Current Affiliates

Tehseen Lazzouni is the Co-Director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of San Diego (ISB), which she founded in September 2000. Tehseen has spoken in many different venues, including schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and interfaith services and has given interviews to radio, television, and print media. She was born and raised in Southern California and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from San Diego State University as well as a Bachelors degree in Management Science from the University of California, San Diego, where she works as a Financial Analyst. She is a wife and the mother of two wonderful boys, ages twenty-three and fifteen.

 

 

Fouzi was a community activist and volunteer trainer/veteran speaker for the Seattle Islamic Speakers Bureau’s (SISB) parent organization ING for 15 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. After moving to Seattle he co-founded the SISB. Fouzi has conducted Islamic Speakers Bureau Trainings for over 10 years for various organizations across the United States. As a veteran speaker, he has delivered hundreds of presentations in schools, colleges, universities, churches, and other venues on Islam and related subjects.

Reema has volunteered for various organizations in the the San Francisco Bay Area for over 10 years. She was a volunteer speaker/trainer for the Seattle Islamic Speakers Bureau’s parent organization ING and was a founding member of the GiveLight Foundation. She co-founded SISB after moving to Seattle. Reema has conducted Islamic Speakers Bureau Trainings for over 6 years for various organizations across the United States. As a veteran speaker, she has delivered many presentations in schools, colleges, universities, churches, and other venues on Islam and related subjects.

Azra Hussain is the Founder and President the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona (ISBA). Azra trains speakers for the bureau and plans and facilitates educational and interfaith events for ISBA. She is also a speaker and presents mainly on beliefs and practices as well as gender roles in Islam. Azra serves on the Arizona Muslim Police Advisory Board and on the Banner Health Professional Advisory Committee for Clinical Pastoral Education, as well as the steering committees for the Interfaith Network of Scottsdale as well as the tri-faith Salaam Chai Paradise. Azra is one of the founders and a past Board member of the Islamic Center of the Northeast Valley. She has served on the Phoenix FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Board as Vice President and as a Citizen member on the Scottsdale Police Department Use of Force Review Board. She is married and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband and four children.

 

 

Nabeeh Hasan (Him/His) is the Co-Director of the Colorado Muslim Speakers Bureau (CMSB), an affiliate of the Islamic Networks Group (ING). He is active in speaking at and facilitating interfaith efforts, youth development and training speakers, including Colorado’s Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (MILA) and the Colorado Islamic Leadership group. Nabeeh is also a biomedical researcher at National Jewish Health, specializing in genomics of infectious lung diseases. Through speaking about Islam, health and science, Nabeeh has given hundreds of presentations to primary schools, universities, churches, hospitals and professional societies. He currently lives in Denver, CO. Nabeeh represents the Muslim religion.

Syed Ali is the current director and founding member of the Islamic Speaker’s Bureau, Dallas/Fort Worth (ISB-DFW), an independent affiliate of the Islamic Networks Group. Syed is a Network Engineer by profession and provides network design and subject matter expertise on wide ranging wireless technologies. Syed is also an advocate for peace, pluralism, and social justice. He is passionate about community organization and has co-founded and served on the boards of several non-profit organizations to make a difference through positive actions and contributions to society at large.

 

 

 

 

Zulfat Suara is the Chair of the American Muslim Advisory Council of Tennessee (AMAC). AMAC is a statewide organization founded shortly after an anti-sharia bill was introduced in the state legislature in 2011.AMAC’s mission is to foster mutual trust and respect among all people through civic engagement, community building and media relations in order to protect all Tennesseans from prejudice and targeted violence. For the past 5 years, AMAC has worked to foster collaboration among the many mosques and with the larger community. Zulfat is a Certified Public Accountant and is the Assistant Controller at Meharry Medical College. She started the Hardeman County Chapter of Junior Achievement- A program that have benefited thousands of Hardeman county students. She is a past state president of the Business and Professional Women of Tennessee, treasurer of the National Women Political Caucus and board member the PENCIL Foundation. She was appointed by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry as a commissioner on the Metro Action Commission. Among her recognition and awards is the FBI Directors community leadership award, MPower Change- 100 Muslim Social Justice Leaders in the US and Jackson Sun’s 20 Most Influential Women in West Tennessee. She was inducted into the Tennessee Women Hall of Fame in October 2015. Zulfat is married to her wonderful husband of 27 years, and they are blessed with five children.

 

 

Dr. Deborah S. Abu-Alrub was born and raised in Huntsville, AL. She is a Certified Nurse Practitioner working in oncology and earned a Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a focus on depression in cancer patients. She has been an active member of the Huntsville Islamic community for over 25 years and played an active role in opening the Islamic Academy of Huntsville. She is a board member of the Interfaith Mission Service (IMS) in Huntsville, AL. Deborah has worked with IMS over the past 15 years as a speaker for interfaith dialogues as well as organizing and volunteering in community-wide events that promote understanding of diverse faiths and cultures. Deborah works with civic organizations, city leadership groups, churches, universities, and schools to help bring together members of her community through dialogue and understanding.

 

 

Dr. Soraya Orady has a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. She has held several faculty, research, and consulting positions. Since 1988, Soraya has been the general manager of her own international business. She has a long record of volunteer work with the Muslim Community of Ann Arbor, Michigan, having been a member of the Board of Directors of the full time Islamic school and principal of Sunday school, and a member of the community outreach committee. Dr. Orady has given numerous presentations and public speeches about Islam and Muslim culture during the last 12 years. Her audiences have included teachers, social workers, physicians and hospital staff, university students, public school students, church members, senior citizens, and members of community centers.

 

 

Shakila Ahmad is president of the board of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati (ICGC) and an enthusiastic community leader who has dedicated herself to numerous civic and community causes. An active member of ICGC’s board of trustees since 1995, Ahmad employs the Center’s Tours and Talks program to educate law enforcement personnel, businesses, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and community leaders about Islam and Muslims. She is a dedicated supporter of interfaith and outreach efforts, and has served as board chair of BRIDGES for a Just Community. Additionally, Ahmad serves on the executive board of directors of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Ohio Humanities Council, YWCA Cincinnati, and the United Way of Greater Cincinnati.

 

 

Shabana has volunteered as the Tours and Talks Director at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati (ICGC) for fifteen years. She holds an MBA degree from Xavier University. Shabana founded Cincinnati Muslim Women in 2008 with the goal of addressing public lack of understanding about Muslims and has run the charity for the past nine years. She is also the mother of three teenagers.

 

 

 

 

 

Afshan Haque is the founder and director of the Islamic Speakers Bureau of New York, an affiliate of ING. ISB-NY serves the metro NYC area. Afshan joined the Long Island Multi Faith Forum in 2006, where she served as a speaker on interfaith panels. Afshan has been giving presentations about Islam for over ten years in New York. She’s dedicated to educating the public about Islam and Muslim culture.

Dr. Haque received her DDS degree at NYU College of Dentistry. She attended NYU College of Arts and Sciences for her undergraduate degree an is a Stuyvesant High School Alumna. She opened her dental practice in 2013 in West Harlem. Dr. Haque has volunteered in developing countries around the world providing dental care to underserved populations. She has worked with Humanitarian NGO’s around the world such as Medico, CDRS, and SOS Children’s villages. In her free time, Afshan likes to dance, travel, and spend time with friends and family.

 

 

 

Seham Abdala is an engineer by trade. She is married and has three children who were all born and raised in the USA. She worked at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a Johnson & Johnson company, for over twenty years. Seham was one of the leaders who launched the first fully automated blood bank instrument in the world. She received several Johnson & Johnson R&D awards for excellent performance and teamwork. She has taught Arabic and Qur’an at the Islamic Society of Central Jersey weekend school for over twenty years. Seham took early retirement recently from Johnson & Johnson and is focusing her efforts on the New Jersey Islamic Networks Group where she serves as a volunteer officer and a certified speaker.

 

 

 

Zehra Wamiq is a founding member and executive director of the Delaware Valley Speakers Bureau, an ING affiliate based in Pennsylvania, serving the Greater Philadelphia area, parts of Delaware and Southern New Jersey. She has been involved in many community development projects and currently serves as co-chair on the outreach committee of Circle of Hands, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing intercultural and interfaith understanding in and around Wilmington, DE. She also serves as chair of the diversity committee of a Montessori School in Wilmington, DE. Zehra has a bachelor degree in Political Science from University of Karachi, Pakistan. She later studied Interior Design at Delaware College of Arts and Design.