President of Al Sharq Forum

Dr. Emad El-Din Shahin is a professor and former dean of the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He served as the Al-Shawwaf Visiting Professor at Harvard University and is a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Dr. Shahin holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and has taught at prestigious institutions including Harvard, Notre Dame, and Boston University. He is the editor-in-chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Islam and Politics and has authored six books and over 80 scholarly publications. His research focuses on Islam and politics, democracy, and political reform in the Middle East.

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Hania Chalal is a prominent figure in Muslim youth activism, currently serving as President of the European Forum of Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) since October 2023. She was the first woman to lead EMF, a major Muslim student federation in France. Rooted in Islamic values of justice and equity, Hania has held various roles in French and international NGOs. She champions grassroots activism, believing it to be a key expression of Islamic principles and a powerful force for societal change.

Prominent Turkish politician and social advocate. She currently serves as the Mayor of Gaziantep, one of Turkey’s largest cities, and is the first woman to hold this position. Before her role as mayor, Şahin was a Member of Parliament and served as Turkey’s Minister of Family and Social Policies. A leading figure in Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), she has been recognized for her efforts in social welfare, urban development, and gender equality. Under her leadership, Gaziantep has seen significant infrastructure improvements and initiatives focused on women’s empowerment and social services.

Hisham Nourin is a seasoned executive with over a decade of leadership at Qatar Foundation, where he has spearheaded transformative initiatives aligning with Qatar’s National Vision. His strategic leadership has driven key projects such as the Qatar National Reading Campaign and Akhlaquna Award. With 24 years of global experience across four continents, Hisham’s expertise spans organizational transformation, innovation, and impactful change. He holds an Industrial Engineering degree from Toronto Metropolitan University and an Executive MBA from HEC Paris.

Leanne Mohamad is a British-Palestinian activist who ran as an independent candidate in the constituency of Ilford North in the 2024 general election, against the Labour Party incumbent and then Shadow Secretary for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting.

Ashraf Motiwala is the President of the Ummatics Institute, where he plays a pivotal role in promoting educational initiatives and research in the field of Islamic studies. He is recognized for his leadership and commitment to fostering an environment of learning and scholarship. Mr. Motiwala is dedicated to empowering individuals through knowledge, particularly in areas that intersect with contemporary issues and traditional Islamic teachings. His work emphasizes the importance of integrating modern educational practices with Islamic values.

Faizal Dawjee is a seasoned public affairs, media, and communications specialist with a rich background in journalism. He has been featured on prominent platforms such as Al Jazeera, CNBC Africa, and BBC World Service. Currently advising a global communications company, Faizal has provided strategic counsel to major financial institutions in the UK, focusing on ethnic communities. He served as Director of Media Services in the South African Government during President Thabo Mbeki’s tenure and worked on communications for Nelson Mandela’s Reconstruction and Development Programme. Faizal has also advised South Africa’s Olympic Committee and Durban’s Commonwealth Games bid.

Mohammed Ashour is a serial entrepreneur and visionary leader, currently serving as Deputy CEO of Yaqeen Institute and Co-Founder/CEO of Visionary Group. He previously founded Aspire, a global tech pioneer in insect agriculture, after winning the prestigious Hult Prize. Mohammed is recognized for his expertise in social enterprise and innovation, with features in top publications like The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. A Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, he holds multiple degrees from McGill University and the University of Toronto, and is a recipient of numerous accolades, including the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award.

Dr. Asim Qureshi holds a Law degree (LLB Hons, LLM) with a focus on International and Islamic Law and completed his Ph.D. in International Conflict Analysis at the University of Kent. He is the Research Director at CAGE International, specializing in the global impact of counterterrorism practices since 2003. Dr. Qureshi has published extensively, including NGO reports and academic articles, and authored several books, such as “Rules of the Game” (2009) and “A Virtue of Disobedience” (2019). Since 2009, he has advised legal teams defending terrorism trials in the US and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Umer is the Chief Risk Officer (Global Head of Risk, Compliance & Shariah) at Wahed, with a degree in Economics from Royal Holloway University of London and further qualifications from Manchester Business School and Harvard University. He began his career at Ernst & Young and held senior roles at HSBC and Daiwa Capital Management. Umer sits on the boards of the UKIFC, Cube Network, and the Islamic Council. He founded the National Waqf Fund in 2020 and oversaw its merger with another fund in 2023. An advisor to fintechs, Umer is also an international speaker on Islamic Finance, recognized as “one to watch” by Brummel magazine in 2016.

Riyaad is the founder of N6B, a media agency focused on the Global South. N6B partners with impactful brands to launch bold, innovative media strategies, shaping imaginative futures that transform their engagement with global audiences. As the former Director of Digital at TRT, Turkiye’s public broadcaster, Riyaad led its digital transformation, launching international news channels and its global entertainment streaming platform, tabii. Prior to that, at Al Jazeera, he founded AJ+, one of the world’s largest digital news outlets. His portfolio of work has amassed over 280 million followers and 40 billion views. Riyaad also chairs the ABU (Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union) Digital Working Group, advancing global media standards.

Thembisa Fakude is a senior research fellow and director of Africa Asia Dialogues (Afrasid),a think tank based in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He holds a Master’s degree in Politics from the university of the Witwatersrand. He is a columnist with the Middle East Monitor in London and a research fellow at Al Sharq Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. He also serves on the board of Common Action Forum (CAF) in Madrid, Spain and on the board of Mail and Guardian publication in South Africa.

Thembisa is the chairperson of Gauteng Industrial Development Zone (GIDZ), a government owned special economic zone (sez) located at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa. He also serves as a Deputy Chairperson of Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA) a government investment promotion agency in South Africa.

He is the former Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera Media Network in Southern Africa, former head of English unit of Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and a former chairperson of Foreign Correspondents Association of Southern Africa (FCA).

Hasan Abo-Shally is a visionary tech entrepreneur and social innovator committed to creating scalable solutions with lasting social impact. He is currently the CEO and co-founder of GoodDeeds.AI — a tech startup utilizing advanced AI to help impact-organizations efficiently generate, fund, and execute high-impact projects at any scale. With GoodDeeds.AI, Hasan envisions a world where everyone is empowered to amplify and fulfill their goodness potential.

Hasan’s tech journey commenced in high school, where he developed and sold his own software. Following diverse software-engineering and product-design roles, he transitioned to product-management, contributing to Microsoft’s cybersecurity team and several startup companies in fintech, healthcare, and education.

Hasan holds an MBA from the Technion and a B.A. in communication and interactive media from The Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC), where he also served on the research team of the Media Innovation Lab (miLAB), exploring human-computer interactions, experiences of life-long learning, and critical design.

Parallel to his tech career, Hasan has been actively involved in social innovation and entrepreneurship; over the past decade he has initiated and advised several local and international initiatives, leveraging his diverse expertise to foster effective social impact.

In 2013, at 22, Hasan established “Hasoub,” a grassroots nonprofit which raised over $10M to foster tech entrepreneurship as an economic lever for the Arab Palestinian minority in Israel. Three years later, he founded “Ibtekar,” a social enterprise offering affordable STEAM education to underserved kids and youth, with an emphasis on technology, craft, and digital creativity. Today, Hasan serves on Hasoub’s board and presides as chairman of Hasoub Labs.

Among several prestigious listings and fellowships, Hasan was featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2017, and his TEDx talk in 2019 was spotlighted by the TED team, reaching tens of thousands of people. His combined technological innovation and social dedication forge a unique path, pursuing a world of meaning, compassion, and prosperity.

Kamran Kiyani is the Managing Director at GEM, a Digital Transformation company. A serial entrepreneur, he has founded two AI technology companies: Scoute & Zaheen Systems. Kamran is a Mathematician by training. He has a B.S. from Purdue University, an MBA from the Krannert School and a Masters in Technology Design from Harvard University. Kamran has founded and worked with various not-for-profit organizations in the US, Singapore and Pakistan. His work focuses on leadership development, Artificial Intelligence and impact of technology on society.

ASK is the founder & CEO of Youth Impact, an award winning not for profit, having trained 26,000+ youth across five continents on earth. ASK, a cancer survivor, who has dedicated his second life to empower youth of the world, has introduced ‘Markhor’, Himalaya’s unique wilderness-based youth leadership conference held annually since 2013. A published author, founded leadership development organizations in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, has leadership development experience of more than 20 years. ASK is specialized in wilderness and adventure-based leadership development programs. Being an adventure enthusiast, he is first Pakistani to graduate from National Outdoor Leadership School, USA. He is also certified in ‘Train the Trainer’ from American Management Association, Chicago. ASK holds multiple Leadership Fellowship including at Stanford University’s ‘Executive Program for Nonprofits, International Visitors Leadership Program by US State Department, South East Asia Leadership Academy, Executive Endeavor Award in Australia and many more.

Serves as the Director General of Youth Services at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. As a Public Health specialist, he focuses on youth health, youth policies, innovation, and employment.

Business Development Manager at 1Web in Canada and for organic campaigns at Madinah Platform, also in Canada. He has served as Press Contracting Officer for the Peace for Palestine Campaign and as Influencer Contracting Officer at Madinah Platform. Additionally, heco-founded Al-Noman Foundation in the USA and founded the Ejabh Organization. As a Crowd Marketing Consultant, he has worked with various charitable organizations and has lectured on the significance of crowdfunding at Al Sharq Academia.

Hooman Keshavarzi is a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois with extensive expertise in integrating Islamic spirituality into modern psychological practice. He serves as the program director for the Masters in Counseling Islamic Psychology Program in Doha, Qatar, and is the founding director of Khalil Center, the largest provider of Muslim mental healthcare in North America. Keshavarzi is a senior fellow at the International Association for Islamic Psychology and a visiting scholar at Ibn Haldun University. His academic contributions include published papers on Islam and mental health, alongside years of Islamic theological study.

Fadi Quran is the Senior Director at Avaaz, a global movement with 69 million members dedicated to driving change worldwide. In his current role, Fadi focuses on the pursuit of liberation and supporting communities in cultivating the tools and skills required to achieve it.

Mr. Quran’s expertise in liberation struggles is rooted in his extensive research and experience in struggling for human rights and justice. He has been at the forefront of many campaigns, leveraging his deep understanding of geopolitics and grassroots mobilization to challenge oppression and support freedom movements. Previously, Mr. Quran served as the UN Advocacy Officer with Al-Haq’s legal research and advocacy unit in Palestine, where he specialized in international law and human rights advocacy. He’s been arrested by both the Israeli military and the Palestinian Authority for his organizing and human rights work.

Beyond his advocacy work, Mr. Quran is an entrepreneur in the alternative energy sector, contributing to innovative solutions for sustainable energy. His insights and expertise have been featured in prominent media outlets, including Al-Jazeera, NPR, The Guardian, AFP, TIME Magazine, Jadaliya, and others. He holds degrees in Physics and International Relations from Stanford University. Follow him on Twitter @fadiquran for updates and insights.

With a PhD in Industrial Engineering, he is the co-founder and managing partner of several companies specializing in education and technological solutions. He also serves as a university lecturer at various Turkish institutions and works as a consultant in innovation management and quality for companies across Switzerland, Turkey, Malaysia, Italy, Qatar, and Lebanon.

Turkish politician and businessman. He graduated in business administration from Atatürk University in 1982 and worked as a financial advisor, eventually becoming certified. Tahmazoğlu co-founded the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in 2001 and held various roles, including Deputy Provincial Chairman. He ran for the Turkish Parliament in 2007. In 2009, he was elected Mayor of Şahinbey, a position he successfully retained in the 2014 elections.

The current rector of Gaziantep Islamic Science and Technology University (GİBTÜ), a position he has held since March 2023. He holds a degree in theology from Atatürk University, along with a master’s and PhD in Quranic interpretation. Before becoming rector, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Theology at Gaziantep University and advanced from research assistant to professor. Demir is recognized for his contributions to Islamic scholarship and Quranic studies.

Rana Dajani is a distinguished molecular biologist and social entrepreneur from Jordan, currently serving as a professor at the Hashemite University. She specializes in epigenetics and the biomarkers of trauma in refugee populations, and she is also the founder of We Love Reading, a successful initiative that promotes literacy by establishing community libraries, which has garnered the UNESCO International Literacy Prize. In addition to her academic and social contributions, Dajani has held leadership roles in several scientific organizations, advocating for equity in education and employment. Her recent book, Five Scarves: Doing the Impossible, calls for a reevaluation of success metrics in a rapidly evolving world.

François Burgat is a French political scientist specializing in political Islam and Middle Eastern politics. He has directed the Institut Français du Proche-Orient and authored key works like Islamism in the Shadow of al-Qaeda. Burgat’s research highlights the sociopolitical roots of Islamist movements, challenging Western views and offering a nuanced perspective on Islamism’s ties to colonialism and authoritarianism.

Zaid Jaloudi is a Palestinian American economist and activist, currently serving as president of the Global Students for Palestine Network (GSPN). Drawing on his economics background and extensive experience with corporations and nonprofits, Zaid specializes in scaling businesses and fortifying organizations. Through his leadership at GSPN, he fosters global collaboration among activists and drives efforts for Palestinian liberation, focusing on building resilient communities and creating lasting change.”

Betul Dogan-Akkas is a researcher of the Arab Gulf States. She holds a joint degree PhD in Gulf Studies from Durham University and Qatar University. She is also a co-convenor of the BISA Working Group International Studies of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Asia. In her research, she examines foreign policy, security strategies, and political culture in the GCC states. Dogan-Akkas also covers the involvement of the GCC states in the Yemen war and Türkiye-GCC relations.

Professor Beverley Milton-Edwards is a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs in Qatar, focusing on Middle East politics, Political Islam, and Security. With over 20 years of advising the EU and Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she has held academic positions at Queen’s University Belfast and visiting fellowships at Brookings Doha, Oxford, and Georgetown. She has mediated in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and authored several books, including Hamas, the Quest for Power (2024). She is also a Fellow of the UK Academy of Social Sciences and co-founder of the British Association of Islamic Studies.

Mohammad Affan is the director of Al Sharq Strategic Research and Al Sharq Academia. A medical doctor by training, he holds a PhD from the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, in 2020. He obtained his MA degree in Comparative Politics from the American University in Cairo in 2015. In addition, he holds a post-graduate diploma in Civil Society and Human Rights from Cairo University, a diploma in Political Research and Studies from the Institute of Arab Research and Studies in Cairo, and a diploma in Islamic Studies from The Higher Institute for Islamic Studies, Cairo. He is the author of “Secularism Confronts Islamism: Divergent Paths of Transitional Negotiations in Egypt and Tunisia.” Also, his master’s thesis was published in Arabic as a book titled: “Wahhabism and the Brotherhood: The Conflict on the Concept of the State and the Legitimacy of Power”. His research interests include Islamism and democratization in MENA region.

Abdullah is the current team lead at Al Sharq Youth and has been an active part of the organization since 2018. He is an Educational Psychologist by training and has a Masters in the field while currently pursuing his PhD in the same. He has 11 years of experience in multiple areas such as Program Management, Strategic Planning, Curriculum and Content Development, Training and Mentoring. His expertise lies in developing effective and efficient networks and has been a key person in establishing and managing Al Sharq Youth Hubs around the world.