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Issue 190, Friday 25 February 2005 - 16 Muharram 1426

The Muslim News Awards for Excellence 2005 panel of judges

Dr Husna Ahmad
Is Director of Operations of Faith Regen UK, which is a multi faith regeneration organisation. She holds an LLB [Hons] an LLM and a PhD in Environmental Law from SOAS, London University, and wrote her dissertation on Law and Sustainable Development. With over 20 years experience in community development, and having worked for local government, she is the Board member of St Pancras Housing Association; and is a specialist adviser on the London Development Agency’s Equalities Group. She has recently received an award from the European Federation of Black Business Women Owners [EFBBWO]. Of Bengali origin, and living in North London, she is married with five children.

Dr Amina ( Ann ) Coxon
Is a Consultant Physician, in Harley Street, London. Born in French Indo-China (now Viet-Nam), she was brought up in America, Egypt and England and graduated at London’s Guy’s Hospital Medical School. She went on to undertake postgraduate studies and was a Consultant Physician and Neurologist at the Royal Free Hospital Group until 1994. She has travelled extensively in the Middle East and became a Muslim in 1993. Her research interests lie in Human violence, metabolism of weight disorders and Psychosomatic disease.

Abdulkarim Mohammed Ahmad Khalil
Was born and raised in Tripoli, Libya, and learned recitation and writing of the Qur’an at an early age in the local Kuttab (religious school). Following completion of Secondary Education in Libya, he was dispatched in the early 70’s to the USA to study nuclear engineering. He gained a BSc and MSc from the University of Arizona. He moved to the United Kingdom in the early 80’s to continue his postgraduate studies, obtaining a PhD in Engineering from the University of London, Queen Mary College. He worked as research and teaching assistant while studying in both the USA and the UK. Following his experience working in the property management and development sector, he was entrusted in the early 90’s with the Fundraising Directorship for the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre project in west London, a joint initiative between the Muslim community, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and the then Department of Environment and Regions.
The project secured the support of a host of private and institutional funders from various Muslim countries. He was later entrusted with the Directorship of the Centre upon its completion in the late 90’s. He enjoys volunteering for the voluntary sector, and while in the United States he was active in the Muslim Students Association of North America and Canada as the representative in the South West Region. He is currently an elected member of the Executive Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain. He is a trustee in various Muslim and other organizations including, The Islamia School Trust, Help the People Trust , Families Relief UK, Kensington & Chelsea Social Council and Kensington & Chelsea Community Transport. He has four children aged between 10-16.

Caroline Diehl

Is Chief Executive of the Media Trust, the charity that works with the media and communications industry to help the voluntary sector communicate. She set up the Media Trust ten years ago, which was used by over 5,000 charities last year for communications advice and training, video production and broadcast services. Caroline also set up the Community Channel, the UK’s first television channel dedicated to the voluntary and community sector. Owned and run by the Media Trust, the Channel now broadcasts 24 hours a day on Sky, Telewest and shortly NTL, as well as three hours each morning on Freeview.
Prior to setting up the Media Trust, Caroline worked in education and at Community Service Volunteers (CSV). She is a governor of Haggerston School in Hackney.

Ayubu Mbegu Rashid
Is a lecturer of Arabic and Islamic studies at ICAS (Islamic Colleges for Advanced Studies) and Hawza Elmiyyah of London. Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, he finished his primary and secondary education in 1984 in Tanzania. He then joined Hawza (Islamic seminary) studies in Kenya, where he graduated in 1987 as an Islamic teacher. He taught Islamic studies in different secondary schools in Tanzania, from 1985 till 1996, before joining the international Colleges for Islamic Sciences in London and graduating with BA in Islamic Law. He has been the Chair of the Swahili Muslim Community of UK, and the Amir (Religious Leader) of Bilal Cultural Centre.

Dr Saeed Shehabi

Is a regular writer for Impact International, The Muslim News, and a Political analyst on Arabic Radio and TV stations. He is currently writing a weekly column for Al Quds - an Arabic daily published in London. He is the former editor of Discourse, the English Monthly magazine, and Al Aalam, an Arabic weekly magazine. Born in Bahrain in 1954, he studied for a BSc and PhD in Control Engineering at the City University, London. He is Chairman of the Gulf Cultural Club and a Trustee of two charities, Dar Al Hekma Trust and Abrar Islamic Foundation.

Rezia Halima Wahid
Is a Textile Artist and Textiles Technology/Art and Design Teacher at Warwick School for boys, Brooke Road, Walthamstow, east London. After her foundation year in Art and Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design, she got a first in her BA honours in Woven textiles from the Surrey Institute of Art and Design. She then went onto obtain her PGCE teaching qualification. Elected to full membership to the Society of Designer Craftsman, and given the award of Licentiate with Distinction, her other awards include the Ella McCloed Award for Best Woven Textile (1997) and the New Designer Award, TexPrint 1998. Alongside lectures and workshops at schools, she has worked as an Artist in Residence, and a part-time design assistant. Her work has been shown in various exhibitions in London and Japan. Rezia’s inspirations for her art include Islam, nature, the Japanese Kasuri technique, Japanese and Chinese silk, Egyptian cotton and the Bangladesh Jamdhani technique.