U.S. at international human rights and religious freedom conferences.

His writings have appeared in every major national news publication (including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times). Read his most recent op-ed in the LA Times on why Muslims don't need Trump to tell them when to report criminal activity.

His interviews have been featured on national and international news outlets (including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and C-SPAN).

Because he believes that community development is essential to fully integrating Muslims within America’s pluralism, Salam has facilitated hundreds of civic engagement workshops around the country—from rooms of five people to conference halls of hundreds.

Salam is an adjunct faculty member at Bayan Claremont, a board member of the Muslim Reform Institute, and an advisor to several political, civic, and academic institutions seeking to understand the role of Islam and Muslims in America and throughout the world. Deeply involved in interfaith activities, Salam was co-chair of the Interfaith Coalition to Heal Los Angeles, which formed in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles uprisings.

Known in Atlanta and across the country as a trail-blazer and innovator, Soumaya Khalifa is one of the Muslim-American community’s most visible and prolific women. As a founder and the current Executive Director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta (ISB), Soumaya is a frequently requested speaker and can often be found discussing issues important to Muslim-Americans on radio, television, and social media.

In August 2001, Soumaya, along with a group of Atlantans launched the ISB to be a resource for faith and civic cooperation, to promote understanding and inclusion, and to fight bigotry through education and collaboration. Under Soumaya’s leadership, the ISB engages a wide variety of audiences including public and private schools, universities, healthcare providers, corporations, law enforcement agencies, and civic and faith-based organizations.

As a leader who is willing to take risks to strive for excellence, Soumaya has encouraged the ISB board of directors to launch several key initiatives. In 2017, the ISB partnered with the Atlanta Mayor's office to host the first-ever Ramadan Iftar (break-fast) hosted at the Atlanta City Hall. In 2019, the third Atlanta Mayor's Iftar was attended by over 250 people and has quickly become an annual highlight of the Mayor’s cultural calendar. To focus on the goal of leadership development and recognition, ISB’s “100 Influential Georgia Muslims” and “40 Under Forty Georgia Muslims” gathered the best and brightest Muslim leaders in our state. The newest initiative, ISB’s Leadership Institute (ISBLI), a course for emerging leaders, began in 2018, allowing Soumaya to use her background in professional development to support her community.

In addition to her work with the ISB, Soumaya is president of her intercultural consulting firm Khalifa Consulting which provides coaching and training to business executives across the county. With her background in business and an MBA in Human Resources, Soumaya works with her clients to increase their understanding of Arab cultures, US culture (for overseas clients), global virtual teams, and cultural competency for law enforcement and healthcare.

Soumaya is an adjunct professor at Emory University’s Center for Continuing Education where she offers courses on intercultural communication and Human Resources Certification. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and in the book, 50 Green Card Stories, and she authored the chapter on Islam in the book Religious Diversity at Work. Soumaya also hosted a 16-part television series on the Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters (AIB) station titled, "Meet Your Muslim Neighbor."

Along with her work with ISB and her consulting firm, Soumaya volunteers for a wide variety of community organizations. She serves on Grady Foundation's Grady Ambassadors, on the boards of CIFAL Atlanta (a UN organization) and the Georgia Interfaith Policy Center; and is a past board member of AIB TV, the Concordia Forum, and SIETAR USA. Soumaya is an active volunteer with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and has led the Muslim community at the annual Hunger Walk for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. As a member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2015, she is a mentor for the LEAD program and has helped develop engagement activities for future classes.

Her work has brought her much recognition and significant honors, including an invitation to the White House and being named a Citizen Diplomat by the US State Department. Soumaya is a 2019 YWCA Woman of Achievement and was honored in Atlanta Magazine’s 2019 Women Making a Mark. She received the 2018 Arab American High Achiever Award by the ALIF Institute, the prestigious Phoenix Award by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in 2017, and the FBI’s Community Leadership Award in 2012. Soumaya was inducted into the International Women’s Forum (2018) and the Board of Sponsors at the Martin Luther King Jr International Chapel at Morehouse College (2013), and was named by the Huffington Post as one of “Five People Inspiring Peace” in 2013.

In her “off time,” Soumaya and her husband love to visit with their three children and to travel for adventure, fun, and great food.

Suhail A. Khan serves as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Global Engagement, a Christian religious freedom think tank and as Director of External Affairs at Microsoft.

Suhail served as a policy advisor and counsel on Capitol Hill, and a senior political appointee with the Bush administration, where he served in the White House and as an advisor for two cabinet secretaries. He was awarded the U.S. DOT Secretary’s Team Award in 2005 and the Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement in 2007. Suhail was awarded the Young Conservative Coalition's Buckley Award in 2010.

Suhail was elected to the Board of Directors for the American Conservative Union in 2007 and serves on the Board of Advisors for the interfaith Center for Interreligious Understanding. In 2014, Suhail was appointed by RNC Chairman Reince Prebus to serve on the Asian Pacific American Advisory Council of the Republican National Committee. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for Children's National Medical Center, the American Jewish Committee’s Advisory Council and on the Board of Directors for the American Studies Center, the parent foundation for Radio America and the American Veterans Center. He has served on political campaigns in California, Iowa, Louisiana, Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Kentucky, Virginia, Kentucky, and Massachusetts.

In addition to his political efforts, Suhail has been a passionate advocate for religious freedom, both in the U.S. and around the globe participating in efforts in countries such as China, Vietnam, Europe, and throughout the Middle East. In combating Holocaust-denial and anti-Semitism, Suhail led delegations of major American and global faith leaders to Europe’s death camps in 2010, 2013, and 2020.

Suhail was born in Boulder, Colorado, and grew up in California. His parents immigrated to the US from southern India. He holds a BA in political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a JD from the University of Iowa.

Founder and CEO, Northern Virginia Eye Institute

Partner, Winchester Eye Surgery Center

Non Profit Work:

Trustee Zaytuna College for 10 years

President, Secretary, and Treasurer, APPNA DMV

Covid19 Task Force Chair, APPNA DMV

Advocacy Chair APPNA DMV

Emgage DMV Board Chair

Emgage National Board Member

Trustee Al Fatih Academy

Advocacy, Membership, and Ethics and Grievance Committee Member, APPNA National

Annual Convention Host Committee Member, APPNA National

Pioneer Member and Advisor, Unity Productions

Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies

ICNA Humanitarian Relief

IMANA Medical Relief

APPNA Medical Relief

Active in several Interfaith Activities

Education:

BS, Wake Forest University

Pre Med Program, Harvard University

MD, West Virginia University School of Medicine

Physician CEO, Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University

Residency Internal Medicine, George Washington University

Residency Ophthalmology, State University of New York

Post Doc Cornea and External Disease Fellowship, Wilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Laser Refractive Surgery Certification, London Eye Clinic

Hobbies: Scuba Diving, Biking, Hiking, and most of all building Lego creations with my kids!

Valarie Kaur is a seasoned civil rights activist, award-winning filmmaker, lawyer, faith leader, and founder of The Revolutionary Love Project. She harnesses love as a shared practice to fight for social justice. She believes “the way we make change is just as important as the change we make.”

https://revolutionaryloveproject.com/

Dr. M. Yaqub Mirza is President and CEO of Sterling Management Group. Dr. Mirza is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Amana Mutual Funds. He is a member of the Board of Directors, University Islamic Financial Corporation, and a member of the Board of Trustees, George Mason University Foundation, Inc. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Shenandoah University and advisor to the Byrd School of Business, Shenandoah University.

He is the author, most recently, of Five Pillars of Prosperity: Essentials of Faith-Based Wealth Building (White Cloud Press, 2014).

He holds a MSc from the University of Karachi, and a Ph.D. in Physics, and an MA in Teaching Science from the University of Texas at Dallas.