Former Imam at UK’s Main Mosque, Sheikh Dr Salah Ansari Al-Azhari is the latest recruit to join Quilliam’s Muslim reform team
Quilliam is pleased to welcome the former imam of London Central Mosque, Sheikh Dr Salah Ansari al-Azhari as Senior Researcher in the Theology and Outreach Team. Prior to joining Quilliam, Salah worked as visiting Lecturer in Islamic Studies at Heythrop College, University of London where he produced a PhD on Muhammad Abu Zahra and Islamic Modernism. A graduate in Classical and Modern Islamic Studies from Al-Azhar, University, Cairo, Sheikh Salah was appointed an Imam and teacher at the Central London Mosque and then worked in a number of mosques in London, Margate, Woking and Basingstoke, where has led extensive inter-faith activities.
Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan (top-left), senior researcher and founding adviser of Quilliam, a former salafi activist and jihadist against communist forces in Afghanistan. He holds a Ph.D in Physics and Artificial Intelligence from Cambridge and now campaigns against extremism and for religious reform within Muslim circles.
Adam Deen (top-right), head of outreach and senior researcher, was previously a senior member of the Islamist extremist organisation, al-Muhajiroun, but now dedicates his work to countering the extremist ideology to which he once subscribed.
Farhana Mayer (bottom-left), senior researcher, is a former lecturer at SOAS on Sufism, and at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, where she was also the Academic Coordinator of the Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities.
Farhana attained her BA and MA in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Oxford and has published extensive Quranic commentaries.
Haydar Zaki (bottom-right), outreach officer, works to establish human rights and civil liberties within universities, schools and mosques through outreach initiatives aimed at challenging extremism while promoting free debate. He has also been an avid campaigner for global democracy, social justice, secular democracy in Iraq and ending intra-Muslim discrimination.