Who We Are

Sara Khan

Director and Co-founder

Sara Khan is a community development specialist with over 15 years experience of working with the Muslim community on both a local and national level across different cities in the United Kingdom. She has specifically worked with Muslim youth and Muslim women from diverse backgrounds and is well grounded in understanding the needs and issues that affect the British Muslim community. Sara has been leading on a number of innovative projects which have included leadership training, capacity building, women’s rights and the role Muslim women can play in the Prevent Agenda. In 2002 Sara was elected President for a national Muslim Women’s youth organisation for two years. In March 2009, Sara was selected for the Equality and Human Rights Commission Muslim Women’s Power List.

A born human rights activist she completed an MA in Understanding and Securing Human Rights. She has been actively campaigning for women’s rights and in particular Muslim women’s rights. Throughout her life she has campaigned and successfully ensured that Muslim women are given equal participation in all walks of life. Sara is also a qualified hospital pharmacist and has a Masters in Pharmacy.

Sara has participated on the Home Office’s Race Equality Advisory Panel Shadowing Scheme and in September 2005 after the 7/7 bombings sat on the Home Office’s Tackling Extremism and Radicalisation Working Group. Sara has also represented the views of young British Muslim women on a number of trips organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Sara is married and has two children.

Tahmina Saleem

Executive Manager and Co-founder

Tahmina is a passionate social activist who has worked in the voluntary sector for over 17 years. A Law graduate she worked as a Social Researcher for Huddersfield University where she co-authored (with Eric Blythe, Senior Social Research Lecturer) the report ‘Kirklees Young Carers’ - that spearheaded the Kirklees areas provision for young carers in 1996 and which continues to today.

Tahmina was elected chair of the women’s section of a pioneering national Muslim youth organisation with over 1000 members in 1998. Tahmina represented this body at international youth conferences within the US and Sudan. She served for two years in this role.

In 2004 Tahmina chaired the Women’s Participation Advisory Group - a body commissioned by the Islamic Society of Britain to explore means of encouraging Muslim women to become more socially active.

Since the Manningham riots in Bradford in 1995 Tahmina has been involved in cultural awareness training. In 1997 she received a ‘good citizenship’ award from the West Yorkshire Police for her services in training officers from the city of Bradford.

Tahmina chaired the East London One World Festival as part of Islam Awareness Week in 2006. She was appointed the National Coordinator of Islam Awareness Week in 2007 and 2008.

In 2008 Tahmina received an award on behalf of the Inspire team for the design and delivery of the Hounslow Leadership Training for Muslim Women. The award was the Government Office for London Conference Award for Innovation for the best Women’s Project 2008.

Tahmina worked as a consultant with the London Borough of Redbridge from May 2008 – Feb 2009, helping to meet the Local Authority NI35 targets as the PVE Projects Manager. Tahmina lives in Luton with her husband and three young children.

Kalsoom Bashir

Project Manager

Kalsoom has worked extensively for the past 25 years with the Muslim community. This has been in the role of teacher, school governor, community liaison officer, chaplain (Bristol University), and radio presenter on local community radio stations such as Radio Ramadhan, Radio Hajj and Radio Salaam Shalom. Kalsoom has regularly contributed to thought for the day on BBC radio Bristol. In her current role, Kalsoom works at the grass roots level and consults with local community organisations to roll-out her innovative programmes that fall under the remit of the PREVENT programme. Kalsoom is the lead on The Bristol Muslim Women’s Network, Proud2b (youth activities) and has been a member of the National Muslim Women’s Advisory Group to the Government.

Michelle Sushikala Brooks

Head of Research

Michelle is a social scientist specialising in innovative research design and implementation that empowers and amplifies voices within the least heard sectors of society. With a background in overseas development and the emergency aid sector, Sri Lankan born Michelle has developed skills and methods that can optimise project outcomes in rapid-onset social or natural phenomena; working sensitively with participants while delivering on desired policy outcomes. In recent times, this work has been recognised with a first class Bachelor’s degree in 2009 and a Master’s degree with distinction in 2011 around the areas of Belonging and Security. Michelle is currently undertaking a PhD that works specifically with Muslim women in Britain to bring their perspectives, aspirations and concerns to the more dominant debate on citizenship, risk and terror in the public consciousness. With research spanning 3 continents Michelle participates in events and conferences all over the world and in the year ahead she will give keynote presentations in Bath, Edinburgh, New York and Sydney. Michelle’s work is always situated in a framework of social justice and knowledge sharing that responds to the highly charged political climate around women, Islam and extremism with balanced and more nuanced real-world research that seeks to ameliorate concerns on all sides. The research is always disseminated among the participants first and this is a part of the wider project of gender justice that Michelle has always worked hard to secure. There is undoubtedly an activist at the heart of this research and in 2011 Michelle initiated a project with the UN and Save the Children in Colombo, working for the housing and livelihood rights of thousands of Muslim women and children; working alongside government not in opposition, for the best possible outcome. Michelle is married with two children.