Board of Directors

Dr. Syed Imtiaz Ahmad is currently an Emeritus Professor at Eastern Michigan University. Received Ph.D. (EE, Ottawa, 1967). Served as Head of Computer Division in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Engineering & Technology in Lahore, Pakistan. Also acted as a consultant to local industries, and was a guest lecturer at the West Pakistan Institute of Management and the National Institute of Public Administration. Dr. Ahmad was frequently asked to conduct programs on the national television and radio. Moved to Canada in 1970. Held academic positions in computer science at University of Ottawa and Windsor where he was Professor and Head of Computer Science. Dr. Ahmad has held responsibilities in several professional and social organizations, on both the national and international levels. He has been President of the Computer Science Association (CSA) of Canada. In 1981 Dr. Ahmad joined Eastern Michigan University serving there as Head of Computer Information Systems Department. From 1994 to 1996 also served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering on assignment at IIUM in Malaysia where he was also responsible for data and voice networks, and computing facilities for the entire campus. Dr. Ahmad has authored and edited several books on computer hardware, software, and information systems. He has published numerous technical papers in journals. In April 2015, Dr. Ahmad received an outstanding service award from Eastern Michigan University recognizing him as a person who most impacted the Computer Information Systems Department and its students. He is a member and International Service Director of the Palgrave Rotary Club in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Dr. Ahmad has served ISNA as its President.

M. Affan Badar, PhD, CPEM, IEOM Fellow is a tenured professor, PhD in Technology Management program director, and former department chair in the Bailey College of Engineering and Technology at Indiana State University. He was chair of the Industrial Engineering & Engineering Management department at University of Sharjah from 2016 till 2018. He is also an ABET/ETAC commissioner and Associated Editor for the Engineering Management Journal. He earned a PhD degree in Industrial Engineering (IE) from University of Oklahoma, MS in Mechanical Engineering (ME) from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and MS in IE and BS in ME from Aligarh Muslim University. Before getting elected as the ISNA VP for USA, Dr. Badar served on the ISNA board for two terms: 2020-24 and 2014-18. He was secretary of the board during 2020-24. He has been serving as chair of the ISNA scholarship committee since 2021. He also served on the ISNA election committee in 2022 and from 2014 till 2017. Besides ISNA, he served the Islamic Society of Greater Indianapolis (President, 2012-14), Operations Management Board of Jahangirabad Institute of Technology (2014-18), IMEFNA board (2015-23), Al-Ilm Weekend School (2014-16 and 2018-21), etc. He is the immediate past president of AMSET and has been chair of MET-India N.A. since 2024. He is also serving on few boards in India.

Azhar Azeez was born in Hyderabad, India. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s in business administration (MBA). After a successful career in the corporate world, at General Electric and Capital One, Mr. Azeez transitioned his lifelong passion of serving humanity into his field of world. For 16 years he has served in different capacities as a top executive at Islamic Relief USA. He currently serves as the C.E.O of Muslim Aid USA which is one of the fastest growing Muslim charities in US. Mr. Azeez was elected as the President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) twice, which is the oldest Muslim organization in North America. He is the current treasurer of ISNA. He is also the past President of the North Texas Islamic Council (NTIC), which represents more than 60 Muslim organizations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He is the Founder and the past President of Masjid Al Rahman (Islamic Association of Carrollton, Texas), one of the large mosques in the suburbs of Dallas, TX. He had served in the past on the board of The Islamic Seminary of America (TISA) & North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) Mr. Azeez continuously works towards building bridges between people of various faiths and is nationally known for his interfaith work. He is a well-known public and motivational speaker who travels regularly around the US for local, regional, and national events of various faith-based and humanitarian organizations. He has addressed events, seminars, summits, conferences & banquets in more than 600 communities/cities across US & Canada. Mr. Azeez has engaged and advised three US Presidents – President Joe Biden, President Jimmy Carter, and President Barack Obama and currently resides in Plano, TX with his wife and children.

Sister Malika Khan received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Madras, India and M.S. Biological Science from California State University at Fullerton. She has been actively working in the Muslim community including Muslim Community Association (MCA) board, MCA Renovation committee, MCA Women’s committee, Senior Club of MCA Board, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) SF Bay Area Executive Board, MSA and ISNA, ISNA West Zone Conference Program Chairperson, and has helped in the establishment of mosques and Islamic Schools; organized fundraisers and other community events. She has been politically active – meeting and writing to Government officials on various local, state and national issues. She has also worked as a precinct captain during presidential election and volunteered with local Congressmen and public officials.

Samar Arabi Katbi is a dedicated educator and community advocate born and raised in Syria. In 1998, she moved to the United States with her family, motivated by her commitment to her son’s education. With a background in teaching, she spent several years instructing third-grade students. Samar’s journey took her to Kuwait, where she established the first Arabic-speaking Montessori school, fostering an enriching educational environment. Upon returning to the U.S., she volunteered at a weekend school, where she developed a robust Arabic and Islamic curriculum to serve the needs of her community. With a vision for nurturing future generations, Samar founded Minaret Academy and currently serves as the board chair. Through her leadership, the Academy focuses on providing a culturally relevant and inclusive education for its students. In addition to her work with Minaret Academy, Samar is also a volunteer with Sunrise USA, where she collaborates with organizations to support Syrian refugee children who have been affected by the conflict. Through this initiative, she strives to ensure that these children have access to education and a brighter future. Samar’s tireless contributions to education and her dedication to her community continue to make a significant impact.

Farhan Syed earned his master’s degree in computer engineering and Juris Doctor (JD). He has held national and local leadership positions including as the East Zone rep for MSA national, Board member of CAMP Chicago, board member of CIOGC, board member in Al-Fatih Academy, ADAMA Center Government relations Committee, board member of Pearls Academy, and East Zone rep for the Islamic Society of North America.

Faisal Qazi is a neurologist in southern CA and resides in north Orange County with his wife and three children. Qazi considers service to his community a key personal mission in life. He has been engaged in civic, interfaith, academic and non-profit works extensively throughout his career. He was appointed on the State of CA’s Commission on Aging in 2020 and has been reappointed by Governor Newsom as of 2024. He was a former candidate for his local City Council and a past DNC Delegate for Bernie Sanders in 2020. He is also one of the founding Board Member of Initiative on Islam and Medicine, which focuses on cultural competency issues as well as research and education involving medical ethics. In 2015, in the aftermath of the tragic mass shooting in San Bernardino, Dr. Qazi spearheaded a campaign that raised $200,000 for the victims and their families on behalf of the American Muslim community, one of the largest sums collected for this cause. In 2011, Dr. Qazi co-founded and continues to serve as the President of MiNDS (Medical Network Devoted to Service), a community service non-profit based in southern CA that provided free of cost specialty healthcare to those with neurological disabilities and now focused on health education. He served as the President of American Muslim Health Professionals in 2012, a national public health organization. Earlier in his medical career, as a resident-in-training in Detroit, he co-founded HUDA Free Clinic in 2003 to provide services in an area of the city where healthcare was not readily available. Qazi is affiliated with Western University and Univ. of CA, Riverside as an Assistant Professor of Neurology. While contributing to the education of medical students, he maintains a private group practice at The Neurology Group (TNG), which is also a sponsoring institution for a neurology residency training program under his leadership. Qazi’s work has been featured in interviews to NPR, CNN, LA Times, Washington Post, Orange County Register, Voice of America and PBS. His columns have been printed in various journals. He has received the honor of being listed amongst the Best Doctors regionally and he was the recipient of Courage in Justice Award from the Providence Health System in 2016.

Yusuf Kahloon is the incoming MYNA President and a freshman at Harvard University studying physics and electrical and computer engineering. He has been involved in MYNA since he was 11 years old and grew up in Lexington, KY. He has also worked on magnet fabrication for neutron experiments at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Patricia Zahirah Salahuddin, A retired educator with more than 35 years of experience, has taught middle and high school students in public and Islamic schools. Dr. Salahuddin serves on several national and local boards, including the Clara Mohammed Schools Network, Islamic Schools League of America (ISLA), vice-Chair, Salah Tawfik, Board member, and the South Florida Muslim Federation Executive Committee. She also serves as a team leader for People Acting for Community Together (PACT), a grassroot organization that promotes justice and equality for members of Miami-Dade County. In March of 2022, she was awarded the ISNA Education Forum Lifetime Service Award. She is the author of several articles related to education in Muslim Schools, and the author of the book: Character Education: A Case Study of a Muslim School’s Curricula. She is a mother of five and a grandmother of seventeen.

Rafique Ahmed, MBA, is a data management and analytics specialist with over 30 years of experience across a variety of consumer focused sectors including public health, food and beverage as well as recreation and leisure. He began his career in Bangladesh where he coordinated management information systems for family-planning-related public health projects, assisted by USAID. Rafique is currently the president of Oceanstone Consultants, a boutique financial planning and tax advisory firm based in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. He also manages Data Analytics at Pioneer Distribution. Rafique has been a member of ISNA USA and ISNA Canada for over 20 years. His hobbies include reading, travelling, gardening, as well advocating for youth education. Rafique has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Dhaka and a Masters of Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration (University of Dhaka).