A legal scholar and international development practitioner with an LL.B from Warwick University and an LL.M in International Law from George Washington University, Washington DC. She is the co-founder of Lighthouse Humanitarian Foundation (LHF), a women-led organization advancing food security, education and faith-based women empowerment in Nigeria.

A researcher and practitioner in international education policy with a focus on gender, digital learning, and women’s leadership. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard University and has worked extensively at the intersection of education, social justice, and digital ethics. Her recent work explores the informal pedagogies of digital platforms and algorithmic governance.

A PhD Candidate at the Department of English, University of Calicut, Kerala. My current research specialises in Childhood and Critical Refugee Studies, focusing on the Rohingyan Muslims - the most persecuted minority in the world. My research interests include religion, culture and critical theory. I also have more than two years of experience as an Assistant Professor of English.

Holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from York University, with a specialization in gender-based trauma, psychoanalysis, motherhood, and the processes of navigating loss and mourning. She is the founder and program director of Maternal Minds, a community-driven organization based in Milton, Ontario, that provides support programs for Muslim mothers while fostering cultural revitalization.

A Research Fellow at the Center for Islamic Theology (ZITh) at the University of Tübingen and a tenured faculty member at Al-Azhar University. She holds a Ph.D. in Religious Philosophy from the University of Birmingham. Her research specializes in Qurʾānic studies, with a particular focus on Muslim perceptions of biblical narratives.

Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies for Girls in Alexandria, Al-Azhar University, with over 20 years of academic and administrative experience in university teaching and scientific research at Al-Azhar and Taif Universities. She has an extensive record of supervising and examining master’s .and doctoral theses, participating in local and international conferences

Barakat Adebisi Rji is an associate professor in the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. She bagged her higher degree (PhD) from International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia, in the year 2017. She is a researcher and prolific writer. Her areas of interest are ADR, women and the law, and protection of the rights of women.

A lecturer at Cyber Islamic University in Cirebon, Indonesia. I am interested in feminist hermeneutics, theology, and social ethics in Southeast Asia. Their work explores how Muslim women reinterpret religious texts and traditions to promote justice, equity, and inclusive community practices.

An anthropologist, folklorist, oral historian, and former producer, currently pursuing a doctorate in Anthropology at the University of Oxford. She conducted six years of oral history fieldwork in Saudi Arabia, examining how folktale performance was rooted in the daily movement and social life of women and children in Najdi mud architecture during the early twentieth century.

Dr. Islam completed her Ph.D in Near Eastern Studies in 2023 at Princeton under the supervision of Michael Cook, where her area of focus was on the social and intellectual history of Islamic criminal law. Her dissertation won the Middle East Studies Association Best Dissertation Award (Honorable Mention) as well as Princeton's Bayard and Cleveland Dodge Best Dissertation Award in Near Eastern Studies. She has published with Brill, Sage, and Oxford University Presses, and her research has been funded by the Social Science Research Council, Fulbright Program, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Charlotte Newcombe Fellowship Program. She has pursued archival research in Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and elsewhere. She is currently at postdoctoral fellow with the CORE Project (co-directed by the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton and University of Bern) and will be completing her law degree at Yale Law School in 2028.

An award-winning British Islamic scholar, broadcaster, and author. With a rich Islamic 'Alimiyyah education she graduated from both the Ebrahim College seminary and Al-Salam Institute and is currently completing Ifta’ training under Sheikh Muhammad Akram Nadwi and other Muftis.
She holds an award-winning MA in Islamic Law from SOAS Law School at the University of London and a Postgraduate Diploma in English Law and Professional Practice (PGDL) from King’s College, London. She has authored two books: 'Khadijah, Islam’s First Lady’, and ‘Aisha, Mother of the Believers (RA)’. Additionally, she serves as the director of Muslim Womanhood, an organization for Muslim women. She has been a key contributor to the discourse surrounding Muslim women in the West, participating in the Westminster Faith Debates, documentaries, and live shows for BBC Radio 4, the World Service, BBC television, Channel 4, and various Islamic channels.

The cofounder of the Quran Literacy Institute and a teacher of Islamic studies and Arabic based in NJ. She pursued formal Islamic studies in Syria, where she spent a number of years at the prestigious Abū Nūr Institute in Damascus, graduating first in her class with a Diploma in Arabic and Islamic studies. While in Damascus she earned the admiration of her teachers and peers and served as the translator for the late Grand Mufti of Syria in the sisters classes. She has memorized the Qur’an and received the coveted Ijāzah of memorization from Shaykh Waleed Edrees al-Meneese. In addition, she holds scholarly licenses (Ijāzah) in the Qurʾānic Readings of Ḥafṣ and Shuʿbah, the Books of Hadith and various classical texts, from Sheikh Waleed al-Meneese, Shaykh Muḥammad Akram Nadwi and others. Sumara Khan is the founder and mentor of Iman Roots, a monthly forum in central NJ for women to educate themselves in Islamic knowledge and strengthen sisterhood. Recently, a 3-year series on Tazkiyah (purification) based upon Ibn al-Qayyim’s classic Madārij al-Sālikeen was concluded, and currently a Travel Back in Time Scholar Series is underway. She is the director of the popular Sisters Ḥifdh Program at the Quran Literacy Institute, the only adult, on-site Quran memorization program in the region.

Managing Director of the Islamic Shariah Council (ISC) in the UK, Europe's first Shariah Council. She has written extensively on Islamic family law mediation in the UK and currently also works as marital counsellor and mediator under the auspices of the ISC. She previously worked as an Intervention Provider for the Home Office UK, working closely with police, prison, and social services dealing with young people being radicalized into violent extremism. She has appeared on radio and television programmes, including Radio 4 and the Doha Debates. She has studied traditionally with Sh. Akram Nadwi, Dr. Ahmed Barouni, Sh. Suhaib Abdul Ghaffar, and many others. She is also a blogger for ImamsOnline.com and for her own website kholahasan.wordpress.com.

A professor of Islamic Creed and Comparative Religion at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences, University of Algiers. She holds a PhD and a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies, specializing in Islamic Creed (Aqeedah). She is a researcher specializing in the fundamentals of faith (Usul al-Din), comparative religion, ethics, legal systems, and human rights from the perspective of

A Post-Doc Researcher on Gulf Feminisms at the University of Copenhagen. She previously worked with different UN agencies, such as UNFPA, UNICEF, and UNESCO HQ. With a strong background in international relations, AlWahaibi has extensive experience conducting research and overseeing multidisciplinary projects. She has also held academic positions, including a teaching assistant role at the University of Otago. Sumaiya holds a PhD in politics from the University of Otago, and her forthcoming scholarly publications focus on the Khaliji State-Society relations and gendered politics in the GCC.

Lives and works in the UK. She is an experienced lawyer who changed direction to work with charitable trusts some 10 years ago. She has developed expertise in education, leadership, intercultural and interfaith work with a focus on marginalised communities. Fatimah is experienced in curating educational programmes which seek to encourage self-discovery and personal growth. She has designed and annually delivers, the well-received Mosaic Leadership Programme for The King’s Trust; the first co-educational, intra-faith professional development programme for British Muslim faith leaders of its kind. She is a co-creator of RAY of God, a non-profit organisation which seeks to uplift women and encourage exploration of new forms of co-working, leadership, and advocacy inspired by the lived practice and wisdom of women. Fatimah holds a BA in theology and religious studies and a MA in Human Rights. Presently, a PhD student at Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham and VU University, Amsterdam, she is researching how contemporary women rooted in their faith understand and embody the work for peace and justice.

A British educator, university lecturer, and community organiser dedicated to the spiritual and intellectual growth of Muslim women and mothers. Founder of MamaMotions and Qur’an Halaqah, she merges Qur’anic principles with educational theory to nurture women as transformative nurturers of the ummah through grassroots, reflective learning.

A Doctoral Researcher at University of Helsinki. In her PhD project "Negotiations of Muslimness in Helsinki City Spaces" she studies the spatialization and negotiations of Muslimness in Helsinki neighborhoods. She has recently co-edited a book “Uskonto ja kaupunki”, on the entanglements of religion and the city, published in 2025 by Finnish Theological Literature Society.

A Sudanese-American Muslim chaplain-in-training pursuing her Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy. Shaped by her culturally diverse upbringing across the Philippines, Qatar, Kenya, and the United States, her research interests include Islamic theological foundations of spiritual care and decolonial thought in practice across Muslim-majority and minority contexts.

Dr Sanja Bilić joined the University of Galway on the ERC-funded BILQIS project as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, where her work focused on Muslim women’s agency, religious authority, and access to justice in Ireland. As her role expanded, she moved into project-wide coordination and now manages BILQIS and the Centre for Law, Religion and Society (CLRS) within the School of Law, with responsibility for research coordination, reporting, partnerships, and funding development. Since 2007, her academic, policy, and advocacy work has centred on Muslim women in Europe, with sustained attention to lived religious experience, institutional engagement, and ethical decision-making. Alongside her university roles, she contributes in a research leadership capacity with Nahla  (Centre for Education and Research in Sarajevo) and has held senior research and policy roles across European civil society organisations. She holds a PhD in Women’s Studies from the University of York.

A postdoctoral researcher in the BILQIS project at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway. Before joining BILQIS, Tiba was a postdoctoral researcher for the SALAAM project at the University of Limerick and a teaching fellow at the Near and Middle Eastern Studies Department of Trinity College Dublin. She was awarded her PhD in Sociology from the University of Manchester in 2023. Her PhD project investigated the gendered biopolitics of assisted reproductive technologies in Iran. Tiba was awarded the joint-winner of the BRISMES 2024 Leigh Douglas Memorial Prize for the best PhD dissertation on a Middle Eastern topic. She holds two master's degrees in Gender Studies (Central European University) and Communications Studies (Free University of Brussels) and two BA degrees in Sociology and Communication Studies from the University of Tehran. Her areas of expertise are in legal sociology, sociology of gender and sexuality, and qualitative methodologies.

A postdoctoral researcher on the BILQIS ERC project at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway. She studied social anthropology at the University of the Aegean (Mytilene, Greece), then completed her master’s degree and PhD thesis in social anthropology in Paris at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS). Her research focuses on 20th century forced migration in Eastern Europe. During her postdoctoral studies (2020-2021) at CEFRES (Centre Français de Recherche en Sciences Sociales - Prague) she participated as a member of the project, "De-imperial Europe: A Resentful Confederation of Vanquished Peoples?”, which was carried out within the framework of the TANDEM program, developed by the Czech Academy of Sciences, Charles University and CEFRES/CNRS. She has also worked on collective research projects addressing the reception of refugees in the Paris region and analysing radio broadcasts of refugees from the Greek Civil War. She is a fellow of the Institut Convergences Migrations in Paris, as well as research associate at the Laboratoire de l’Anthrpologie Politique (LAP), EHESS, Paris.

A Research Associate in the BILQIS project at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway. Previously, she served as an Adviser on Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Discrimination at the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw, Poland (2016-2021) with her work focusing on policies countering intolerance and discrimination against Muslims across 57 OSCE participating States. As a policy adviser and a researcher she worked with state and non-state actors, national and international bodies, academic institutions, civil society organisations and groups, and religious communities, across Europe. She received her BA in English Language and Literature, University of Sarajevo (2004), MA in Religious Studies from the Center for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies, University of Sarajevo (2009) (in cooperation with Arizona State University, University of Oslo and the University of Copenhagen) and is a PhD candidate in Sociology of Religion with her thesis focusing on Bosnian Muslim Women in Socialist and Post-Socialist Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the Faculty of Political Studies, University of Sarajevo. Her research interests include human rights, religion and secularism; Islam and Muslims in Europe; islamophobia/anti-Muslim racism; and Muslim women’s identity, agency and religion.

Master researcher in applied Islamic sciences, at the faculty of Shariah, and a researcher in international trading and business administration

An African Studies Ph.D candidate at Howard University. Her research interests are Islamic Studies, West African Transnational Marriage, Migration Remittances, Islamic Chaplaincy, Islam and Black History, Interfaith Chaplaincy, Women and Gender Issues in Islam, and African American Muslims.

Imane Ghouzal, PhD researcher at Ibn Zohr University, Morocco, specializing in family research. She has published several articles and participated in international conferences, including one organized by the World Federation of Scholars and the Eritrean Scholars Association, She supervises undergraduate students in ‘‘Ulum al-Qur’an and qawa’id al-istinbat

Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Islamic Sciences in English, university of Ibnou Zohr. *Has over 14 years of experience teaching Qur’anic Studies. *Contributor to the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language project in Sharjah.

Received her Ph.D. in English Literature from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. Her research centers on Muslim women in South Asia, with emphasis on spatial studies in religion, digital humanities, and visual/textual cultures. Her doctoral work examined twentieth-century narratives by Muslim women, including oral histories and manuscript 

A scholar of the Gulf whose work bridges archival research, oral history, and emic pedagogy to rethink women’s lived experiences. She received her PhD in Anthropology from UCL. She is a postdoctoral fellow at Al-Mujadilah and she teaches history at Georgetown University in Qatar.

A graduate of the Dars-e-Nizami Islamic studies program and has been teaching classical Islamic sciences to women and young girls for over a decade. She is currently pursuing a PhD at Coventry University, where her research—funded by an AHRC Midlands4Cities scholarship—focuses on the oral histories of Muslim religious spaces in Coventry and Birmingham.

An independent researcher and editor, working with leading Muslim publishers in Kerala. She is also one of the founding members of Cadence Institute for Excellence and Social Empowerment, a women-led research NGO that engages with alternative academic discourses with a key focus on gender. Her research interests include Religion, Women, Ethics and Food.

Reham Elnory is a doctoral candidate in Philosophy at Boston College. Her research interests lie in ancient Greek philosophy, Islamic philosophy & theology, and contemporary French & German philosophy. She has an MA in History of Philosophy, an MA in Arabic Literature & Islamic Philosophy, and Graduate Diplomas in Modern European philosophy, & in Islamic Studies.

The Executive Director of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium at the University of Chicago. Previously, she was an assistant professor at the Simmons University School of Library & Information Science and at University College London Qatar. Her research focuses on documentary heritage, archival history, and the politics of cultural heritage preservation in North Africa.

Public health graduate with interdisciplinary training in sociology and anthropology. My research interests focus on Islamic medical ethics, health, and society. I explore how ethical reasoning in healthcare is shaped by religious values, social norms, and institutional structures through analytical and ethnographic approaches.

A third-year undergraduate student in the Department of History at a leading university in Turkiye, Boğaziçi. She was born and raised in Istanbul at the crossroads of East and West, and received both theological and scientific education in an Imam Hatip high school, where she also studied Arabic and foundational Islamic sciences. As a Turkish History Foundation scholar and a top scorer in the national university entrance exam, she pursues a multidisciplinary academic path, taking courses in history, politics, economics, psychology, and literature. Her research interests include Islamic thought, Ottoman poetry, manuscript studies, and comparative civilizations. Zeynep has a strong interest in poetry and has won awards in amateur competitions. Having traveled to 27 countries, she has engaged with diverse cultures and Muslim women globally. She is committed to exploring how Muslim women's voices can challenge Eurocentric narratives and contribute to decolonial futures. If selected, she hopes to contribute to the dialogue by offering a critical perspective on feminist theory through the lens of Islamic epistemology, and to collaboratively explore frameworks that restore dignity and rootedness to Muslim women’s identities.

A senior student at the Faculty of Theology at Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkiye. My program is taught in English, and I also have an advanced command of Arabic. One of the most enriching experiences in my academic journey has been participating in the EDEP (Center for Excellence in Education) Honors Program, founded by Prof. Dr. Recep Şentürk. This program aims to cultivate a multidimensional intellectual formation by integrating the richness of tradition with contemporary social sciences. I also contribute as a content creator at EDEP Medya, the media branch of the same institution, where I produce materials that engage with contemporary social and intellectual topics. Last summer, I worked as a research intern at Institute Social, a think tank where I experienced the joy and responsibility of producing knowledge, analyzing ideas, and contributing to meaningful discussions. In my second year, I studied for a semester in Oman through a student exchange program. Meeting Muslim women from the Gulf region, observing their personal and societal development up close, and being part of an international academic environment deeply expanded my perspective. As a dedicated, passionate, and idealistic young woman of this ummah, contributing to a collaborative project on an international platform and exchanging ideas with Muslim women from diverse backgrounds will be an unforgettable and meaningful experience for me.

A scholarship student funded by the Turkish Maarif Foundation, currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English Language Teaching at Marmara University and an Associate's degree in Communication and Media Studies at Anadolu University. My academic foundation was built at Uluslararası Şehit Mehmet Kara Aslan Girls Anatolian Imam Hatip High School, where I developed a deep interest in the role of Muslim women, education, and the revival of the Ummah as a civilizational project.   Alongside my studies, I work as a research intern at Enstitü Sosyal, focusing on knowledge production around Muslim societies, and as a freelance translator at Au Finja, bridging Arabic, Turkish, French, and English content. I also gained experience as a journalism intern at Fokus+ and served as an English teacher at Istanbul University's language club. My earlier advisory role with the Turkish Maarif Foundation further strengthened my commitment to intercultural dialogue and education. Recognized as Best Delegate by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Outstanding Delegate at FSM İmam Hatip, I continue to explore questions of identity, language, and empowerment through research, writing, and teaching. I am fluent in Arabic, French, English, and Turkish, with additional proficiency in Spanish, Russian, and Sign Language.  

A Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she is the Director of the Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology Lab as well as Stanford University's Affiliate Chaplain and Affiliate Professor of Islamic Studies. In the community, she serves as the President and Co-Founder of Maristan.org, a holistic mental health nonprofit serving Muslim communities, and the co-founder of The Rahmah Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating Muslim women and girls. In addition, she is faculty of Islamic Psychology at Cambridge Muslim College and The Islamic Seminary of America. Prior to studying medicine, she pursued classical Islamic studies in Damascus, Syria, and holds certifications (ijaza) in the Qur’an,   including the 10 canonical Quranic recitations (qira’at al-ashar), Islamic Law, and other branches of the Islamic Sciences.  

The Academic Chair and Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Niagara University in Ontario, Canada. She serves on the university Senate through the Curriculum and Outcomes Assessment Committee and is a member of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Decolonization (EDID) Committee. Her scholarship and leadership focus on teacher education, culturally and religiously responsive pedagogies, and educational equity for Muslim students in K–12 and higher education contexts. Dr. Ahmed is the recipient of the prestigious Canadian federal SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) grant, ranking first in her category, for research in teacher education. She is  the co-founder of the Journal of Social Justice in Education (JSJE), housed at Thompson Rivers University, and the co-founder of the Islamic Schools Association of Canada (ISAC). In addition to her academic work, Dr. Ahmed is currently working on establishing the first university-accredited Islamic education teacher training program in North America, advancing the professionalization of Islamic education through research-informed, faith-responsive teacher preparation.

Holds a Ph.D. in Education from Western University in Ontario, Canada specializing in Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership Studies. With over fifteen years of experience as an educator and consultant, she is a Contract Teaching Faculty and Research Fellow at Wilfrid Laurier University and has worked extensively with schools, universities, research centers, and community organizations in Canada and the Middle East. Her work centers on compassionate, resilience-based approaches to supporting diverse learners and communities, particularly newcomer students' holistic well-being, equity, and belonging.     A certified intercultural competence trainer and Ontario Certified Teacher, Dr. Raghad Ebied has contributed to peer-reviewed publications, authored chapters on compassionate educational leadership and refugee student support, and presented her research at national and international conferences. She has also served as a research director, overseeing projects on equity and well-being for Muslims and visible minorities in Canada, and continues to advance scholarship that strengthens inclusive and compassionate educational environments which promote individual and collective well-being. 

A PhD student in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at University of Texas at Austin, where she specializes in the history of Islamic law with a focus on the Hanbali legal tradition. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies from Qatar University and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. Her research interests include classical Islamic law, legal authority, and family law in Islamic law. She focuses in particular on questions of legal authority and interpretation within Islamic law, as well as the relationship between premodern texts and modern legal applications. She has presented her work at national and international conferences, and has taught Arabic, Qurʾanic studies, and Islamic law in higher education. In addition to her academic training, she holds an ijāzah in the ten canonical Qurʾanic recitations. She previously served as Muslim Chaplain at Boston University and remains engaged in community leadership and mentorship in Austin and beyond, delivering invited talks at communities nationwide.

An accomplished academic and executive leader, seamlessly integrating scholarship and business expertise across Energy, Start-Ups, Consulting, and the Public Sector. With over 20 years of international experience—primarily in the MENA region—she specializes in Education, ESG, business transformation, and sustainable growth. In addition, she supports muslim women globally through coaching and consulting on thriving professionally, centering ones life around Islamic principles, raising strong muslim children, and building shariah based wealth, through her organization Velvet Balance. Holding an MBA (2012) and a Doctorate in Business Administration (2024), her research delves into the Future of Work and Organizational Change, bridging theoretical insights with practical implementation. Her professional footprint spans 20+ countries, demonstrating a commitment to advancing responsible business practices and impactful organizational change. Dr Zaheera has also studied Islamic Governance, through University of Brunei, Shariah Inheritance and Wills, and is currently doing the 5-year Suhba Program through Madina Institute in Turkey, under the guidance of the honourable Sheikh Mokhtar Maghraoui. As a Board member, author and speaker, she constantly strives to centre Islam and Shariah and centre of the work she does, writes or speaks about. 

Ravza Altuntaş is an associate professor at Marmara University’s Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. She earned her PhD in 2018 from Durham University’s School of Government and International Affairs. Her research spans political theory, modern Islamic thought, women’s studies, democracy, and multiculturalism. She is the author of A Political Theory of Muslim Democracy (Edinburgh University Press, 2022), translated into Arabic and published by Qatar University Press in 2024. Altuntaş is also the co-investigator, with Dr. Shuruq Naguib, of the Al-Mujadilah Center research cluster, “Islamic Perspectives on Women’s Agency: From Text to Context.”

A lecturer in Islam at University of Lancaster, UK. She received her PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Manchester, Department of Middle Eastern Studies. Dr. Naguib’s research covers two key strands: the classical and pre-modern intellectual and textual traditions, particularly Qur’an hermeneutics and ritual law; and Muslim responses to modernity, with a focus on how twentieth century and contemporary Muslim women scholars read the tradition to intellectually and socially develop their religious authority as knowers of the tradition.She has written on ritual purity, metaphor in post-classical Qur’an interpretation and Arabic rhetoric, feminist hermeneutics of the Qur’an, and contemporary female exegetes and jurists in Islam. She is also involved in supporting Islamic studies in the UK through my work with HEFCE’s Islamic Studies Network until 2012, and currently through my capacity as interim Co-chair of the British Association of Islamic Studies (BRAIS). 

Is currently the Lady Fatima Endowed Chair of Women and Divinity at Habib University Karachi and previously was Professor of Islamic Studies and the academic study of religion at Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Hermansen has published numerous academic articles in the fields of Islamic thought, Sufism, Islam and Muslims in South Asia, Muslims in America, and Women and Gender in Islam. Her authored and co-edited books include Sufism in Western Contexts (2023), Varieties of American Sufism (2020), Muslima Theology: The Voices of Muslim Women Theologians (2013), as well as translations from the works of Shah Wali Allah of Delhi, a prominent 18th century Sufi.

The founder and CEO of the Centre for Education and Research “Nahla,” established in 2000 as a leading faith-based women’s organization in Bosnia and Herzegovina dedicated to education, empowerment, and community development. She holds a degree in Islamic Theology from the University of Jordan (1998) and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the International University of Sarajevo (2011). She has completed additional diplomas in strategic management (MTCP Malaysia), NLP (Sarajevo), and social work (Kuwait). Dedović is the author, co-author, and editor of numerous publications, research studies, and handbooks addressing women’s rights, socio-cultural status, and the position of women in Muslim communities and mosques. As an active member of several international NGO networks, she frequently speaks at conferences and trainings on women’s rights, human rights, Islamic thought, activism, adult education, interfaith dialogue, and peace-building. Her work focuses on creating inclusive spaces and strengthening women’s participation in society.

UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the School of Government and School of Social Policy, and Associate Professor at the International Development Department (IDD) and the Institute for Research into International Migration and Superdiversity (IRiS) at the University of Birmingham. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS), Doha Institute. . Her research integrates the intersectional and ecological approaches to improve outcomes for displaced populations. She has led a number of studies across the Middle East, Africa and Europe,She currently leads an interdisciplinary and policy-oriented, UKRI-funded research initiative, “Making Aid Work for Displaced Women”, which focuses on integrating Islamic philanthropy into the international humanitarian system and developing innovative solutions to global forced displacement. Sandrais an interdisciplinary researcher and social development specialist with over a decade of experience in humanitarian, development, and migration settings. Bridging research, policy, and practice, she has consulted for international and governmental organisations, including the European Commission, GIZ, the Home Office, and Islamic Development Bank. She has also collaborated with various organisations, such as the UNHCR, OIC and IFRC. 

A doctoral (PhD) Candidate examining the sociological, political, and cultural aspects of education with a special focus on critical literacy pedagogy for social justice education. Rasha’s PhD research centres on enacting critical literacy pedagogy across the curriculum in a private Islamic school in Canada. Rasha’s previous graduate work focused on language and literacy education using the theory of multiliteracies. She has worked as an educator at both the elementary and secondary school levels across the Canadian public and private school systems, and taught Bachelor of Education Students (pre-service teachers) in her role as a sessional instructor. Her research interests include multiliteracies, critical theory, language acquisition, inclusive and diverse literature, critical literacy, and social justice education. In her free time, Rasha works in multiple leadership positions across her university campus and within Canadian organizations.

Serves as an Assistant Professor of Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence) and is the Head of the Department of Usul al-Fiqh at the Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies for Girls, Al-Azhar University (Mansoura Branch). She teaches courses in Islamic Sharia, Usul al-Fiqh, and Scientific Research Methods for students at the Faculty of Sharia and Law, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and the Faculty of Islamic Sciences for International Students. Education: She graduated from Al-Azhar University with a Bachelor's degree in Islamic Sharia in 2007. She earned her Master’s degree in 2012 for her verification of the manuscript "Ma'alim al-Din wa Maladh al-Mujtahidin" by Al-Hasan bin Zain al-Din al-Amili. In 2017, she received her PhD for her dissertation titled "Al-Maslahah Al-Mursalah (Public Interest) according to Imam Al-Haramayn Al-Juwayni." Research & Contributions: Dr. Ghonaim has contributed to the "Encyclopedia of Islamic Terms and Values" and participated in international conferences organized by Al-Azhar and Egypt's Dar al-Ifta. Her published research includes:

• -The Role of Usul al-Fiqh in Achieving Intellectual Security.
• -Fundamental Principles for Ensuring Moderate Fatwas.
• -The Obligation of Morning and Evening Adhkar and its Impact on Mental Health.
• -Necessity and Need and Their Effect on Contravening the Endower’s (Waqif) Condition.

Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies and Director of the Master of Divinity in Islamic Studies and Muslim Chaplaincy at American Islamic College. Her research explores post-classical Islamic philosophy and theology, interfaith dialogue, and the development of Muslim thought in relation to modernity. She is the author of The Emergence of Early Sufi Piety and Sunnī Scholasticism (Brill, 2016) and Isagoge: A Primer in Classical Logic, which includes her translation and commentary on Athir al-Din al-Abhari’s foundational text. Recognized by CNN as one of the “25 Influential American Muslims” for her contributions to higher education, Dr. Salem also serves on several national professional boards and engages in international scholarly exchange. She received her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago.

PhD in Sociology from the University of Essex and a human rights specialist with over 15 years of experience promoting political change, democratization, and civil society development across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. My work bridges research and practice, focusing on authoritarianism, everyday resistance, and the lived experiences of marginalized communities. I apply an intersectional and postcolonial lens to interrogate power, justice, and the limitations of dominant human rights frameworks. I bring deep expertise in human rights project management, qualitative research, and monitoring and evaluation, with a proven track record in designing and implementing rights-based programs, building the capacities of grassroots actors, and developing context-sensitive strategies in fragile and repressive environments.

An interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of anthropology, law, and Islamic sciences, and metaphysics in Islamic thought. She holds an MA in International Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, as well as a diploma in Anthropology and Sociology from the American University in Cairo. She brings together academic training with her traditional study of the Islamic sciences, grounded in direct transmission from scholars through an unbroken chain of knowledge. Her work explores the role of spiritual refi nement in shaping social ethics and seeks to develop epistemological readings rooted in the Islamic intellectual tradition as a living source of understanding, analysis, and practice. She is also engaged in examining the metaphysical dimensions of the human being in Islamic thought, through both readings in Gnostic experience and Islamic philosophical thought. Mena is a member of the Al-Hasan Ibn al-Haytham Forum for Natural Sciences and a student at the Ahl al-Suffa Academy for Traditional Sciences, where she continues her studies in the Islamic sciences under the guidance of recognized scholars.

The Executive Director at Al-Mujadilah Center & Mosque for Women and is also an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology at Georgetown University–Qatar. Previously, Dr. Siddiqui taught courses at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and has held fellowships at Cambridge University, UK, among various other institutions.  
  
An accomplished author of four books, her latest publication, Islamic Law on Trial: Contesting Colonial Power in British India, was published in March 2025. The book examines how Muslims within the colonial judiciary responded to colonial attempts to displace Islamic law.   
 
Dr. Siddiqui has articles in several journals, such as Islamic Law & Society, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Journal of Islamic Studies, Journal of the American Oriental Society, and Middle East Law and Governance. Currently, she is editing the forthcoming Cambridge Companion to Islamic Law (2026). She is also a guest editor for Harvard Law School's Islamic Law Blog and Associate Editor for The Journal of Islamic Law and Society. 
 
Dr. Siddiqui holds leadership positions in numerous international Muslim organizations, including Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Cambridge Muslim College from 2018 to 2023.
 
She holds a PhD in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, U.S. Her research interests include classical Islamic legal theory and political thought, Islamic law under colonialism, contemporary Islamic family law, and issues of gender, authority, and participation.

A writer and a specialist in the use of creative writing, employing it to help children explore the self through imagination and to dispel the illusions they have come to believe about themselves and their surroundings. Soheir works with children most in need in collaboration with several civil society organizations. She also serves as a consultant for international institutions on projects related to creative education. She received her BA in Media from Misr University for Science and Technology in 2007, and an MA in Creative Writing and Education from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2014. She is currently pursuing her PhD at the same university, focusing on the role of writing and imagination in education, grounded in Islamic traditions. Over the past eleven years, Sohier has developed a methodology that employs imagination as an entry point to writing, enabling children to express themselves and reconstruct their identities and realities. She has worked with many children and adolescents across different contexts. Her published works for children include I Feel Like (Al-Balsam Publishing), a book that helps children articulate their emotions through imagination and metaphor; Yasmeen Keshta (Diwan Publishing); The Ghost Butterfly (ʿAsfoura Publishing); and Zalṭa (Al-Shorouk Publishing).

Professor Roja Fazaeli is established Professor of Law and Islamic Studies at the University of Galway.

 Putri Kirana is the Global Group Head of Consumer Market Foresight at ParagonCorp, where she leads the organization’s strategic capability in decoding consumer behavior and anticipating future emerging & halal market shifts across beauty and personal care categories.   With 17 years of deep expertise in insight generation, trend intelligence, and brand performance analysis, she plays key role, shaping the critical decisions by translating complex data into actionable growth strategies. She built her foundation in a global research agency and a multinational FMCG environment by handling various research projects in many countries. 

The Founding Director and the first Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Howard University School of Divinity (HUSD). She is currently the chair of the Master of Arts (Religious Studies) program at HUSD. Dr. Alwani received her Ph.D. in Islamic Sciences and Islamic Jurisprudence. Her Ph.D. dissertation focused on the implementation of the higher aims of Islamic law within the domain of the American Muslim family. She has authored and co-authored a wide variety of publications in English and Arabic ranging from books, textbooks, and book chapters, to scholarly articles. Developing comprehensive methodologies on approaching the Quran and Sunnah is one of her main contributions to advance the Qur’anic studies. She is particularly interested in deriving methodologies for approaching the Qur’an, Sunna and Islamic jurisprudence in the area of women and family issues. She is the Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Islamic Faith and Practice, a scholarly peer-reviewed academic journal, published by the Islamic Seminary Foundation in partnership with IUPUI University Library of Indiana University. Dr. Alwani is the first female jurist to serve on the board of the Fiqh Council of North America and serves as the Council’s Vice-Chair. Currently, Dr. Alwani is the founder the Orphan Care Project, created to educate Muslims on the issue of orphan care from an Islamic perspective and to provide knowledge and scholarship on orphan care in Islam. She is an educator with over 25 years of teaching and curriculum development experience in Islamic Studies and Arabic. She designed and developed the Master of Arts program in Islamic Studies at the HUSD and continues to reinvigorate holistic curriculum development. She is presently working on a book (Transformative Teaching and Learning of the Quran: Life Changing Experience) and another manuscript dealing with critical family issues, such as divorce and marital challenges in the Muslim American community. She is also working on a series of articles stemming from the research on the relationship between social, civil, and religious law around foster care, guardianship and beyond in the American context.

 A Senior Professional Officer overseeing the Women Empowerment Portfolio at the General Directorate of Cultural, Social, and Family Affairs, OIC General Secretariat. She joined the OIC in 2015, focusing on promoting women’s empowerment across Member States through grassroots initiatives and coordination with OIC institutions, national bodies, and international partners. Her work emphasizes the implementation of the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW) and related strategies to address gender justice and community development.  Prior to joining the OIC, she accumulated 18 years of experience in health administration, social services, women’s higher education, strategic planning, policymaking, and lecturing in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Australia.  Mrs. Suzan Mohamed has organized and participated in numerous high-level conferences, including the OIC Ministerial Conference for Women and the International Conference of Women in Islam (2023), and engages with global organizations such as the UN and EU to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in OIC Member States. 
 

An associate professor of Islamic Studies & History in the departments of Religious Studies and History at Duke University. She also regularly teaches through invited lectures, classes, workshops, and retreats locally and internationally. Her research and publications analyze the intersections of religion, culture, gender, and politics through the lens of global Islamic history. Her first book Longing for the Lost Caliphate: A Transregional History (Princeton University Press) received the American Academy of Religion's 2017 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in the category of Historical Studies. It examines Muslim engagement with the notion of an Islamic caliphate following its loss in the thirteenth and twentieth centuries and explores how poignant memories of the lost caliphate have percolated through Muslim culture, law, and politics across Afro-Eurasia. Her second book The Key to Inner Secrets and the Treasure of Provisions (forthcoming) combines a bilingual critical edition with commentary on a pivotal sixteenth-century treatise written by Shaykh Abu Bakr bin Salim. In preparation for additional monographs, Dr. Mona also continues to research actively and publish on the shifting contours and impact of women’s Islamic scholarship from the emergence of the Muslim community in the seventh century to the secular interventions of modern nation-states in the present.

An Egyptian scholar of medieval Islamic philosophy and theology. She earned her PhD in Religions and Philosophies from SOAS, University of London (2024), with a dissertation on Abū l-Barakāt al-Baghdādī’s theory of divine temporality, reflecting her focus on post-Avicennian philosophy and kalām. She holds an MA in Religion from Yale Divinity School (2012), where she studied biblical hermeneutics, systematic theology, and comparative Abrahamic religions, alongside Islamic thought after earning her BA in Islamic and Arabic Studies from Al-Azhar (2004) with a specialization in philosophy, theology, and ethics. She is a tenured Lecturer at Al-Azhar University (Department of Theology and Philosophy, Mansoura) and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies (IDEO) and the Institute of Arabic Manuscripts in Cairo, working on a critical edition of a 12th-century manuscript. Her research interests span post-Avicennian philosophy, kalām, Islamic mysticism, and cross-religious intellectual encounters, with a focus on how medieval Muslim thinkers engaged philosophical and theological questions across traditions.

Dr. Haya Al-Noaimi is an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in Qatar

Haya Al Ghanim is the founder of oola, one of the region’s earliest modest activewear brands. An endurance runner and mother, Haya started oola after experiencing firsthand the lack of technical sportswear designed for Muslim women. What began as a personal need grew into a community-led brand built on performance, functionality, and cultural respect. Designed in Qatar, oola continues to evolve through direct feedback from women who move, train, and live in it.
 
Beyond oola, Haya’s career has focused on building innovation ecosystems and supporting entrepreneurs through a range of programs and initiatives.
 
She holds a bachelor's degree in molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, with a focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

She is the Deputy CEO of ParagonCorp, Indonesia’s leading beauty corporation that owns the pioneer halal beauty and strong personal care brands in the industry, Alhamdulillah, ParagonCorp has been leading the World’s Largest Muslim Beauty Company.   dr. Sari is a visionary leader, and entrepreneur whose life’s work bridges science, faith-based values, and purpose-driven innovation. As one of the Co-Founders of Paragon Technology and Innovation, she has been instrumental in shaping Wardah into a globally respected halal beauty brand—rooted in research excellence, ethical principles, and meaningful social impact.  Trained as a Consultant Dermatologist and Venereologist, dr. Sari brings a rare depth of medical rigor into the beauty industry. Her clinical background anchors Wardah’s commitment to evidence-based skincare, dermatological safety, and continuous R&D advancement. Under her leadership, science is not positioned merely as a technical function, but as a moral responsibility—to care for skin, dignity, and well-being holistically. She has led the implementation of advanced technologies at ParagonCorp, such as Skin Genomic Research, Microbiome Technology, and Neuroscience Technology, collaborating with hundreds of global experts.  Sari is also known as a prominent advocate for the "Halal as a Lifestyle" concept on the global stage. In 2025, Dr. SariChairunnisawas a featured global speaker at The Business of Beauty Global Forum held in Napa Valley, California (Stanly Ranch, near Napa), USA.  Participated in “Our Place in Culture: Inside the Halal Beauty Boom”, where she articulated why halal beauty is more than ingredient compliance—it’s about culture, identity, ethical processes, and meaningful impact across global markets. Her legacy is defined not only by what she has built, but by how she leads—with humility, clarity of purpose, and an unwavering commitment to creating beauty that uplifts humanity. Through her work, she continues to inspire a new generation to believe that true success lies in serving others, advancing knowledge, and leaving a positive mark on the world.   She earned her medical degree (MD) in 2008 and completed her specialization in Dermatology and Venereology (Sp.KK, now Sp.D.V.E.) in 2014, both from the University of Indonesia. 

The Chief Executive Officer of the MySDG Foundation, where she leads Malaysia’s efforts to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She mobilises capital and strategic partnerships in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, and the United Nations to deliver high-impact solutions for unserved and underserved communities.  She is also the Founder of the Malaysia Philanthropic Network, a coalition of 22 philanthropic organisations advancing collaboration and effectiveness across Malaysia. With over 20 years of experience in social impact and development, Anita is widely recognised for her expertise in policy development, social financing, strategic planning, and cross-sector collaboration.  Previously, she was a founding staff member of the Hasanah Foundation, where she led socioeconomic and humanitarian portfolios, including coordinating approximately USD 75 million for Malaysia’s COVID-19 response. Anita has worked with the United Nations Development Programme and MERCY Malaysia. She holds a Master’s in Social Development from the University of East Anglia and an LLB from the University of Cardiff. 

 CEO, Yayasan PETRONAS, Malaysia

Influencer and ParagonCorp-Wardah Brand Ambassador

 Cadar Mohamud is the founder and host of The Digital Sisterhood, a global podcast and digital platform amplifying the voices and lived experiences of Muslim women. Since its launch, The Digital Sisterhood has reached over 2 million streams across more than 100 countries, offering a transnational space where Muslim women’s narratives function as digital counterpublics that challenge dominant representations and media discourse.     Her work examines storytelling as a site of cultural production and resistance, with a focus on digital counterpublics, intersectionality, and faith-rooted narrative practices. 

Retno L.P. Marsudi is a prominent Indonesian diplomat who served as Foreign Minister of Indonesia (2014–2024). During her tenure, she oversaw the 10th World Water Forum in Bali (2024), leading to a consensual Ministerial Declaration, and represented Indonesia in key international roles, including as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2019–2020), President of the G20 (2022), and Chair of ASEAN (2023).  She also served as Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands (2012–2014) and to Iceland and Norway (2005–2008), gaining extensive experience in diplomacy and international relations.  Mrs. Marsudi earned her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Gadjah Mada University (1985) and pursued specialized studies in European Union Law at Haagse Hogeschool, The Hague, and Human Rights Studies at the University of Oslo. Her career reflects distinguished leadership and dedication to advancing Indonesia’s role and influence in global diplomacy. 

Maryam Al Kuwari is an Assistant Professor at Qatar University.

Sarah Al Derham is Teaching Assistant at the Gulf Studies Centre in Qatar University, 

Jawaher Al-Shammari is a Professor at Qatar University

Was appointed Minister of Social Development and Family in November 2024. Previously, HE Al Nuaimi served as the Minister of Education and Higher Education from October 2021 until November 2024.

Her professional career includes a wealth of experience in the field of education. Within Qatar Foundation, HE Al Nuaimi served as President of Pre-University Education from 2016 to 2021. During her presidency, HE Al Nuaimi played a key role in developing innovative programs, and establishing specialised schools and centers.

HE Al Nuaimi holds an Executive MBA from HEC Paris and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Education, with a major in English, from Qatar University.

Fairouz Ziani is the presenter and supervisor of “The Rest of the Story”, Al Jazeera’s pioneering Arabic program since 2016.     Several episodes of the program have achieved major journalistic exclusives, most notably the first interview with “Caesar of Syria” following the fall of Al-Assad regime.     Fairouz, an EMMY® Award winner, has received 26 international awards for her work as the program’s presenter, producer, and supervisor      Before joining Al Jazeera, she worked as a journalist and media professional and she began her career at Al Jazeera in 2000, presenting news and several programs, including: “Between the Lines”, “Only for Women”, “Revolution Talks”, “Beyond the News”, and “Backstage”.      She took part in numerous live news coverages from Doha and various locations around the world and has presented and moderated many seminars and discussions at international forums.    

Dr. Muna Ali, a Somali-American anthropologist with a PhD from Arizona State University

Dr. Fella Lahmar is an Assistant Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar.      

Dr. Sümeyye Parıldar is an associate Professor at Istanbul University.  

Dr. Dina Taha is an Assistant Professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.    

Aalaa Abuzaakouk is the deputy director of the Millennium Leadership Program at the Atlantic Council.  

Layla El-Wafi is a senior international lawyer specialising in finance,  sustainability and culture. She is also the founder of Actionism Advisory based in Dubai.    

Guzelya Marisova is a French Uyghur author and founder of Luminihsan.  

Asma Khawar Khawaja is the founder of Sherzan Foundation  

Razzan Alagraa is a talented calligraphy artist studying with Deen Arts Foundation and One Nuqta.

Dr. Zainab Talha is a scholar and Qur'an reciter at Al Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women   

Dr. Zainab Alwani is an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Howard University School of Divinity (HUSD).   

Dr. Maryam Alsada is a post-doc academic fellew at Al-Mujadilah Center and Mosque for Women 

Dr. Rania Awaad is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Stanford University