Networks that connect the dots

Nadiya Ali is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Trent University. She specializes in Critical Race, Black Studies, Islamophobia, and Anti-Black Islamophobia. Nadiya is passionate about community-action research and working on issues of social justice and inclusion.

Jasmin Zine is a professor of Sociology and the Muslim Studies Option at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her publications include numerous journal articles on Islamic feminism and Muslim women’s studies and Muslims and education in the Canadian diaspora.

Fahad Ahmad is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University. He is an interdisciplinary scholar interested in racialized practices of national security policing; critical terrorism studies; systemic Islamophobia; race and nationalism; civil society and resistance; and the political economy of philanthropy. His scholarship is informed by 15 years of work experience in community and nonprofit organizations in Canada and the U.S.

Amarnath Amarasingam is an Associate Professor in the School of Religion, cross-appointed to the Department of Political Studies, at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada. His research focuses on extremism and radicalization, religion and politics, conspiracy theories, social movements, online communities, and diaspora politics.

Melanie Adrian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Law and Legal Studies (opens in a new tab) at Carleton University. Her research focuses on the question of rights of minorities in religiously, ethnically and culturally diverse societies. She is examining how states integrate or accommodate culturally distinct peoples while maintaining a healthy balance between international and national rights and respect for national values.

Jennifer A. Selby is a Professor in the Department of Religion and Culture, jointly appointed to the Department of Political Science (opens in a new tab), as well as an affiliate member of the Department of Gender Studies at Memorial University. From 2024-26, she is director of MUNL’s Nexus Centre for Humanities and Social Scientific Research (opens in a new tab).

Dr. Selby’s research and teaching engage the politics of secularism, with attention to how they play out in the lives of everyday people.

Nadia Z. Hasan is Assistant Professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies and the Director of the Islamophobia Research Hub at York University. Her research and community work focus on systemic racism and Islamophobia in legal, administrative and discursive regimes and their relation to Muslim life.

Amin Asfari is currently the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan Chair in Police Studies in the Criminology Department at the University of Regina. In this role, he is at the forefront of advancing research and discourse on policing and justice issues in Canada.

Anver M. Emon is a Professor, Faculty of Law and Department of History, University of Toronto. He is a leading scholar of Islamic law who works across multiple legal traditions in both his research and teaching, and brings that scholarly grounding to his consultations for governments, NGOs and legal advocacy groups around the world.

Ahmed Shaheed is Professor of International Human Rights Law in the School of Law and Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex. He directs the Human Rights Centre's Religion and Equality Project, Project on Mobilising A Global Alliance to Counter islamophobia, and the Essex Summer School on Human Rights Research and Practice. He served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief from 2016 to 2022 having previously served as the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran from 2011 to 2016.

Dr. Vinay Khetia is the Academic Director of the Shi'a Research Institute (opens in a new tab) at the University of Toronto, and he teaches courses such as Islam, Christianity and Modernity at the University of St. Michael's College Faculty of Theology.

Raqib Naik is the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, D.C. He is a researcher and expert on organized hate, extremism, disinformation, authoritarianism, and digital harms, with a broader focus on threats to human rights, vulnerable communities, civic space, and democratic institutions.

Tim McSorley (he/him) joined the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group as the coalition’s National Coordinator in November 2016. Combining his passion for civil liberties and social justice with his background in journalism, policy analysis and communications, Tim digs into the impact of government policies and works with allies and partners to fight for change.

IslamicFamily has been an integral part of Omar’s service journey. Omar has worked in non-profit management, global development and for-benefit consulting. He holds an MBA and BSc from the University of Alberta, where he also teaches Corporate Sustainability to MBAs.

Eve is the Executive Director of the Canadian Muslim Women’s Institute (CMWI). She is also a contract instructor at the University of Winnipeg. Her teaching and research focus on the intersections of religion, race, gender, and migration in Canada. Through both academic and community-based scholarship, she explores anti-Muslim racism, multiculturalism, and the politics of belonging. Eve’s work combines theory and practice, advancing equity through education, advocacy, and social enterprise leadership.

Sukaina Dada is the CEO and founder of SMILE Canada, as well as an occupational therapist and researcher working to advance equitable access for families navigating disability and healthcare systems. Her work focuses on disability inclusion, refugee and migrant health, and the power of storytelling to shape more just policies and practices.

Umair Ashraf is the Executive Director of The Canadian-Muslim Vote (TCMV), an organization dedicated to empowering communities through active civic participation and advocacy.

With extensive experience in strategic community engagement, Umair is a leading voice in promoting political awareness and involvement among Canadian Muslims.