Generation Muslim Speakers
Current and Past Speakers
Every generation faces its own set of problems, and this generation is no different. Generation Muslim features speakers with unique life experience to address the issues we face today.
Click on each speakers name to read their bio!
Current Speakers
[toggle_box title=”Dr. Syed ibn Iqbal – Saskatoon, SK”]Dr. Syed ibn Iqbal is currently the Muslim Chaplain at the University of Saskatchewan and is also pursuing a degree in Islamic Studies. He holds a BSc in Biological Sciences and Chemistry from the University of Alberta, as well as a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Syed has been actively involved in Western Canadian Islamic efforts having provided programs, services, lectures, and workshops in Calgary, Edmonton,Saskatoon, and Regina. As the Muslim Chaplain at the University of Saskatchewan he provides counseling services to Muslim students, as well as information to non-Muslims regarding Islam and the Muslim Community in Saskatoon, SK.
Having approximately 10 years of experience in the Muslim Student Association (MSA), he is the outgoing President of the MSA at the University of Saskatchewan in which he served as President for 3 years. He also held a similar position during his undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta. Dr. Syed is the President of NYM Ink, an organization which focuses on promoting Dawah efforts and providing quality Islamic programming throughout Western Canada. Dr. Syed also began producing written publications as of 2007, starting off with a Dawah booklet, namely, ‘Your God is One’ which is now widely distributed across Western Canadian Muslim Student Associations. Furthermore, Dr. Syed has spoken at several programs, conferences, and fundraisers.[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Dr. Reda Bedeir – Burnaby, B.C.”]
Dr. Reda Bedeir has had an avid and extensive academic career in Islam and dawah work. Born and raised in Egypt, Dr. Bedeir received a B.A in English at Ain Shams University in 1987 and an M.A in Simultaneous Interpretation and Written Translation in 1991 from the same university. He then moved forward and earned his Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics at al-Azhar University in 2000. For his Ph.D. thesis, he completed a comparative study of four English translations of the meanings of Surat Yusuf in the Noble Quran. Upon the completion of his Ph.D. he served as Associate Professor in the departments of Linguistics and Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University. During this time he also served as the Chairman of the English Department in the Faculty of Humanities for Women at Al-Azhar University.
In the United States, he taught courses on Islam at Wake Forest University in North Carolina where he was a Fulbright Senior Scholar in 2004. Currently, he is residing in Calgary, Alberta where he teaches at the University of Calgary; is the Muslim Chaplain at Mount Royal College; and is the Imam of the Calgary Islamic Centre.
Furthermore, he holds the position of Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the Sharia Academy of America and is an interpreter with the United Nations. Aside from all of these accomplishments, Dr. Bedeir has also translated a number of books from Arabic to English and vice versa; written a number of scholarly papers within the field of Linguistics and Islamic Studies; and has appeared at a number of international conferences worldwide.
Aside from his extensive academia, Dr. Bedeir has also been actively part of the dawah efforts in Western Canada. He has helped organize and execute many dawah programs in Calgary including lecture series and dawah training workshops, as well as speaking in front of audiences in Edmonton and Saskatoon.
Generation Muslim Appearance:
»Generation Muslim Calgary – July 17th, 2008
»Generation Muslim Edmonton – June 20th – 21st, 2009
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Sh. Riad Ouarzazi – Toronto, ON”]Shaykh Riad Ouarzazi is a very rare find! His energy and passion for teaching is extremely evident in his style and approach. There is never a dull moment in Shaykh Riad’s classroom where you will find him jumping on tables in order to emphasize a point or racing up the stairs with his students. Very active, he likes healthy foods and thinks the other instructors need to hit the gym! His students have dubbed him the heart doctor as he often requests them for their hearts to metaphorically conduct a “bloodless open-heart surgery”.
Shaykh Riad was born in Casablanca, Morocco and, after achieving Islamic education degrees from M. Abdullah University, he moved to the States in 1988, where he pursued a Bachelors in International Management and a Masters of Science in Computer Information Systems. Riad Ouarzazi is an NLP Certified Life Coach practioner. He has delivered several seminars across the globe on Time Management, Anger/Stress Management, Motivational techniques, Leadership skills and other public speaking seminars.
Some of his specialties are:
- Toast Masters Public Speaker
- Certified Time Management from Franklin Covey
- Certificate of Completion from Franklin Covey: Technical Writingtraining course
- Private Life Coach and founder of Serene Life Coaching company
- Marriage Officer and Family Counselor
- Fund raiser and community leader
- Several appearances on various TV educational programs
Education and Certifications
Mufti Aasim Rashid grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and started his formal education in the Islamic sciences at Jaamiah al-Uloom al-Islamiyyah Ajax, Ontario in 1992. After completing five years of intensive studies, he travelled to Dabhel, Gujarat India for higher studies in 1996, then went to complete his ʿālim course in Dewsbury, England and graduated with distinctive honours in 1999. Upon graduation he began his career as an educator, teaching a wide range of Islamic and academic subjects. It was during this period of teaching that he commenced his specialization (takhaṣṣuṣ) in al-fiqh al-islamī and iftāʾ under his professors at Ajax. This specialization continued even after he left Ajax to serve other Muslim communities in Canada. After several years of serving as an imam, educator and public speaker he travelled to Karachi, Pakistan to complete this specialization at the renowned Islamic University at Binnori Town. During his tenure in Karachi he also completed extensive studies and practical instruction in Islamic banking and finance. These studies were conducted in consultation with Mufti Taqi Usmani and under experts appointed by him.
Aside from his certification in Islamic knowledge (ʿālimiyyah), he also holds a degree in iftāʾ and a Masters’ degree in Islamic studies. He has committed the Qurʾān to memory and has been leading tarāwīḥ prayers for many years.
Mufti Aasim Rashid has been graced with ijāzah in all major books of hadith, fiqh and tafsīr from numerous scholars, including Mufti Taqi Usmani, Maulana Safaraz Khan Safdar, Mufti Abdul Salam Chatgami, Dr. Abdul Haleem Nomani, Dr. Taqiuddin Nadwi and his spiritual mentor and shaykh Hazrat Maulana Yusuf Motala.
He has also acquired formal education in alternative medicine, obtaining diplomas in Homeopathy and Naturopathy. He also holds certifications in various other disciplines of natural medicine.
Teaching and Other Engagements
Upon graduating Mufti Aasim Rashid was appointed as a teacher at Jaamiah Ajax, where he served for several years. He taught major books of fiqh, tafsīr and hadith, including Sunan Abū Dāwūd, Sunan Nasāʾī, Sunan Ibn Mājah, and al-Ṭaḥāwī . He has also taught academic subjects such as English and Canadian Law at the senior high school level. From the year 2003 to 2008, he was the Imam at a major Islamic center in Montreal, Quebec, where he laid the foundation for his dārul ʿulūm, which is now known as the Al-Iḥsān Institute of Higher Islamic Education. He continued to teach at Jaamiah Ajax as a visiting professor of hadith, a position he maintains to date.
Mufti Aasim is currently serving as the Director of Religion and Islamic Education for the B.C. Muslim Association, a large Islamic organization operating a wide network of mosques and schools in Canada. He is also teaching and managing his dārul ʿulūm in Surrey, B.C. from which the first batch of qualified scholars will shortly be graduating inshallah.
He conducts weekly lectures on hadith and tafsīr, as well as workshops and seminars on many important issues. He is a well-known speaker at Islamic events, as well as at colleges, universities and interfaith programs.
Writings
Mufti Aasim has compiled several works in Arabic, English and Urdu. He has authored a series of textbooks for learning Arabic Grammar in English, as well as numerous books on important topics such as the sunnah of the beard, Eid sacrifices, ʿAqīdah, Islamic family life, Uṣūl al fiqh, and others. He has compiled a collection of fatwās, legal rulings issued by him, and begun a research on a commentary of the book Sharḥ Maʿānī al-āthār of Imam Ṭaḥāwī –a major text in hadith and Ḥanafī fiqh. Mufti Aasim is also an editor and contributing writer for the Integrated Encyclopedia of the Quran.
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Past Speakers
[toggle_box title=”Imam Mutahhir Sabree – Columbia, U.S.A.”]
Imam Mutahhir Sabree served as one of two full-time Muslim Chaplains for the South Carolina Department
of Corrections, serving in this capacity from 1996 to 2007. He was the contract Imam for the Federal
Bureau of Prisons in Estill, Williamsburg, Bennettsville and Edgefield, SC, and Jesup, GA, Tallahassee, and
Mariana, Florida. His experience in Prison and Community outreach date back to 1976, having served as
a contract Muslim Chaplain for the Connecticut Department of Corrections, serving Hartford Correctional,
Niantic Women’s’ Correctional, and Cheshire Youth Correctional Facilities. He has also served as a certified
addictions treatment counselor for the SC Department of Juvenile Justice, and the Lexington-Richland
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council Drug Court, and New Connections Prison-based Therapeutic Community.
He has been enrolled as a student of the American Open University, and is currently enrolled in the Wisdom
Enrichment Foundation seeking a Masters’ degree in Islamic and Arabic Studies.
He is a graduate of Trinity College of Hartford, CT with a B.A. Degree in Intercultural Studies. After giving
up an aspiring career as a professional Jazz Bassist, he became a Muslim in 1976 and has been active in
Islamic Affairs since that time, serving as an assistant Imam of the Hartford Masjid, and the Principal of
Islamic Schools in Hartford and Columbia, SC.
Imam Mutahhir Sabree originally hails from Washington, DC and currently resides in Columbia, SC where he
has served as the Outreach Coordinator of the Islamic Center of Columbia, and also served as a member of
the majlis ash-Shura, and Assistant Coordinator for the Carolina Islamic Council. He completed his first Hajj
and two ‘Umrah in 2001, and recently completed ‘umrah and Hajj in 2008. His da’wah efforts have taken
him to many cities across the United States, as well as to the island of Curacao, Mexico, Canada, India,
Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. He has also led successful fund-faising events for numerous masajid
and schools throughout the United States and Canada.
He is a regular lecturer on the internationally renowned website “Shareislam.com,” founded by Sheikh
Yusuf Estes, and has appeared as host of the cable broadcast of “Bridge to Faith.”
Sheikh Islam Ali has been active in Islamic work for approximately 30 years. During the course of his dawah work, he has placed a great emphasis on educating Muslim youth and is keen on their achievements in the field of dawah.
Prior to coming to Canada, Sheikh Islam was a part of the Islamic revival movement in the Caribbean and South America. With much of his work in Guyana, he held the position of ameer in the county of Berbice for seven years, and also served as an Imam for two mosques for seven years as well.
During his educational ventures, he has studied under various scholars from the Islamic University of Madina, as well as scholars from the Alimiya Institute in Pakistan. Additionally, he has studied the science of tajweed with Sheikh Saeed Gharsuddeen of Egypt, who has an isnaad of 25 people going back to the Prophet (PBUH).
Aside from being active in his locality, Brampton, Ontario, Sheikh Islam has taken an active role in supporting dawah efforts in Western Canada. He has been actively involved in workshops, camps, conferences, and with Muslim Student Associations across Western Canada. Some of his active engagements in Western Canada include:
- MSA National Conference 2004 in Calgary, AB
- University of Saskatchewan Islam Awareness Week 2004 & 2005 in Saskatoon, SK
- Islamic Studies Symposium 2005 in Edmonton, AB
- AIYC Time Management Workshop for Muslims 2005 in Edmonton, AB
- Camp Sunnah 2005, 2007 and 2008
Generation Muslim Appearance:
»Generation Muslim Calgary – July 17th, 2008
»Generation Muslim Edmonton – June 20th – 21st, 2009
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Dr. Syed ibn Iqbal – Saskatoon, SK”]
Bio coming soon![/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Ibraheem Musa Tijani – Kingston, Jamaica”]
Sh. Ibraheem has a done much of his studies in Medina, including an Associates Degree in Arabic Language from the University of Medina, as well as also being awarded a Bachelor Degree (Major: Aqeedah, Islamic History and Education with a minor in Fiqh, Hadeeth and Tafseer).
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Harith Al-Shiraida – Edmonton, Canada”]
Harith Al-Shiraida comes from a lineage of scholars – where his grandfather, uncle, and father were all Khateebs and respected people of knowledge. It is from his father that his learned much of the Deen – and most importantly where he took his Tarbiyah from.
He attended the University of Alberta where his undergrad was in Religious Studies. He is the former Vice-President and President of the UofA Muslim Students Association, and still continues to the occasional Khutba there.
He is currently working on a second BA in Islaamic Studies, and will Inshaa’Allaah be starting the Masters degree soon in Usool Al-Fiqh from the American Open University.
Harith Al-Shiraida is currently an Imaam at the MCE Masjid in Edmonton, Alberta and has delivered Khutbahs and lectures at various Masaajid in and outside the city, and at various camps.
For nearly two years, he has been delivering a weekly Halaqah detailing the Seerah of the Prophet (SAWS) that has been running at two Masaajid in the city of Edmonton. This series has spanned nearly 70 lectures so far, just recently completing the battle of Badr.
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Abu Taubah – New York, USA”]
Abu Taubah is a highly decorated U.S. Marine Corps veteran, prolific translator, teacher and motivational speaker who has studied classical Islamic texts and has tazkiyyah from some of the great scholars of our time who have taught him the craft of teaching.
He has been able to take his military education and extract what coincides with Islam and merge it with his Islamic education. He has met and studied with many scholars, activists, and duaat from around the world. He also credits his family for instilling in him the love of learning and for providing him with the academic foundation that has helped him gain his extensive experience in both the Eastern and Western educational systems.
Born and raised in New York city, he hails from a legacy of education. Emerging in slavery when his family achieved their freedom due his 5th grandfathers knowledge of Medicine. Everyone of his predecesors since then has been involved in the education process, Abu taubah continues this tradition as he has been given permission by his teachers to speak on basic subjects of this deen and some of these (ijaazaat) include the major works of: Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhaab regarding Aqeedah, the 40 Hadeeth of Nawawi, Umdatul Ahkaam, The Quraan, the science of Tajweed, Basic Tafseer, Arabic Grammar & Morphology, Fiqh, Usool Fiqh, Usool Hadeeth, as well as classical works in Hadeeth.
As the former head of Darussalaam Publications Research Department he; wrote the English commentary for Riyaadhus Saaliheen and Buloog al Maraam, edited the audio Quraan in the Arabic-English format, and wrote the audio-narratives known as “The Golden Series of the Companions of the Prophet.” In addition to this, many know him as the voice of Baba Salaam, the electronic-game that teaches English and Arabic. He currently resides in New York City where he is the Director of the Fundamental Islamic Knowledge Seminary (FIKS) www.thefiks.org.
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Shiekh Alaa ElSayed – Toronto, Ontario”]
Sheikh Alaa was born in Cairo and lived in Egypt until he was 15 years old. During his youth, he spent his time as the goalie for the Junior National Team and moved to Canada in the late 1970’s, where he lived in Toronto.
Sheikh Alaa worked as a Vice-President of Business Development for an international company, and during this time he competed and placed first in the 1992 Bermuda Triathlon.
Sheikh Alaa has studied for his Bachelors in Shari’ah from the American International University, and has earned a scholarship from the Shari’ah Academy in Egypt/Florida. Sheikh Alaa has also received his Ijazah of Qur’an recitation for Hafs an Asim, studied comparative religion for five years through the IPCI in South Africa, and was on the board of director of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.
Sheikh Alaa currently lives in GTA (Greater Toronto Area) with his wife and three children. He is a member of Canadian Council of Imams; he’s also a member of Horizon Interfaith Communication Media Council. Prior to this he was an Imam for Muslim Council of Calgary and acted as its media spokesperson. He has hosted Vision of Islam, a weekly television show which runs throughout Alberta, Canada. He also appeared as a speaker on Islam on various television channels. Sheikh Alaa was a member of the Calgary Multi-Faith Committee, and a member of the Muslim Christian Dialogue Committee. Sheikh Alaa received the Alberta Centennial award by the Alberta Government in 2005, granted to him for his outstanding service to the Alberta community.
Currently Sheikh Alaa is the Director of Religious Affairs for the Islamic Centre of Canada-ISNA. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director for the Canadian Islamic Congress. Sheikh Alaa is tutor with AlKauthar and is also the director of internal & external affairs for Mercy Mission world.
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Kamal El Mekki – Baku, Azerbaijan”]
Kamal El Mekki is a well-known Islamic speaker and lecturer in the United states. He has studied with numerous scholars from around the world and is currently the Imam of George Mason University. He is mostly popular for his dawah workshop, “How to Give a Shahadah in Ten Minutes”. The workshop is six hours long and has been taught across the United States and throughout the world. It has been attended by thousands and has led hundreds into Islam. He also teaches a number of intensive courses designed for youth and has many lectures especially in the field of Islamic history.
Generation Muslim Appearance:
»Generation Muslim Edmonton – June 20th – 21st, 2009
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”William ‘Abdullah’ Chappelle – California, U.S.A.”]
William “Abdullah” Chappelle is a former Christian and brother of the famous comedian Dave Chappelle. He accepted Islam after reading a passage in the Qur’an that made his conscience humbly submit to the words of The All-Mighty. After accepting Islam and traveling throughout the Muslim world in search for an Islamic teacher, he returned home to find that other members of his family have embraced Islam.
Generation Muslim Appearance:
»Generation Muslim Edmonton – June 20th – 21st, 2009
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Sheikh Islam Ali – Toronto, ON”]Sheikh Islam Ali has been active in Islamic work for approximately 30 years. During the course of his dawah work, he has placed a great emphasis on educating Muslim youth and is keen on their achievements in the field of dawah.
Prior to coming to Canada, Sheikh Islam was a part of the Islamic revival movement in the Caribbean and South America. With much of his work in Guyana, he held the position of ameer in the county of Berbice for seven years, and also served as an Imam for two mosques for seven years as well.
During his educational ventures, he has studied under various scholars from the Islamic University of Madina, as well as scholars from the Alimiya Institute in Pakistan. Additionally, he has studied the science of tajweed with Sheikh Saeed Gharsuddeen of Egypt, who has an isnaad of 25 people going back to the Prophet (PBUH).
Aside from being active in his locality, Brampton, Ontario, Sheikh Islam has taken an active role in supporting dawah efforts in Western Canada. He has been actively involved in workshops, camps, conferences, and with Muslim Student Associations across Western Canada. Some of his active engagements in Western Canada include:
- MSA National Conference 2004 in Calgary, AB
- University of Saskatchewan Islam Awareness Week 2004 & 2005 in Saskatoon, SK
- Islamic Studies Symposium 2005 in Edmonton, AB
- AIYC Time Management Workshop for Muslims 2005 in Edmonton, AB
- Camp Sunnah 2005, 2007 and 2008
Generation Muslim Appearance:
»Generation Muslim Calgary – July 17th, 2008
»Generation Muslim Edmonton – June 20th – 21st, 2009
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Mutah ‘Napolean’ Beale”]
Mutah Beale, better known as Napoleon, is a former member of Tupac Shakur’s rap group the Outlawz.
One day while recording in a studio, a fight broke out between him and his brother. A Muslim in the studio broke up the fight and inquired about Mutah’s name asking if he was Muslim. Although Mutah never practiced Islam or knew any of its tenets, he replied in the affirmative due to his hearing about his parents being Muslim. This struck a chord with Mutah, who then began researching Islam. After being inspired by Malcolm X’s journey to the Holy Land of Makkah, Mutah decided to make the Hajj pilgrimage himself. While in Makkah, Mutah discovered a sense of inner peace that he had never felt in his life even with all the fame and money he had achieved. He decided that this was the way of life he wanted to follow, and began becoming more involved with his religion until he eventually completely left the entertainment industry in hopes to avoid the evils of it, and live according to his religion to the utmost of his ability. He currently travels around the world warning people of the dangers associated with hip hop culture, and reminds people about the reality of life.
Generation Muslim Appearance:
»Generation Muslim Calgary- July 17th, 2008
[/toggle_box] [toggle_box title=”Shiekh Alaa ElSayed – Toronto, Ontario”]Sheikh Alaa was born in Cairo and lived in Egypt until he was 15 years old. During his youth, he spent his time as the goalie for the Junior National Team and moved to Canada in the late 1970’s, where he lived in Toronto.
Sheikh Alaa worked as a Vice-President of Business Development for an international company, and during this time he competed and placed first in the 1992 Bermuda Triathlon.
Sheikh Alaa has studied for his Bachelors in Shari’ah from the American International University, and has earned a scholarship from the Shari’ah Academy in Egypt/Florida. Sheikh Alaa has also received his Ijazah of Qur’an recitation for Hafs an Asim, studied comparative religion for five years through the IPCI in South Africa, and was on the board of director of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth.
Sheikh Alaa currently lives in GTA (Greater Toronto Area) with his wife and three children. He is a member of Canadian Council of Imams; he’s also a member of Horizon Interfaith Communication Media Council. Prior to this he was an Imam for Muslim Council of Calgary and acted as its media spokesperson. He has hosted Vision of Islam, a weekly television show which runs throughout Alberta, Canada. He also appeared as a speaker on Islam on various television channels. Sheikh Alaa was a member of the Calgary Multi-Faith Committee, and a member of the Muslim Christian Dialogue Committee. Sheikh Alaa received the Alberta Centennial award by the Alberta Government in 2005, granted to him for his outstanding service to the Alberta community.
Currently Sheikh Alaa is the Director of Religious Affairs for the Islamic Centre of Canada-ISNA. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director for the Canadian Islamic Congress. Sheikh Alaa is tutor with AlKauthar and is also the director of internal & external affairs for Mercy Mission world.
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