The People

COMPASS Faculty

Dr Hatem Bazian

Dr. Hatem Bazian, received his Ph.D. in Philosophy and Islamic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, Bazian is a senior lecturer in the Departments of Near Eastern and Ethnic Studies, and an adjunct professor of law at Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. He teaches courses on Islamic Law and Society, Islam in America, Religious Studies, and Middle East Studies. In addition to Berkeley, Dr. Bazian is a visiting Professor in Religious Studies at Saint Mary's College of California and advisor to the Religion, Politics and Globalization Center at UC Berkeley as well as Zaytuna Institute.

Dr. Bazian is known for being an organic intellectual, a term used for academics directly connecting their research to the people; rather than looking down from the ivory tower. Dr. Bazian's most recent book, Jerusalem in Islamic Consciousness, is a reflection of his desire to contribute to a better understanding of Muslim attachment and informed political attitudes toward the Sacred City and Palestine in general. As an activist, Dr. Bazian has played a significant role almost in every human and civil rights movement in the Bay Area, nationally and internationally including the defense of Affirmative Action in California, American With Disabilities Act, Anti-Apartheid, Anti-Globalization Movement, and Central American Solidarity struggles.

Dr. Bazain worked as Editor in Chief of Discourse Magazine, a monthly progressive publication in SF and post 9-11, co-hosted "Islam Today," a 94.1 KPFA, KBFB in Berkeley and KFCF in Fresno weekly radio magazine show covering Islam and its diverse people around the world. Since September 11, he has appeared in many TV and Radio interviews, offered frequent commentary on current affairs and is a regular consultant for the San Francisco Chronicle on stories relating to Palestine, the Arab world, Islam, Muslims and world politics.

Dr Altaf Husain

Altaf Husain has a PhD from the Howard University School of Social Work, focusing on Muslim immigrant and refugee adaptation in the United States. He is a double alumnus of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Social Work, respectively. Altaf is a board member of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) and Islamic Social Services Association of the US and Canada (ISSA). He is also a licensed social worker in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

He has served Vice President - US (1997-1999) and two terms as President (1999-2001, 2001-2003) MSA National. He has also served on the Board of Advisers of MSA National and is a staff member of COMPASS, the MSA National Training Program. He currently resides in northern Virginia with his wife and two sons.

Sr Omaira Alam

Born in Scotland, raised in Toronto, Canada, Omaira has been teaching for almost 10 years in public, private, and Muslim schools. She graduated with a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto with a double major in Neuroscience and World History. She then went on to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, an affiliate of U of Toronto, for her Bachelors in Education. After a brief sojourn to Egypt, she moved to Virginia to complete her Masters in Transition Special Education at the George Washington University, specializing in secondary students with emotional and learning disabilities. She previously served as the Vice President-Canada (1999-2001) and the Exofficio (2001-2003) of MSA National. Omaira currently serves as the chair of the Board of Advisors and is a staff member of COMPASS, MSA National's training program. She has recently returned to Toronto, Canada to continue as an education advisor, teacher trainer and teacher in the public school sector.

COMPASS Staff

Dr Idris Elbakri, Chair

Idris is an assistant professor of Radiology at the University of Manitoba and a medical physicist at CancerCare Manitoba. As an undergraduate student, he served two terms as the vice president of the MSA chapter at Brigham Young University. As a graduate student, he served as the president of the MSA chapter at the University of Michigan and as the vice president of the Islamic Center of Ann Arbor and the director of the Youth Mentoring Network (YMN). He also served as the graduate student representative to the Michigan Student Assembly. As an Alumnus of MSA, he joined MSA National in 2003 and was tasked with establishing a leadership and management training program for Muslim students, and was responsible for launching the COMPASS program in 2005. In addition to serving as the chair of COMPASS, Idris serves as the vice president of the Canadian Islamic Chamber of Commerce Foundation and as the chair of Children's House (a non-profit Montessori preschool). He is a certified workshop facilitator and a guest khateeb at the Winnipeg Central Mosque. He resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with his wife and two daughters.

Sr Amal Killawi

A Detroit native, Amal Killawi completed her Bachelo'rs Degree inPsychology and Masters in Social Work at the University of Michigan.She is a Clinical Social Worker with a special interest in marriageand family issues. Amal works as a counselor at the University ofMichigan's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and conductsresearch on American Muslim health care and domestic violence in theArab American community. She serves as the Editorial Assistant forthe Journal of Muslim Mental Health (JMMH), volunteers for MuslimFamily Services (MFS), and has been active with the Muslim Students'Association for over seven years, serving in varying capacities at thelocal, regional, and national levels including MSA president at HenryFord Community College, MSA Vice President at the University ofMichigan-Dearborn, and Coordinator for the MSA Regional Council of Michigan.Sr Farha TahirFarha is a second year graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying International Public Affairs with a focus on development. Prior to her graduate work, Farha received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, History, and African Studies at UW. She has been involved with MSA National since 2006, first as the Program Chair for the 2006 Central Zone Conference and then as a member of MSA National's Programs Task Force. In addition to MSA National, she is actively involved with the American Learning Institute for Muslims (ALIM) and EDGE Project, as well as various organizations on campus. She is originally from Shorewood, WI.

Sr Asma Ghori

Asma completed her B.S. at the University of Baltimore in Corporate Communication and is currently working part time as a Recruiter for the Rosen Group. During college, she served on the board of her MSA for one year before serving as the MSA National West Zone Representative - USA and MSAWest Treasurer. Asma currently serves as a staff member of COMPASS, MSA National's training program. She resides in California with her husband and son.

Br Mahin F. Islam

Mahin F. Islam was born in Bangladesh and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. His initial foray into MSA work began as the Vice President of the MSA at Columbus State Community College. He eventually went on to serve two terms as an executive board member at The Ohio State University including one term as President. Upon the completion of his term, he served as advisor to the Executive Committee as well as serving as school representative on the Ohio MSA Council until his graduation.

Mahin received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and works as a Reliability Engineer for ArcelorMittal USA. In addition to his work with MSA, he has been active as a volunteer for AlMaghrib Institute seminars since 2004. He currently resides in the greater Chicago area.

Br Zahir Latheef

Zahir Latheef grew up in College Station, TX and obtained a BBA and MS in Accounting from his hometown university, Texas A&M. During this time, he served as President of the MSA, as well as on the board of the local masjid, ICBCS. He has also worked extensively with the MSA Lone Star Council, a coalition of MSAs in Texas, and currently serves as their Outreach Chair. After graduation, Zahir joined Capgemini consulting's Finance Transformation division. His is currently pursuing his doctorate in Management with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior from the University of Houston, He lives with his wife in Houston, TX.

COMPASS Trainers

Sr Atifa Chiragh

Atifa Chiragh was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Marketing and an MBA in Management Information Systems both from Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. She currently works at Honeywell International as a Systems Integration Analyst. Atifa has served as president, advisor and vice president ofthe MSA at UNM. Prior to joining COMPASS, Atifa was an active member of the Programs Task Force (2000 to 2005) and served as the program chair for the MSA Continental Conference in 2004. She has served as Programs Task Force Chair for MSA National since 2008.

Br Mansoor Kazi

Mansoor Kazi graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration. At UNC, Mansoor was the President of the MSA and started an annual charity sports tournament known as Sportsfest. Upon graduation, he worked for Bain & Company, a management strategy consulting firm in Bain's Atlanta and Dubai offices. He has consulted for numerous Fortune 500 companies on issues ranging from cost-reduction to effective organizational management to long-term growth strategies. Mansoor has also been involved with various non-profit organizations, including serving as a board member for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Atlanta (a fellowship program for minorities on wall-street) and IMPACT Atlanta, a strategy consulting group for non-profit organizations. Currently, Mansoor lives in Chicago with his wife, where he is pursuing a JD/MBA from Northwestern University School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management, and is a member of Northwestern Law School's Journal of International Law and Business.

Br Farhan Latif

Farhan Latif is Director of Development in the office of Institutional Advancement at the University of Michigan, Dearborn. Mr. Latif is also co-founder and CEO of Strategic Inspirations, a marketing and consulting firm focused on the development of non-profit organizations. He has consulted with non-profits across the US in areas of brand management, market research, donor relationship management, and strategic planning.

Mr. Latif founded "Unity in Diversity," one of the largest youth organized, annual interfaith gatherings in the Metro-Detroit region. He currently serves as the advisor to the MSA chapter at the University of Michigan Dearborn. Mr. Latif has appeared on numerous media outlets, including ABC, FOX, BBC, LA Times, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Voice of America, the Gulf Times and USA Today.

Residing in Detroit, Mr. Latif is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Public Administration with a focus in Non-Profit Leadership, at the University of Michigan. As a student, he served as president of the Student Government, the Muslim Students Association, and Students United for Peace & Justice. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the University of Michigan's Outstanding Service to the Metropolitan Community Award and certificates of commendation from Michigan's Governor and Senate. It is these sets of skills that Farhan brings to his position as trainer for COMPASS, MSA National's management training program.

Br Mohamed Shiliwala

Mohamed Shiliwala, Esq. is a transactional attorney practicing in Real Estate, Trademark and Corporate Law in the Newark office of K&L Gates. Mohamed also serves as a Board Member for the Association of Muslim American Lawyers (AMAL) and has organized events on topics including Guantanamo detention, immigration law, and Islamic Private Equity. Mohamed brings his specialized experience in communicating with campus administrations, developing creative events with diverse member participation, and easing tensions within an organization and between organizations, to his work as a trainer for COMPASS, MSA National's state-of-the-art management training program. Mohamed graduated cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2007 and as a Ben Franklin Scholar from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 with a double major in biology and biological basis of behavior. While in school Mohamed served as President of the Seton Hall Law MSA, Senator in the Student Bar Association, and Executive Board Member of the UPenn MSA. He lives with his wife in NJ.

Br Moustafa Badreldin

Moustafa Badreldin was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He attended Al-Ghazaly High school and went on to study at Rutgers University, where was an active member of the MSA all four years on campus. He served as President for two years and was onsite chair of the 2003 MSA East Zone Conference and a Life Fundraiser for Palestine that raised over $300,000. In addition to Moustafa's involvement as a COMPASS trainer, he also coordinates the AlMaghrib institute seminars hosted in NJ and serves on the MAS Youth of NJ e-board. Currently, Moustafa works as a paralegal for McDermott, Will & Emery.


	The People
Home About Us The People On Campus Connections Contact Us	You are here: Home >> The People The People COMPASS Faculty Dr Hatem Bazian Dr. Hatem Bazian, received his Ph.D. in Philosophy and Islamic Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, Bazian is a senior lecturer in the Departments of Near Eastern and Ethnic Studies, and an adjunct professor of law at Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. He teaches courses on Islamic Law and Society, Islam in America, Religious Studies, and Middle East Studies. In addition to Berkeley, Dr. Bazian is a visiting Professor in Religious Studies at Saint Mary's College of California and advisor to the Religion, Politics and Globalization Center at UC Berkeley as well as Zaytuna Institute. Dr. Bazian is known for being an organic intellectual, a term used for academics directly connecting their research to the people; rather than looking down from the ivory tower. Dr. Bazian's most recent book, Jerusalem in Islamic Consciousness, is a reflection of his desire to contribute to a better understanding of Muslim attachment and informed political attitudes toward the Sacred City and Palestine in general. As an activist, Dr. Bazian has played a significant role almost in every human and civil rights movement in the Bay Area, nationally and internationally including the defense of Affirmative Action in California, American With Disabilities Act, Anti-Apartheid, Anti-Globalization Movement, and Central American Solidarity struggles. Dr. Bazain worked as Editor in Chief of Discourse Magazine, a monthly progressive publication in SF and post 9-11, co-hosted "Islam Today," a 94.1 KPFA, KBFB in Berkeley and KFCF in Fresno weekly radio magazine show covering Islam and its diverse people around the world. Since September 11, he has appeared in many TV and Radio interviews, offered frequent commentary on current affairs and is a regular consultant for the San Francisco Chronicle on stories relating to Palestine, the Arab world, Islam, Muslims and world politics. Dr Altaf Husain Altaf Husain has a PhD from the Howard University School of Social Work, focusing on Muslim immigrant and refugee adaptation in the United States. He is a double alumnus of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Social Work, respectively. Altaf is a board member of the Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA) and Islamic Social Services Association of the US and Canada (ISSA). He is also a licensed social worker in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He has served Vice President - US (1997-1999) and two terms as President (1999-2001, 2001-2003) MSA National. He has also served on the Board of Advisers of MSA National and is a staff member of COMPASS, the MSA National Training Program. He currently resides in northern Virginia with his wife and two sons. Sr Omaira Alam Born in Scotland, raised in Toronto, Canada, Omaira has been teaching for almost 10 years in public, private, and Muslim schools. She graduated with a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto with a double major in Neuroscience and World History. She then went on to the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, an affiliate of U of Toronto, for her Bachelors in Education. After a brief sojourn to Egypt, she moved to Virginia to complete her Masters in Transition Special Education at the George Washington University, specializing in secondary students with emotional and learning disabilities. She previously served as the Vice President-Canada (1999-2001) and the Exofficio (2001-2003) of MSA National. Omaira currently serves as the chair of the Board of Advisors and is a staff member of COMPASS, MSA National's training program. She has recently returned to Toronto, Canada to continue as an education advisor, teacher trainer and teacher in the public school sector. COMPASS Staff Dr Idris Elbakri, Chair Idris is an assistant professor of Radiology at the University of Manitoba and a medical physicist at CancerCare Manitoba. As an undergraduate student, he served two terms as the vice president of the MSA chapter at Brigham Young University. As a graduate student, he served as the president of the MSA chapter at the University of Michigan and as the vice president of the Islamic Center of Ann Arbor and the director of the Youth Mentoring Network (YMN). He also served as the graduate student representative to the Michigan Student Assembly. As an Alumnus of MSA, he joined MSA National in 2003 and was tasked with establishing a leadership and management training program for Muslim students, and was responsible for launching the COMPASS program in 2005. In addition to serving as the chair of COMPASS, Idris serves as the vice president of the Canadian Islamic Chamber of Commerce Foundation and as the chair of Children's House (a non-profit Montessori preschool). He is a certified workshop facilitator and a guest khateeb at the Winnipeg Central Mosque. He resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with his wife and two daughters. Sr Amal Killawi A Detroit native, Amal Killawi completed her Bachelo'rs Degree inPsychology and Masters in Social Work at the University of Michigan.She is a Clinical Social Worker with a special interest in marriageand family issues. Amal works as a counselor at the University ofMichigan's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and conductsresearch on American Muslim health care and domestic violence in theArab American community. She serves as the Editorial Assistant forthe Journal of Muslim Mental Health (JMMH), volunteers for MuslimFamily Services (MFS), and has been active with the Muslim Students'Association for over seven years, serving in varying capacities at thelocal, regional, and national levels including MSA president at HenryFord Community College, MSA Vice President at the University ofMichigan-Dearborn, and Coordinator for the MSA Regional Council of Michigan.Sr Farha TahirFarha is a second year graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying International Public Affairs with a focus on development. Prior to her graduate work, Farha received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, History, and African Studies at UW. She has been involved with MSA National since 2006, first as the Program Chair for the 2006 Central Zone Conference and then as a member of MSA National's Programs Task Force. In addition to MSA National, she is actively involved with the American Learning Institute for Muslims (ALIM) and EDGE Project, as well as various organizations on campus. She is originally from Shorewood, WI. Sr Asma Ghori Asma completed her B.S. at the University of Baltimore in Corporate Communication and is currently working part time as a Recruiter for the Rosen Group. During college, she served on the board of her MSA for one year before serving as the MSA National West Zone Representative - USA and MSAWest Treasurer. Asma currently serves as a staff member of COMPASS, MSA National's training program. She resides in California with her husband and son. Br Mahin F. Islam Mahin F. Islam was born in Bangladesh and grew up in Columbus, Ohio. His initial foray into MSA work began as the Vice President of the MSA at Columbus State Community College. He eventually went on to serve two terms as an executive board member at The Ohio State University including one term as President. Upon the completion of his term, he served as advisor to the Executive Committee as well as serving as school representative on the Ohio MSA Council until his graduation. Mahin received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and works as a Reliability Engineer for ArcelorMittal USA. In addition to his work with MSA, he has been active as a volunteer for AlMaghrib Institute seminars since 2004. He currently resides in the greater Chicago area. Br Zahir Latheef Zahir Latheef grew up in College Station, TX and obtained a BBA and MS in Accounting from his hometown university, Texas A&M. During this time, he served as President of the MSA, as well as on the board of the local masjid, ICBCS. He has also worked extensively with the MSA Lone Star Council, a coalition of MSAs in Texas, and currently serves as their Outreach Chair. After graduation, Zahir joined Capgemini consulting's Finance Transformation division. His is currently pursuing his doctorate in Management with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior from the University of Houston, He lives with his wife in Houston, TX. COMPASS Trainers Sr Atifa Chiragh Atifa Chiragh was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Marketing and an MBA in Management Information Systems both from Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico. She currently works at Honeywell International as a Systems Integration Analyst. Atifa has served as president, advisor and vice president ofthe MSA at UNM. Prior to joining COMPASS, Atifa was an active member of the Programs Task Force (2000 to 2005) and served as the program chair for the MSA Continental Conference in 2004. She has served as Programs Task Force Chair for MSA National since 2008. Br Mansoor Kazi Mansoor Kazi graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration. At UNC, Mansoor was the President of the MSA and started an annual charity sports tournament known as Sportsfest. Upon graduation, he worked for Bain & Company, a management strategy consulting firm in Bain's Atlanta and Dubai offices. He has consulted for numerous Fortune 500 companies on issues ranging from cost-reduction to effective organizational management to long-term growth strategies. Mansoor has also been involved with various non-profit organizations, including serving as a board member for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Atlanta (a fellowship program for minorities on wall-street) and IMPACT Atlanta, a strategy consulting group for non-profit organizations. Currently, Mansoor lives in Chicago with his wife, where he is pursuing a JD/MBA from Northwestern University School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management, and is a member of Northwestern Law School's Journal of International Law and Business. Br Farhan Latif Farhan Latif is Director of Development in the office of Institutional Advancement at the University of Michigan, Dearborn. Mr. Latif is also co-founder and CEO of Strategic Inspirations, a marketing and consulting firm focused on the development of non-profit organizations. He has consulted with non-profits across the US in areas of brand management, market research, donor relationship management, and strategic planning. Mr. Latif founded "Unity in Diversity," one of the largest youth organized, annual interfaith gatherings in the Metro-Detroit region. He currently serves as the advisor to the MSA chapter at the University of Michigan Dearborn. Mr. Latif has appeared on numerous media outlets, including ABC, FOX, BBC, LA Times, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Voice of America, the Gulf Times and USA Today. Residing in Detroit, Mr. Latif is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Public Administration with a focus in Non-Profit Leadership, at the University of Michigan. As a student, he served as president of the Student Government, the Muslim Students Association, and Students United for Peace & Justice. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the University of Michigan's Outstanding Service to the Metropolitan Community Award and certificates of commendation from Michigan's Governor and Senate. It is these sets of skills that Farhan brings to his position as trainer for COMPASS, MSA National's management training program. Br Mohamed Shiliwala Mohamed Shiliwala, Esq. is a transactional attorney practicing in Real Estate, Trademark and Corporate Law in the Newark office of K&L Gates. Mohamed also serves as a Board Member for the Association of Muslim American Lawyers (AMAL) and has organized events on topics including Guantanamo detention, immigration law, and Islamic Private Equity. Mohamed brings his specialized experience in communicating with campus administrations, developing creative events with diverse member participation, and easing tensions within an organization and between organizations, to his work as a trainer for COMPASS, MSA National's state-of-the-art management training program. Mohamed graduated cum laude from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2007 and as a Ben Franklin Scholar from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 with a double major in biology and biological basis of behavior. While in school Mohamed served as President of the Seton Hall Law MSA, Senator in the Student Bar Association, and Executive Board Member of the UPenn MSA. He lives with his wife in NJ. Br Moustafa Badreldin Moustafa Badreldin was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He attended Al-Ghazaly High school and went on to study at Rutgers University, where was an active member of the MSA all four years on campus. He served as President for two years and was onsite chair of the 2003 MSA East Zone Conference and a Life Fundraiser for Palestine that raised over $300,000. In addition to Moustafa's involvement as a COMPASS trainer, he also coordinates the AlMaghrib institute seminars hosted in NJ and serves on the MAS Youth of NJ e-board. Currently, Moustafa works as a paralegal for McDermott, Will & Emery. Back to top