Uodated 28 December 2011
The Insight publication is changing. Following the feedback and comments received from the survey in the previous edition, the editorial board has been expanded to deliver content that will be of interest to our readers.
The editorial team will aim to publish three times a year containing a variety of topics ranging from Islamic Education to Health and Current Affairs, offering a balanced unbiased viewpoint, along with the regular updates on the activities of The World Federation. A key element of the publication will be to have reader contributions in the form of articles or letters to the editor.
We hope to have the first issue of this revamped style of Insight with you by April next year being themed on Tableegh.
We urge you to send in articles or letters either related to the theme or otherwise by the end of January 2012, or any other feedback to communications@world-federation.org
Hasnain Ramji states, “It is an exciting time for the Insight publication with a new editorial team offering a broader range of skills and ideas. I am looking forward to a publication with a variety of articles targeted to all audiences in tune with its readers needs.”
The editorial team is as follows:
Hasnain Ramji
Hasnain Ramji was born in 1986 in Birmingham, UK. His father, Mustafa, originally from Tanzania, migrated to the UK in 1977 and his mother, Fatima, from Uganda first migrated to Karachi, Pakistan before marrying and moving to the UK to settle in Birmingham. Hasnain is the second of their two sons and he is married to Nasreen from Dar es Salaam.
Hasnain attended The King Edward’s VI School in Birmingham where he achieved top grade results in all ten GCSEs, AS Levels and all four A Levels subjects. He also obtained several awards during his time at secondary school including: three Gold UK Mathematics awards. He then went on to study Optometry at Aston University where he graduated with a BSc honours degree; and is now a fully qualified optometrist. He has since undertake postgraduate studies and is due to complete his MSc in Cataracts and Refractive Surgery with Ulster University after which he will commence his PhD at Aston University. He currently works as a clinical supervisor for final year students at Aston University and a locum optometrist.
Hasnain has been an active volunteer in Birmingham Jamaat and is currently a member of the CoEJ Education Committee in which he has been involved with organising and running various projects and the chairing of some of its events. He has previously been a mentor at the CoEJ AS Level camp, was a speaker at the UCAS seminar and attended the Sweden camp as a mentor and administrator. He has also taken part as an optometrist in several health screening events held by the CoEJ Health Improvement Board.
Husayn Abbas
Husayn Abbas is a second year Politics and Economics student at Lancaster University. Husayn enjoys writing about various issues particularly issues relating to Politics and Economics. Growing up Husayn volunteered in different Jamaat activities and he was part of The Journey Home team that went to India to show the work done by The World Federation. Since then Husaynwas part of the CoEJ Media Team and he has volunteered on various community projects such as The Sweden Camp.
Zakira Shyrose Jaffer Dhalla
Zakira Shyrose Jaffer Dhalla,B.A (hons), M.Ed., is a graduate of York University (Toronto, Canada) and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Sociology and a Masters Degree in the field of Education. A published freelance writer, playwright, motivational speaker and Anti racist Educational counselor by profession, she conducts workshops on Race and Cultural sensitivity and often appears on TV program panels and radio talk shows to speak on Race Relations.
She has written, produced and directed several original dramas and stage productions in English, Urdu, Gujurati and Katchi. Currently a columnist and writer for Africa Federation Samachar, she has written for textbooks, magazines and publications such as the Toronto Star and Islamic Insights, and has served for 10 years as Features reporter for Toronto's Ja'ffari News. She also writes daily blogs on the internet and on facebook.
Her article, based on her personal experiences with racism, entitled "I Ain't Sitting Beside HER!" was first published in the Toronto Star in 1993 and has since been anthologized in over 30 textbooks and other publications. The article, as well as Zakira Shyrose's Master's thesis, are currently used in University courses to train teachers in Undergraduate Education programs.
Zakira Shyrose Jaffer Dhalla lectures on Islam at mosques, universities, churches and interfaith gatherings and also recites majalises in Urdu and English. She has recited the Muharram Ashra majalises in Vancouver, Canada (2008), Orlando, USA (2009) and Milton Keynes, UK (2010) and the Ashra Sajjadiya in Peterborough (2010) She will be reciting in Leicester, UK during this Muharram (2011) inshallah. Her lecture notes from each Muharram have been published in book form.
Zakira Shyrose has spoken on Islam on AhlulBayt TV, Islam In focus (Canada), Ahley Bait TV, Hidayat TV and on several channels in the Middle East managed by Zahra Trust. She has also done TV programming for children and performs Islamic puppet shows.
Married to a Family Physician and a mother to 3 children aged 14, 13 and 5 yrs, Zakira Shyrose also serves as Executive Councilor for NASIMCO (representing Toronto Jamaat) and is The World Federation’s Liaison for North America for the Women’s Needs Assessment initiative.
Abbas Ramji
Abbas Ramji was born in Birmingham, England in 1981 and has a younger brother Hasnain. His father was born in Bukoba, Tanzania who migrated to England in the mid 1970’s. Abbas’ mother, Fatma was born in Kampala, Uganda and moved to the England from Karachi, Pakistan after their marriage in 1980. Abbas is married to Sarah from Paris, France and together they have a daughter.
Abbas completed his schooling in Birmingham and then went on to read medicine at The University of Birmingham. There he also completed an honours degree in Behavioural Sciences. Following graduating as a medical doctor, he completed his foundation rotations in Birmingham and Worcestershire, before beginning his specialist training in Psychiatry initially in Coventry & Warwickshire. He is currently undertaking his higher specialist training in General Adult Psychiatry in Birmingham.
Abbas was elected as the West Midlands representative to The Royal College of Psychiatrists psychiatric trainees committee in 2010. He has been a tutor and honorary lecturer for Psychiatry with The University of Birmingham medical school since 2010 and has recently been appointed as a senior clinical examiner for the University.
Abbas has been an active volunteer within his local Jamaat in various capacities. He was part of the CoEJ Sweden camp in 2002 as a mentor and teacher. Abbas has previously been the chair of one of the first youth committees in Birmingham Jamaat, a shadow secretary for the Jamaat and the co-editor of Almuntazar, a Birmingham Jamaat magazine from 2000 to 2011. He has recently started working with the Birmingham Jamaat welfare committee on a drugs awareness initiative. He has also assisted in various projects with the CoEJ Health Improvement Board.
Bashir Damji
Bashir was born in Moshi Tanzania. His father, Akber Abdallah Damji hails from Lindi. His mother, late Masumabai Damji too came from Lindi. She was the daughter of late Hassanali Hasham Haji. Bashir is married to Shemina d/o Hussein Kurji and the couple have been blessed with four children.
From 2000‐2003, he served in Tabligh Board of DSM Jamaat and wrote the paper onStakeholders’ projection for the new Tabligh building, which was endorsed by theGeneral body and served as a guide during the construction of the building. Bashir pursued his penchant for knowledge by joining ICAS where he did MA in Islamic Sciences. His dissertation was entitled “Doom or Gloom? Is Post‐ Sistani Era the end of Marjaiyya?” Bashir’s work is a critique of those who portray a doomsday scenario for the Shi’a in post-Sistani era.
After obtaining his MA from ICAS/Middlesex University, Bashir joined Exeter University where he is presently doing his PhD in Arab and Islamic Studies. In May 2010, Bashir won a grant from The British Academy, through its Hawza Project, to research about the ‘Evolution of Religious Sciences within Khoja Shia Ithna’ashery Communities of East Africa’. This year, Bashir in partnership with another promising student from our community, Ali Husain Datoo, won another grant from the British Academy to research about “iMarja and New Najaf”.