ISNA is proud to share with our community at large
the young and diverse new group of ISNA leaders elected to the
Majlis Ash-Shura this September. A mix of American born and
foreign born Muslims were elected by ISNA members with a broad
range of ethnic diversity and ages.
"The diversity and
youth of our new leadership point to the healthy direction ISNA is
taking as it strives to lead the development of the Muslim
community in America and bring new and fresh ideas to the table.
ISNA members have elected a new group of leaders that more
adequately represent the diversity of the American Muslim
population," stated ISNA Secretary General Safaa
Zarzour.
The newly elected leaders join 16 current Majlis members and
comprise a young and motivated segment of the community, with ISNA
President Imam Mohamed Magid and ISNA Vice President Azhar Azeez
both under the age of 42. Additionally, a new milestone was
reached this election season as ISNA members elected the youngest
person ever, Asma Mirza aged 26, to the
Majlis.
Below you will find
more information on our new leaders, including:
ISNA President: Mohamed Magid
ISNA Vice President-USA: Azhar Azeez
ISNA Majlis Member: Asma Mirza
ISNA Majlis Member: Ihsan
Bagby
ISNA Vice
President-Canada: Mohamed Bekkari
ISNA President: Mohamed
Magid
Imam Mohamed Hagmagid
Ali is a Sudanese-born American who came to the United States in
1987. He attained his religious education in various Islamic
disciplines as a Resident Scholar at Al-Medina Institute.
Currently serving as the Executive Director of the All Dulles Area
Muslim Society (ADAMS), Imam Magid helped establish exemplary
religious services for Muslim communities across the nation to
emulate. He has much experience serving the nation-wide Muslim
community as ISNA's East Zone representative and as ISNA Vice
President prior to his election in September 2010 as ISNA
President. Imam Magid has a long history of commitment to public
service through organizations, such as The Peaceful Families
Project, Annual Twinning of Mosques and Synagogues, Fairfax Faith
Communities in Action, Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan
Washington Assembly and the Buxton Interfaith Initiative.
Imam Magid strives to create and foster dialogue and increase
understanding about Islam. Part of his work with the Buxton
Interfaith Initiative included forging a partnership with Rabbi
Robert Nosanchuk, then leader of the Northern Virginia Hebrew
Congregation in Reston. Both men were recognized by the
Washingtonian as "2009's Washingtonians of the Year" for building
bridges between their faith communities. Imam Magid continues to
provide good counsel for the Muslim community through his regular
contributions to ISNA's magazine, Islamic Horizons, as well as a
speaker and leader of discussions on imminent issues facing the
Muslim American community. He is also well known for his family
counseling expertise. Imam Magid lives in Virginia with his wife
and five young daughters.
ISNA Vice
President-USA: Azhar Azeez
Born in 1971 in Hyderabad, India, Azhar Azeez
earned an MBA from Newport University. He currently serves as the
national head of community fund development for Islamic Relief
USA. Mr. Azeez has chaired various ISNA committees, including the
ISNA Youth Committee, and has served as a zonal representative and
member of ISNA Executive Council for the Central Zone. He is the
founder and President of the Islamic Association of Carrolton and
also the founder and past President of the southwest chapter of
CAIR. Mr. Azeez has served the Muslim Community Center for Human
Services and is known for his motivational speaking among US-based
nonprofit organizations. He is also the founder and moderator of
the weekly Global Newsletter and has written articles for several
newspapers and magazines.
ISNA Majlis Member:
Asma Yaqub Mirza
Asma Yaqub Mirza is an American born Muslim, living
in Virginia, who recently earned her MBA from the University of
Maryland. At the age of 26, Ms. Mirza is the youngest person ever
elected to a leadership position with ISNA. She currently works as
a strategy consultant and has a track record of successful
leadership in her roles as founder of the MSA Legacy Fund and as a
founding member of the 'Campaign Civil Rights" at Georgetown
University, where she received her BSBA in Business Management.
Ms. Mirza has actively supported the positive growth of ISNA as the
2007-2009 MSA President and a previous committee member on the ISNA
Majlis Youth Committee, Annual Convention Program Committee,
Secretary General Search Committee (2007-2010) and as an ISNA
convention and conference speaker.
ISNA Majlis Member: Ihsan
Bagby
Born in 1948 in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Ihsan Bagby is
a well respected scholar and professor of Islamic Studies who
currently serves as Professor of Islamic Studies at the University
of Kentucky. Dr. Bagby received his PhD in Near Eastern Studies
from the University of Michigan and has numerous publications and
research projects related to mosques in America. He currently
leads the 2010 Mosque Study, in collaboration with leading
institutions of research, education, and religion. Dr. Bagby has
served the Muslim community for decades as a committed ISNA member,
previous ISNA Acting Secretary General, board member of CAIR
National and Secretary General for MANA. Dr. Bagby currently
resides as a professor in Lexington, Kentucky and serves on the
ISNA Chaplain Endorsement Board and as a member of the Fiqh Council
of North America.
ISNA Vice
President-Canada: Dr. Mohamed
Bekkari
Dr. Mohamed Bekkari was born in Morocco in 1947 and
currently resides in Ottowa, Ontario as a registered child clinical
and school psychologist for the Timiskaming Child and Family
Services. Dr. Bekkari has dedicated his life to education and the
positive growth of the North American Muslim community, serving for
more than thirty years on various ISNA committees, MSA boards, and
as the current President of ISNA Canada. Dr. Bekkari is involved
not only at the national level but is also actively involved in the
local communities of Ottowa and Edmonton in Canada.
To learn more about Imam Magid, please
visit the ISNA website. You will find a full
biography, statements from interfaith, community, and government
partners he has worked with and recent press coverage of the Imam
and his exemplary work.
On our website,
you will also hear directly from the Imam and learn what he has to
say about extremism, Islamaphobia, his vision for ISNA and America,
and what it means to be American.
