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Meet the President

Dr. Tamara Gray is a founder of Rabata and currently serves as President, faculty, and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Gray holds a Doctorate in Leadership from the University of St. Thomas, a master’s degree in Curriculum Theory and Instruction from Temple University, and spent twenty years in traditional learning spaces studying Islamic studies, Quran, and Arabic in Damascus, Syria.
Dr. Gray is also an author and translator. Her publications range from several culturally-appropriate English language curriculum programs to translations of sacred texts. She has authored two books: Joy Jots: Exercises for a Happy Heart, and Project Lina: Bringing our Whole Selves to Islam and co-translated A Compendium of the Sources on the Prophetic Narrative by Samīra Zayid.

More about Dr. Tamara Gray

Board of Directors

May Gaafar
Dean of Academic Systems & Records

May Gaafar is a mom of 4 residing in Houston, Texas. Originally from Egypt, she grew up in Montreal, Canada, where she finished her studies in Biochemistry. She loves everything Rabata and she currently runs the administrative side of the Ribaat Academic Institute and serves as a Rabata women’s halaqa teacher. In addition the Ribaat Teacher Certification, May holds an Ijazah in the Forty Hadith of Imam Nawawi. She is creative and enjoys designing fliers for Ribaat. She enjoys working with kids as a Sunday’s program teacher, Girl Scout troop leader and Cookie Mom. She loves to travel, the sea, snorkeling and diving.

Eamaan Rabbat
Dean of Academic Affairs
Eamaan Rabbat

Eamaan Rabbat is the Education Director at Rabata and has served as Director of the Ribaat Academic Institute since its founding in 2013. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications with concentrations in Advertising and Journalism and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Education and holds a Ribaat Islamic Studies Teacher Certification and an Ijāza in the Forty Hadith of Imām Nawawī. With over thirty years of global experience in education, she has held a variety of roles in schools and educational institutions and continues to teach both adults and youth as she leads Rabata’s education programs.

Maha Gaafar
Dean of Student Affairs
Maha Gaafar

Maha Gaafar serves as the Dean of Student Affairs at Ribāṭ University, leading student services teams and supporting the education of thousands of Ribāṭ students across the globe. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Concordia University, a master’s in Higher Education from the University of North Texas, and the Ribaat Teacher Certification. She has been a part of the student affairs department at Ribaat Academic Institute since 2014 in addition to 20 years of experience teaching youth and adults.

Heather Elsayed
Dean of Admissions
Heather Elsayed

Heather Elsayed serves as the Admissions Officer at Ribāṭ University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Women’s Studies. She earned a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies from Bayan Islamic Graduate School, a Professional Certificate for College Admissions for Emerging Leaders, and the Ribaat Teacher Certification.
Heather is a published writer whose research focuses on Muslim stories and Islamic history. She is currently pursuing a PhD, further advancing her commitment to scholarship and academic leadership.

Soofia Ahmed
Board Chairwoman

Soofia Ahmed serves as board vice chair, Chicago chapter lead, and a Daybreak Press volunteer. Dedicated to the pillars of service and education, Soofia has led teaching initiatives for street children in India, taught in UK Islamic schools, and has taught in both public and private schools in the US. She has also spoken at Amnesty International, National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and Islamic Society of North America conferences. She was one in sixteen American students to receive an internship regarding the promotion of religiously pluralistic mentalities through Interfaith Youth Core and was invited to the White House by Hillary Clinton as part of the Generation Change youth initiative. She was both volunteer and program coordinator for Indian Muslim Relief and Charities’ Summer Volunteer Program. She also facilitated “Humari Dunya,” an interfaith service initiative to India through Worldfaith. She was invited to Oprah Winfrey and Good Morning America shows to speak regarding issues of faith. Throughout her college, she received the prestigious Founder’s Day Medal of Honor and the Niebuhr Center’s Gandhi Internship for International Justice. In Scotland, she worked as the Black and minority ethnic lead support worker at Inverness Women’s Aid. She was Inverness Masjid’s coordinator of women’s, children’s and new Muslim affairs and outreach.

She graduated from Elmhurst College with honors, majoring in secondary education, English literature, and intercultural studies with a social justice focus and a middle school history teaching certification. She holds an M.S. in project management. Soofia is currently a curriculum developer at Rabata and is the project lead for Rabata’s Leadership and Legacy educational campaign. She teaches the next generation of positive cultural change makers through Rabata’s Dragonflies and Rabateens youth programs. She received her Islamic studies teachers certificate from the Ribaat Academic Institute in 2023 and is pursuing the Ribaat scholars certification. She teaches Islamic Studies at a local Islamic school and is also a licensed real estate broker in Illinois.
Rukia Sheikh-Mohamed
Board Vice Chairwoman

Rukia Sheikh-Mohamed is a resident of Minnesota, where she has been fortunate to spend the majority of her life. As a mother, founder, financial coach, and student of knowledge, she finds fulfillment in the simple joys of life.

In her current role as co-Founder & lead instructor at HMR Solutions, Rukia feels privileged to contribute to the education of minority youth in coding and software engineering. She recognizes the importance of creating opportunities for underrepresented communities and is continually inspired by the transformative power of education.

In her personal journey of growth, Rukia is engaged in the study of Islamic Sciences at Ribaat.

Outside of her professional and academic commitments, Rukia cherishes the moments spent with her family and delights in the beauty of travel. Her goal is to continuously learn and grow, both as an individual and as a member of the global ummah.

Advocating for personal development, Rukia sees herself not only as a student but also as a guide encouraging others to strive for their best selves. With blend of technical expertise and operational insight, she believes in the value of working collaboratively and supporting one another.

In her downtime, Rukia enjoys engaging in fun DIY projects, finding joy in the creative process and the satisfaction of bringing ideas to life. Her hope is to inspire others through her journey, recognizing that every person has a unique story to tell and lessons to share.

Rukia Sheikh-Mohamed feels honored and humbled to contribute to fostering positive cultural change through her varied experiences and sincere dedication on Rabata’s board of directors.

Sabriyya Shaw
Board Secretary

Sabriyya Shaw is the founder of The Nafisa Project, an organization dedicated to the spiritual and personal development of young Muslim Women based in Memphis, Tennessee. She works as an Islamic Studies teacher at Pleasant View School, and a coordinator of ALIM’S FRAMES program. She is pursuing a Masters of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy from Bayan Islamic Graduate School. She holds a bachelors in Psychology from the University of Memphis, and graduated from Tayseer Seminary in 2021. From a young age, her interest in learning Deen pushed her to study with local teachers and attend Deen intensives across the country. Her love for community service led her to cofound the Midtown Mosque mobile food pantry at 16, serve on youth and community service projects, and volunteer with Muslim nonprofits locally and nationally.

Filsun Moussa
Board Treasurer

Born in Austin, Texas, Filsun Moussa is a first-generation Somali American who calls Memphis, TN, home, where she resides with her husband and two children.

Filsun Moussa is a Sr. Manager at Medtronic\’s Cranial and Spinal Technologies Operating Unit, where she leads Regulatory Operations and Data Strategy. She has a BSc in Biology from the University of Memphis and an MBA in Data Analytics from Louisiana State University – Shreveport. She holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute. 

Besides her regulatory expertise, Filsun Moussa is passionate about community engagement and empowering Muslim professionals to show up authentically in the workplace. She has over 13 years of corporate experience and a wealth of knowledge and expertise. As a certified life coach by the Adwam School of Life Coach, Training, and Certification and a #IamRemarkable trained facilitator, she conducts workshops to help people develop confidence and communication skills. Filsun is dedicated to empowering people, especially underrepresented groups, to navigate their careers, celebrate their achievements, and challenge the social norms around self-promotion.



Amanda Hasan
Board Member

Amanda Hasan is a family services and education professional with extensive experience supporting children, families, and diverse communities through relationship-centered, culturally responsive practice. Currently serving as a Family Services Teacher with Head Start at Community Action of Washington County, she builds trust-based partnerships with families, conducts needs assessments and goal planning, and connects households with essential resources. Her work emphasizes compliance, accountability, and measurable outcomes through careful documentation, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and data-informed decision making.

Her background includes roles in special education and classroom teaching across elementary, middle, and high school settings. She has provided one-on-one academic and behavioral support to students with IEP and 504 plans, designed differentiated curriculum, and led advising and mentoring programs that strengthen student confidence and performance. She is known for strong family communication, student advocacy, and collaborative teamwork, and has coordinated multicultural and community engagement initiatives that increase inclusion and visibility.

She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science in History with minors in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Portland State University, and is currently completing a Master of Arts in Islamic Studies at Chicago Theological Seminary via Bayan Islamic Graduate School. She has also contributed to successful grant efforts, including a $45,000 foundation grant supporting Native youth cultural programming and a $5,000 professional development grant for Islamic Montessori educators. Her work is grounded in equity, service, and long-term community impact.

Sakinah Alhabshi
Board Member

Chaplain Sakinah Alhabshi is a Muslim interfaith chaplain, relational educator, and former corporate executive based in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., with roots in Malaysia. She has two decades of experience in religious education, multicultural chaplaincy/spiritual care, international relations, crisis/disaster response, and leadership development. She is a doctoral candidate (D. Min.) at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Professional Education and Religious Leadership. She currently serves as a hospital chaplain at St. Luke’s Health and as Director and Lead Faculty for Respect Islamic Graduate School’s Family Continuing Studies Program, where her current projects include premarital education courses for the community (@respect_gs).

Chaplain Sakinah holds a Master’s in Islamic Studies and Inter-religious Chaplaincy from the Graduate Theological Union and completed two years of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at Stanford Hospital. Her Islamic formation includes an Advanced Diploma in Islamic Studies from Arees University, and traditional Islamic studies in Yemen, Indonesia, and Malaysia. She also holds an Executive MBA from GE Oil & Gas University (Italy) and a Bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of Rabata, Chaplain Sakinah also serves on advisory boards and provides guidance to several faith-based initiatives, namely the Respect Mosque, CPE programs at Stanford Hospital and St. Luke’s Health, Ziyara Spiritual Care, Yayasan Jariah-Aafiyat Foundation, iLuvQuran Tahfiz Center, Khadijah Learning Center, and Aqwa Healthcare Training & Consultancy.

Chaplain Sakinah is a member of the Association of Muslim Chaplains and is endorsed by the Muslim Endorsement Council of North America. Her recent publications include Spirituality and Religion in Advance Care Planning: Islamic Perspectives (with S. Abdul-Majid, 2024); Ziyara Spiritual Care: International Effort for Spiritual Support and Human Connection (with K. Abu-Shamsieh and T. Surapati, in Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America, 2022); and Spiritual Wellness and Resilience During Crisis (Graduate Theological Union, 2022).

She lives in Pennsylvania with her Turkish husband, stepsons, 50 chickens, cats; and loves hanging out with horses at a nearby farm.

Angelica Lindsey-Ali
Board Member
Angelica Lindsey-Ali, aka The Village Auntie™ is a certified reproductive health educator, public intellectual, researcher, and author whose work sits at the intersection of Islamic spirituality, intimacy cultivation, and emotional well-being. She is known for her culturally grounded approach to love, marriage, and feminine identity, drawing from traditional West and East African societies and the wisdom of our foremothers. Through workshops, rites of passage, and spiritual intensives, Angelica supports women and the men who love them in healing relational wounds, restoring trust, and cultivating sacred intimacy. She is the founder of the Village Auntie Institute and leads a global community drawn to her heart-centered, practical, and spiritually rooted teachings.
Dr. Saadia Mian
Board Member

Anse Dr. Saadia Mian serves as an instructor for the Ribaat Academic Institute and helped launch the Ribaat Quran program. She teaches the Quran memorization class entitled, ‘The Crowning Venture’ and also as a tajwid instructor. She is board-certified endocrinologist and runs her practice, Precision Endocrine.

Anse Saadia traveled to Syria to study Arabic, Quran, and sacred knowledge. She received her ijāza in the Hafs recitation from Shaykh Abu al-Hassan Al-Kurdi (May Allah ﷻ be pleased with him) and also from Shaykh Krayem ar-Raji. She completed the memorization of the Qur’an and is currently working on obtaining an ijāza al-ghaib (ijāza in memorization). She also holds an ijāza in the Forty Hadith of Imam Nawawi (may Allah ﷻ be pleased with him) and the Forty Hadith of Palestine. She is the author of the book, The Crowning Venture: Inspiration from Women Who Have Memorized the Quran along with a companion journal, and also Hormones in Sync which will be released in Fall 2026. She was on the founding board of Rabata and continues to volunteer her time as a halaqa teacher. She graduated as part of the first cohort of the Ribaat Teacher Certification in 2020. She is a certified life coach and has a special interest in transformational leadership to support women to bring their own visions to life.



Shahidah Sharif
Board Member

For the past 20 years, Shahidah Sharif has lived her passion and her purpose as an international servant leader. educator, scholar, entrepreneur, certified doula, and student midwife. Currently serving as the Communications Director for the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam, Shahidah has served the Atlanta community for the past 15 years. Children, women, and families have guided her work. She also serves on the Board of Sisters United In Human Service and Interfaith Atlanta. She is the co-founder of Hajj Pro\’s and has guided hundreds of believers on Hajj and Umrah over the past two decades.

Shahidah Sharif attended the University of Miami and the Mosque Cares study program at the Abu Nour University in Damascus, Syria for a 3-year intensive for Arabic language, Islamic Sciences, and D\’awah, or ministry. A novice gardener and seasoned traveler who always welcomes a good cup of coffee and conversation. Shahidah lives in Atlanta with her husband and business partner and two brilliant children.



Dr. Layla Asamarai
Board Member

Dr. Layla Asamarai is an Iraqi-American clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of trauma. She came to the United States as a toddler when her father began his doctoral studies, spending her early years in Michigan before her family settled in Minnesota. She is the founder and director of The Luminous Mind, a Minnesota-based mental health clinic committed to culturally responsive care through a decolonized lens.

Dr. Asamarai is dedicated to the healing of individuals, families, and communities, with an emphasis on preserving dignity and honoring wisdom. With over 20 years of clinical experience—including nearly nine years of practice in Dubai—she has worked across diverse cultural and clinical settings, including inner-city communities, hospital psychology, community mental health, and with survivors of torture. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Asamarai has extensive experience in program development and in training mental health professionals and, in recent years, has developed a focused interest in Islamic Psychology. In 2016, she authored a chapter titled Utilization of Islamic Principles in Marital Counseling.

In addition to serving on Rabata’s board, Dr. Asamarai currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of New Arab American Theater Works in Minneapolis, Minnesota.



Lubabah Abdullah Esq.
Board Member

As a long-time attorney, Ms. Abdullah started her own law practice in 2009 and focused primarily on serving families, through family law, Islamic estate planning, and family-based immigration. She has taught and lectured on Islamic Inheritance, Islamic Family Law, and the intersection between Islamic Law and Civil Law in the United States.

Before embarking on Islamic estate planning, she studied ‘ilm ul-faraid, Islamic estate planning with scholars from Al-Azhar University in Egypt and prominent American-Muslim scholars, including her father, Shaykh Muhammad Nur Abdullah. She has spent decades serving the Muslim American community in Washington DC, Indiana, St. Louis, nationally, and here in Houston where she has made her home the past 5 years.

She served on the board of the Muslim Student’s Association National (MSA National), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA), and as an advisor to the Peaceful Families Project, which is devoted to preventing domestic violence, with a particular focus on Muslim families of diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. She also seved seven years as a working board member of her Islamic School in St. Louis and spent one year, establishing a new campus of that Islamic School.

Much of her work in the nonprofit sector, as well as her own personal law practice, has focused on creating a holistic approach to problems. She firmly believes that in helping a family address not just their legal problems, she is able to provide them the tools necessary to heal themselves, their children, their families, and their communities making us all stronger and more resilient.

She is a licensed attorney in both Missouri and Texas.



Dr. Soraya Ahyaudin
Board Member

Dr. Soraya Ahyaudin works at the intersection of faith, leadership, and institutional formation. She serves as Assistant Director of Learning Design and Programs at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture (CRCC), where she directs the American Muslim Civic Leadership Initiative and leads the development of CRCC’s leadership initiatives, training programs, and public programming for faith and community leaders across diverse religious traditions. Her work advances public understanding of religion and equips leaders to build resilient, just, and equitable communities.

Dr. Ahyaudin holds a Doctor of Education from the USC Rossier School of Education. Her doctoral research examined the resilience of American Muslim women leaders in nonprofit organizations and explored how institutional structures and intersecting identities shape leadership experience and professional sustainability. She also holds a Master of Public Diplomacy from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, a Master’s degree in Science and Environmental Journalism from Universiti Sains Malaysia, and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication (Journalism) from MARA University of Technology, Malaysia. In addition, she holds two ijazah from Rabata in the Forty Hadith of Imam al-Nawawi and the Forty Hadith of Palestine.

Her professional experience spans public diplomacy, educational exchange, and public-sector institutional work. She previously contributed to institutional program development at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, supporting high-level convenings and executive training initiatives. Earlier in her career, she held administrative and public-sector roles within the international office at Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Public Service Department of Malaysia, engaging in cross-border academic collaboration and governmental institutional processes. Collectively, these experiences shaped her sustained interest in faith-informed leadership, diaspora narratives, and the civic role of religious institutions.

In addition to serving on Rabata’s board, Dr. Ahyaudin serves on the PBS SoCal Community Advisory Board and has served since 2017 as a member of the Advisory Board of Masjid Al-Fatiha of America, the first and only masjid established by Muslims from Thailand in the United States.



Sabria Mills
Board Member

Sabria Mills, M.Ed. is a behavioral therapist, coach, and public speaker, who specializes in helping her clients overcome heartbreak and negative behavioral patterns, so that they can once again live purposeful and God conscious lives. After spending nearly two decades working to address the needs of individuals living with physical, mental, and emotional challenges, Sabria continues to advocate for marginalized voices through her platform; The DOPE Muslim Woman LLC. Her work on the platform aims to amplify the voices and experiences of Black American Muslims, while simultaneously working to support the needs of marginalized communities through transformational change and healing.

Sabria’s influence spans hosting transformational workshops, delivering inspiring content on her podcast, “The DOPE Muslim Woman,” and engaging worldwide audiences through her work with heartbreak and healing recovery, communal belonging, and ancestral trauma. Sabria Mills has a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Human Behavior from Georgia Southern University and is a certified behavioral therapist. Sabria has spent several years under the tutelage and direct teachings of Islamic scholars from the Maliki and Shafi\’i schools of Islamic jurisprudence, which has informed her work on human behavior. She is the current CEO of The DOPE Muslim Woman Podcast LLC.



Hazel Gomez
Board Member

Hazel Gomez is a faith-based community organizer and student of the Islamic sciences. She is a Puerto Rican and Mexican Muslim convert of nearly 20 years hailing from Chicago’s westside and currently living in Detroit. Hazel’s passion for studying Islam was heightened while at Al-Azhar University with a delegation of Latino and Latin American Muslim students where they studied a myriad of the foundational Islamic sciences. She began volunteering at Rabata shortly thereafter and has been a Ribaat Academic Institute student since its inception. She teaches in the Rabata Dragonflies and RabaTEENS programs. She also has an ijazah in the Forty Hadith of Imam an-Nawawi.

Hazel is an avid reader of all things about Muslims in America and is interested in the research and creation of an authentic Latino Muslim experience. She also dedicates her time as a convert mentor, non-profit board member, and social justice trainer. Hazel graduated from Loyola University Chicago with double Bachelor’s degrees in Forensic Science and Biology. In 2021, she was named by the Center of American Progress as one of 21 faith leaders to watch: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/21-faith-leaders-watch-2021/

Maryum Rasool
Board Member

Maryum Rasool, MSA, is the Executive Director of the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village (SBEV), a community organization on the north side of Flint, Michigan, that offers both academic and athletic programs to underserved, at-risk youth. SBEV firmly believes that investing in young people is the key to creating compelling and lasting change in our community. SBEV serves over 1000 students and over 10,000 families annually. During her tenure as Executive Director, the SBEV received an award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to support culturally sensitive nutrition education and mitigation of lead poison, partnered with Jaden Smith’s organization to help provide clean water to the residents of Flint as well as securing a community impact award from the NFL Detroit Lions. Additionally, under Ms. Rasool’s leadership SBEV has partnered with Grammy award-winning producers to provide music education to young people. SBEV’s music education work is an award recipient from the Lewis Prize Foundation.

Originally from Boston, Ms. Rasool traveled the world with her family until they eventually settled in Flint, Michigan when she was young. Ms. Rasool has over 20 years of non-profit management experience. Ms. Rasool is committed to serving Flint’s unique neighborhoods and its diverse people. Ms. Rasool serves on the boards of directors for the Wellness Services of Flint, MI., and Rabata, an international women\’s group. On issues ranging from educational and nutritional deficiencies to economic and water crises, Ms. Rasool works tirelessly to transform Flint into a just and equitable city by removing the structural barriers that prevent children from reaching their full potential. She holds an M.S. In administration from Central Michigan University and a BA in organizational communications from the University of Michigan.



Tayyaba Syed
Board Member

Tayyaba Syed is a multiple award-winning author, journalist, keynote speaker, and performer, and thus far, has conducted 150+ literary and faith-based presentations for a variety of schools, communities, and organizations both online and in-person.

She has written 20+ book titles for kids including Encyclopedia Britannica and has had bylines in numerous publications such as NPR, Chicago Parent, and Chicago Crescent. Her most recently published works include The Blessed Bananas, a children\’s picture book, which has won 3 gold literary awards, and her newest board book Hafsa\’s Kisses, winner of the Daybreak Book Award.

Tayyaba has traveled extensively sharing her love for reading and writing. She is known to be a fun storyteller, weaving great lessons and hearts into everything she does.

She has been a student and volunteer with Rabata since its inception in 2012. Tayyaba is the first graduating class to receive a teacher certification through the Ribaat Academic Institute in 2020 and offers many diverse classes online. For the last decade, Tayyaba has been leading a local women\’s halaqah to bring traditional knowledge and a sense of belonging to over 100 moms just like her. In 2021, Tayyaba was elected with the most votes as a member of her local public school district\’s Board of Education. She works at Carriers of Light and lives with her husband and three children in Illinois, where she enjoys being outdoors, exploring nature, and volunteering in her free time.

Naveen Malik
Board Member

Anse Naveen Malik is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in integrative genomics and medical devices. As a former Senior Research Product Manager at Tempus Labs, she led the development of FDA-regulated companion diagnostics (CDx), driving advancements in precision medicine.

In addition to her scientific expertise, Anse Naveen is passionately dedicated to empowering Muslim women by enhancing their financial knowledge and independence. She focuses on providing support, guidance, and easy-to-follow steps toward financial health, helping women make informed decisions and achieve financial freedom.

Anse Naveen holds a Master’s degree in Integrative Genomics from Black Hills State University and a B.Sc. in Communication Sciences from Northwestern University. She began her volunteering journey with Rabata as the Major Gifts Officer, working within the Development team to help Rabata reach new heights. As a Rabata board member since 2025, she continues to pursue her Islamic learning at the Ribaat Academic Institute and programs at the Rabata Cultural Center in Minnesota.