UK AMBASSADORS

Daisy Khan

Daisy Khan is Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), a non-profit organisation dedicated to developing an American Muslim identity and to building bridges between the Muslim community and general public through dialogues in faith, identity, culture, and arts.  Ms. Khan mentors young Muslims on challenges of assimilation, gender, religion and modernity, and intergenerational differences.  In the aftermath of 9/11, Ms. Khan created interfaith programs to emphasize commonalities among the Abrahamic faith traditions, such as a groundbreaking theatre titled Same Difference and the interfaith Cordoba Bread Fest.

To prioritise the improvement of Muslim-West relations and the advancement of Muslim women globally, Ms. Khan has launched two cutting edge intrafaith programs to start movements of change among the two disempowered majorities of the Muslim world: youth and women. The MLT: Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow and WISE: Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality programs were launched at an international scale in Doha (MLT) and in Malaysia (WISE).  Both programs seek to convene, empower, and build networks in their target groups, and to facilitate the emergence of a leadership that speaks with a credible, humane, and equitable voice in the global Muslim community.

Ms. Khan has recently received major national coverage in the media due to her support of a proposed Islamic centre near Ground Zero.

Dr Khaled Abou El Fadl

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl is one of the world’s leading authorities on Islamic law and Islam, and a prominent scholar in the field of human rights.  He is the Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor in Islamic Law at the UCLA School of Law where he teaches International Human Rights, Islamic Jurisprudence, National Security Law, Law and Terrorism, Islam and Human Rights, Political Asylum and Refugee Law, and Political Crimes and Legal Systems.  He is also the Chair of the Islamic Studies Interdepartmental Program at UCLA.

Among his many honors and distinctions, Dr. Abou El Fadl was awarded the University of Oslo Human Rights Award, the Leo and Lisl Eitinger Prize in 2007, and named a Carnegie Scholar in Islamic Law in 2005.  He was previously appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom, and also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch.

A prolific scholar and prominent public intellectual, Dr. Abou El Fadl is the author of 14 books (five forthcoming) and over 50 articles on various topics in Islam and Islamic law.  He has lectured on and taught Islamic law throughout the United States and Europe in academic and non-academic environments for over twenty years.  Dr. Abou El Fadl is most noted for his scholarly approach to Islam from a moral point of view.  He writes extensively on universal themes of humanity, morality, human rights, justice, and mercy, and is well known for his writings on beauty as a core moral value of Islam.  He is one of the foremost critics of puritan and Wahhabi Islam.

His most recent works focus on authority, human rights, democracy and beauty in Islam and Islamic law.  His book, The Great Theft, was the first work to delineate the key differences between moderate and extremist Muslims, and was named one of the Top 100 Books of the year by Canada’s Globe and Mail (Canada’s leading national newspaper).  His book, The Search for Beauty in Islam: A Conference of the Books, is a landmark work in modern Muslim literature.

Dr. Abou El Fadl holds a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University, a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Islamic law from Princeton University.  Dr. Abou El Fadl is also an Islamic jurist and scholar, having received 13 years of systematic instruction in Islamic jurisprudence, grammar and eloquence in Egypt and Kuwait.

Mukhtar Mai

Mukhtar Mai, began an 11 year ordeal in 2002 after being gang raped on the orders of a Pakistani village council following a false allegation against her 12 year old brother. After the rape ordeal, custom dictated that she should kill herself.  Mai however defied custom and fought to maintain her dignity and to protect other women from abusive traditions.  In an unprecedented act of courage, she took her rapists to court.

Today she is a human rights advocate and a role model for women around the world. With her compensation money she has opened two schools in her village, one for girls and another for boys.  In August 2005, she was awarded the Fatima Jinnah gold medal for bravery and courage by the Pakistani government and was named Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine.  In 2006, Time magazine listed her in the 100 most influential people in the world and she was also awarded the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe.

Following over a decade of proceedings in various Pakistani courts; on 21 April 2011, the Pakistani Supreme Court acquitted five of the six men charged with her rape, while the sixth man’s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.  Mukhtar has vowed to continue her battle despite the odds by applying for a review of the ruling. She holds little hope in securing justice but will battle on leaving no stone unturned in her quest.

Dr Usama Hasan

Dr Usama Hasan is a lecturer in science, engineer-ing & astronomy at Middlesex University and at the Cambridge Muslim College. He has ijaza in Qur’an & Hadith, and holds degrees in Physics and Artificial Intelligence from the universities of Cambridge and London. He is a part-time imam at Tawhid Mosque in London, and was formerly a researcher for the Islamic Sharia Council. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomi- cal Society, and was formerly Planetarium Lecturer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Dr Hasan has translated a number of texts on Islam from Arabic and Urdu into English, including “The Prophet’s Prayer Described,” “The Character of the People of the Qur’an,” “Hajj - The Journey of Love,” and his latest publication, “Way of the Prophet” (Islamic Foundation, 2009). He is also a trustee and former Director of the City Circle, a London-based network of Muslim professionals dedicated to nurtur- ing authentic expressions of Islam in Britain and Europe.

Ms Hanan A Ibrahim MBE

A mother of three, Hanan has lived in the UK for 12 years. 

She founded the Somali Family Support Group (SFSG), a grassroots community organisation serving Somali families, East Africans, Asylum Seekers and Refugees. SFSG aims to promote social inclusion, community cohesion and interfaith dialogue through lifelong learning and education to help overcome barriers to social and civic participation. The organisation
particularly endeavours to advocate for the rights and wellbeing of women and children. We support families and provide positive activities for children and young people especially those
experiencing poverty and exclusion, such as refugees, asylum seekers and new immigrants.

Hanan has worked with many organisations in the UK, including Women Interfaith Network (WIN), The African SANG, Women’s Federation for World Peace, FORWARD, Footprints, Khadija Foundation and Sisters Against Violent Extremism (SAVE) This has enabled her to work with different communities to increase social harmony and dialogue and foster understanding between communities.  Hanan was one of the founding members & Chair of Barnet Muslim Women’s Network where her work spans the different Muslim communities to try and engage women in wider society.  She is former member of National Muslim Women Advisory Group,(NMWAG)  an independent informal group to advise Government on issues that effect Muslim women and empower Muslim women and increase civic participation, economic and social life.  Hanan is also involved in Interfaith dialogues as she works with Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Jain, Buddhist and Baha’i.

SFSG received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of the valuable work it has done in supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the community.

Hanan brings considerable grassroots community experience including operating in two cultures, reaching the disadvantaged that others find hard to reach, making sure that their voices are heard. Hanan is driven by a love of justice and seeks always to correct inequity and unfairness through her work and advocacy.

Her previous experience includes being a member of the National Community Forum, an advisory body which acts as a sounding board for Government Departments especially the Department of Communities and Local Government.

In response to the backlash against Somalis following the 21/07 attempted bombing Hanan started Shaah iyo Sheeko Women Group (tea& Chat), support group that endeavours to promote women’s right by empowering African Muslim women and raise their confidence so they can become positive role models and inspiring leaders within their community. In March 2006 she organised the first International Women’s day Conference which gathered more than 250 women from all walks of life. 

Faced with racism and hate mail, Hanan’s response has always been to develop a project which goes to the heart of the problem.  For example the Taaleen Dialogues was a programme she developed to educate people on the culture, values and contribution of migrant communities.

Hanan is a Vice Chair of FORWARD an organization that promotes right of girls and women on gender issues especially FGM and child marriage.