Haleh is the current Chair of Muslim Women’s Network UK. She is Professor of Politics and Women\'s Studies at the University of York and in 2007 was appointed to serve as a crossbencher at the House of Lords. She has also served on the British Council and the United Nations Association of which she is Honorary President of International Services. She has authored and edited over 15 books and has written extensively on Iran and Iranian politics both for academia and the media in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and South East Asia
Cassandra Balchin (CHAIR)
Cassandra is a freelance researcher, writer and human rights advocacy trainer, specialising in the interconnections between gender, law and culture. She is a convert to Islam and has been involved in initiatives to strengthen women’s rights in Muslim communities for nearly 20 years, as a staff member at Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre in Pakistan, part of the International Council of the international network Women Living Under Muslim Laws and the Planning Committee for Musawah: a global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family.
Fariha Thomas
Fariha has worked in community development and race equality in both the statutory and voluntary sectors in Scotland for over 30 years. She has worked with a wide range of minority ethnic community groups; been involved in providing anti racism and cultural awareness training to a range of organizations; and has coordinated and undertaken research, which has fed into policy development. For the last 15 years Fariha has been involved in the establishment and running of Amina – the Muslim Women's Resource Centre, a Scotland wide Muslim women's organisation of which she is currently a Management Committee Secretary
Parveen Hassan (TREASURER)
Parveen Hassan is Chair of West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership Regional Women’s Issues Group for new migrant communities, Refugees and Asylum Seekers; addressing social inclusion. As West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Group Equality, Diversity and Community Engagement Manager; Parveen’s responsibilities include building public confidence within the Criminal Justice System with 16 years experience in the Equalities field in central government. Parveen pioneered West Midlands Community Engagement Strategy with Muslim Women in addressing Domestic Violence, Forced Marriages and Honour Crimes; an honorary member for West Midlands Association of Muslim Police, served as Faith Advisor for Government Office for London; commissioning the Faith Alliance Grants programme. Parveen participated in the National Muslim Women Advisory Group Civic Skills programme in political leadership. Parveen is Trustee of Birmingham Community Integration Partnership. Parveen won best female employee of the year at the British Asian Hafta Awards 2009 for outstanding contributions; engaging with diverse communities.
Hakmah Ibrahim
Hakmah Ibrahim is English and of mixed heritage; Lebonese (Arab)father/British mother. She converted to Islam last year on 27th Sept 2009, which was a wonderful night of power in Ramadan. She feels that this was the very best decision she made in her life. She has graduated from three Universities, and has a great deal of educational, work and life experience to offer. Her interests have always included active community involvement. At present she works with Somaliland Women/Children's Group; Link Health/Social Care; Joint Forum for Mental Health; Liverpool Women 2 Woman Inter-faith Peace group; and local links between Refugees/Asylum Seekers and local people. She has been active on committees in the past, e.g. housing, health, mental health, women's issues, campaigning groups, (e.g. Gaza). She is interested in lively debate, raising issues, representation and fundraising.
Dua Gemma Ibrahim
Gemma is managing development of services for people with Physical and Sensory Disability in local government. She has expertise in learning disability, mental health, intervention work, physical sensory disability and acquired brain injury. Currently she is working to promote and improve access and equality of services for local minority groups and is focused on giving voice to women in local Muslim communities. She has expertise in issues around sexual minorities and transgender issues and has published on welfare and activism in minority communities. Gemma has worked with and on behalf of a wide range of minority communities in particular refugee families and children of Palestinian origin. Gemma has been a journalist for a community newspaper and published on minority community activism, specializing in equality and social inclusion. She is a current member of the Islah Steering group in Buckinghamshire, a restoration project aimed at Muslim youths for the prevention of violent extremism. She is also a member of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and has worked on behalf of Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association.
Robina Iqbal (VICE CHAIR)
Robina Iqbal is a community worker employed by Birmingham City Council working with Muslim women and children around education, health, confidence building, leisure/social activities and citizenship. For many activities she has to seek funding so filling in funding applications, project management, and evaluations all her responsibilities. Along side this work she has done projects in Mental Health, Capacity Building for community organisations, Ward Development Work and Consulting with NHS on community engagement. She is the chair of Sparkhill Asian Womens Association and WAITS (Women Acting In Todays Society) Policy Forum and a board member of Groundwork UK. She is on many local committees, such as Balsall Heath Childrens Centre, The Rainbow Playgroup. She is hoping to be part of the CEDAW Steering Committee this July. She is an active member of the Institute of Asian Businesses and the MOSAIC mentoring project Muslim Youth.
Mussurut Zia
Mussurut Zia has been involved in the areas of community cohesion, community enhancement and diversity for over thirteen years. During this time she has managed and developed a four year project for disadvantaged women and children in a deprived area of Lancashire. From here she went on to work for Lancashire Constabulary, where she worked initially in Burnley just after the disorder of 2001. This role was centred on community cohesion; dispelling myths; stereotypes; and working with Black Minority Ethnic Women.
Eighteen months ago she set up a community organisation, Practical Solutions, which raises awareness of forced marriage, honour based violence and much more. She currently chairs Lancashire Wide Network for Minority Ethnic Women, and sits on the Corporation Board for Blackburn College. She is also a mentor for young people, through Mosaic Mentoring, and also sits on the Mayors committee for the year 2008/09.
Dr. Iram Sattar
Dr. Sattar is a full-time GP with a keen interest in addressing inequalities in health. Currently she’s involved in setting up an innovative way of treating patients in the community. In her spare time she works for a medical charity running free clinics for the homeless, non documented migrants and commercial sex workers. She has helped run health check stalls for the Muslim community in mosque and bazaars. She is a committee member of a homeless charity. She is an associate member of a community empowerment organisation. Iram has a passion for football and plays for a Muslim women’s football team. She is enthusiastic about teaching and medical education and has co-authored a chapter in a book, ‘Learning to Consult.’ She is undertaking a Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education at Warwick University. She is committed to advocacy for those members of the community who do not have a voice.
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