Speakers’ Biographies
Challenge of Islam: Role and Responsibilities of Muslims in America
Professor Akbar Ahmed
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed is currently the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University in
Washington DC, the First Distinguished Chair of Middle East and Islamic Studies at the US Naval
Academy, Annapolis, and a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He has taught at
Princeton, Harvard, and Cambridge Universities and has been called “the world’s leading authority on
contemporary Islam” by the BBC. He has advised General David Petraeus, Ambassador Richard
Holbrooke, and other US agencies on Islam and foreign policy. He is regularly interviewed by CNN, NPR
BBC, and Fox and has appeared several times on Oprah. He is the author of over a dozen award-winning
books, including Discovering Islam, which was the basis of the BBC six-part TV series called “Living
Islam.” Following up on his critically acclaimed Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization, his latest
project, based on extensive fieldwork, has resulted in a full length documentary, Journey into America,
shown at several film festivals and the book, Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam (Brookings
Press, July 2010).
Frankie Martin
Frankie Martin is an Ibn Khaldun Chair Research Fellow at American University's School of International
Service. His research interests include Islamic-Western relations, religion and culture in Africa, and
American foreign policy. In 2006, Martin traveled across the Muslim world to study global Islam for the
book Journey into Islam, conducting field research among diverse groups, including madrassa students
in India, Somali refugees in Kenya, and then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. As part of his work on
Journey into America he traveled to 75 US cities and 100 mosques to study Islam in the United States
and its relationship with American identity. Frankie Martin has addressed diverse audiences on IslamicWestern relations, including the British House of Commons, the Brookings Institution, the Washington
National Cathedral, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He has been interviewed by media outlets
including the BBC, Al Jazeera, and the New York Times, and has also advised American lawmakers and
officials at the State Department, FBI, and DHS.
Imam Talib Shareef
Talib Shareef is the resident Imam and CEO of Masjid Muhammad, Washington, DC. Masjid Muhammad
is known as the Mother Masjid for many Muslims in the Washington, D.C. area. It was the first mosque
built under the leadership of Elijah Muhammad (Nation of Islam) in 1960. Masjid Muhammad continues
to flourish today under the legacy of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed (Late). Earlier in his career, Imam
Shareef served in US Air Force as Chief Master Sergeant for 30 years. He received his MBA in Business
Management from American Intercontinental University.
Professor Sulayman Nyang
Professor Sulayman Nyang is a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. Originally from the
Republic of the Gambia in West Africa, his career as an Africanist and professor of African Studies spans
more than 32 years. He joined the faculty of the African Studies Department at Howard University,
shortly after graduating from the University of Virginia with the Masters of Arts in Public Administration
and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Government in 1974, while lecturing as Assistant Professor at Howard
University. Nyang has held administrative academic positions at Howard University, and as Chairperson
and Acting Director, contributed to several expert panels on African Affairs, handling a wide range of
topics, including cultural, political, religious and social affairs. Nyang contributions to African affairs,
transcends the scope of the academic world as he has served as First Secretary and Head of Chancery of
the Gambian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and consultant to the World Bank and United Nations agencies.
He has held several positions as chairperson or member of the board of academic journals, and
organizations of Islam and African affairs. He was the Lead Developer of the “African Voices Project” for
the Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institute, and Co-Principal Investigator of “Muslims in the
American Public Square,” Project, an initiative to foster greater understanding of Islam and Muslims in
the US. Professor Nyang has published profusely on a variety of issues affecting Africans in Africa, the
diaspora, and beyond. He has written or collaborated with other Africanists to write 11 books, and
more than 70 articles on Islam, African political, cultural, and development affairs. He is a dedicated
scholar who works tirelessly for African causes, and mentors younger scholars, through intellectual
collaboration, and encouragement to foster continuity in the field.
Melody Fox Ahmed
Melody Fox Ahmed joined the Georgetown University Berkley Center in June 2006 and serves as the
Director of Programs and Operations. Her responsibilities include overall Center management, student
programs such as the Junior Year Abroad Network and Undergraduate Fellows, and interfaith outreach.
Previously she worked at the Corporate Executive Board and with the Buxton Initiative, an interfaith
dialogue organization in Washington, D.C, and studied and worked in Spain, Mexico, and Brazil. She
received her B.A. from Vanderbilt University and her M.A. in Global, International, and Comparative
History from Georgetown University, with a focus on Latin America and the Muslim world.
Rabbi William Rudolph
Rabbi Bill Rudolph has been with Congregation Beth El since 1983. He served on a part-time basis most
of that period, during which he was Associate International Director of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish
Campus Life. He was elected as Beth El's Rabbi in 2001.
Rabbi’s leadership philosophy is simple. He says he learned most of it from his days at Hillel: Offer the
richness of the Jewish tradition in as many ways as possible; Build a big umbrella that can include people
with diverse backgrounds and viewpoints; Offer alternatives for services/education/ socializing, one size
doesn’t fit all; Do everything with quality.
Rabbi has been very active in interfaith activities and was instrumental in designing and offering courses
on Islam at his congregation Beth El in Bethesda, Maryland.
Umar Akbar Ahmed
Umar Akbar Ahmed, Esq. is an Attorney in the United States and is a member of The Honourable Society
of Lincoln's Inn in London. Umar is a graduate of The George Washington University Law School where
he was awarded the Thomas Buergenthal Scholarship.
Umar has worked with McMahon & Associates in Washington, D.C. on complex state and federal level
civil and criminal cases as well as international law and transactions. Umar also has experience working
on complex civil litigation including a case recently brought against the Syrian government for abuses
against Syrian citizens. Umar additionally practices immigration law in his private capacity. Umar’s work
in these legal fields has resulted in his successful appearance in a number of courts, including the
Superior Court of D.C. and the Arlington Immigration Court where he recently reversed a deportation
proceeding in favor of his client.
In the public sector, after working for two U.S. Congressmen and being promoted twice to the position
of Policy Advisor and Legislative Counsel, Umar has experienced the key aspects of policy making, the
legislative process and federal law, such as working on an Amicus Brief and drafting three major bills,
including legislation on consumer protection and violence against women.
Umar is committed to the rule of law, human rights and interfaith dialogue and a frequent public
speaker on these issues. He has appeared on TV as a legal expert and served as a panelist at several
major conferences, such as the International Conference on Faith and Service in Washington, D.C.
alongside former Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes, the King of Jordan, and Archbishop Desmond
Tutu.
Imam Magid
Imam Mohamed Hag Magid 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.
Rashad Hussain
President Barack Obama announced the appointment of Rashad Hussain as Special Envoy to the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on February 13, 2010. The OIC is comprised of 56 nations
and is the second largest international body after the UN.
Hussain has also served as Deputy Associate Counsel to President Obama, focusing on national security,
new media, and science and technology issues. Hussain worked with the National Security Staff in
developing and pursuing the New Beginning that President Obama outlined in his June 2009 address in
Cairo, Egypt. Before joining the White House, Hussain was a member of the legal staff for the
Presidential Transition Team. He previously served as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Earlier in his career, Rashad Hussain was a legislative assistant on the House Judiciary Committee, where
he focused on national security-related issues.
Hussain received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Upon graduation, he served as a Law Clerk to Damon J. Keith on the U.S. Court of Appeals. He also
earned his Master’s degrees in Public Administration (Kennedy School of Government) and Arabic and
Islamic Studies from Harvard University. He attended college at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. Rashad Hussain’s academic writings have focused on national security, constitutional law,
and civil liberties.
Shireen Zaman
Shireen Zaman is the Executive Director at Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where
she is focused on expanding the organization’s impact and visibility in the policy community and on the
development of new partnerships. Earlier, Zaman served as the Director for the Middle East and North
Africa for Vital Voices Global Partnership, a leading women’s leadership organization. She has worked
with the Office of Iraq Political Affairs at the U.S. Department of State where she focused on political
and civil society development. Ms. Zaman completed her M.A. at the School of International Service at
American University, where she focused on public diplomacy and U.S. relations with the Muslim world.
Haris Tarin
Haris Tarin is currently the director of the Washington DC office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. He
was raised and educated in Southern California where he received his undergraduate degree in Liberal
Studies/Education at the California State University of Northridge. Haris is currently pursuing his
graduate work.
Haris has been active in the Muslim American community for over 13 years. In his capacity as the DC
Director of MPAC he engages various agencies within government including the White House,
Department of Justice, State Department, Department of Homeland Security and offices on Capitol Hill.
He has spoken at various conferences, media outlets and symposiums on topics such as Islam and the
role of the Muslim American community in the public sphere, Muslim American Identity, US-Muslim
World Relations, Role of the Muslim American Community in Policy Formation, Religion and Public Life,
and Civic Engagement.
He is also co-founder of the Ehsan Center, a multi-generational dynamic Muslim American community
established in Southern California to develop an indigenous Muslim American identity and experience.
Haris was a first responder to the disaster zone in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with Islamic Relief.
He currently resides in Washington, DC, with his wife, Ghada Khan, and two children Hanan and Rayyan.
Anwer Hasan
As a community leader, Mr. Anwer Hasan started the Howard County Muslim Council ten years ago that
inspired and spawned additional councils functioning in Baltimore, Montgomery, Anne Arundel,
Frederick, Prince George’s, Harford Counties and Baltimore City. He served as a President of Howard
County Muslim Council for four years and as President of Maryland Muslim Council (an umbrella
organization for the county councils) for the last four years.
Mr. Hasan actively participated in Governor Martin O’Malley’s Transition Team and chaired the
transportation transition team in 2007 and actively participated in Baltimore City Mayor Martin
O’Malley’s and Stephanie Rawlings Transition Teams for the Department of Public Works and
Department of Transportation Transition teams in 2005 and 2011 respectively. He is also a Chairman of
the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern
American Affairs. He also serves on the Governor P-20 Leadership Council for seamless integration of K12 and higher education. For Howard County, he is currently serving on the General Growth Plan Task
Force. Additionally, he served as Chairman of the Requirement Committee for Base Realignment and
Closure (BRAC) Task Forces for Howard County and has served for three consecutive years in the
Spending and Affordability Committee in Howard County.
In his professional life, Mr. Hasan has been with EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc. (EA) for
fourteen years and has assisted the City of Baltimore’s Departments of Public Works and Transportation,
Baltimore City Public School System, DC water, WSSC, Baltimore County and other Clients in the
organization and management of the Capital Improvement Program, which has brought greater
predictability, accountability and identification of deficiencies.