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The Al Nawawi Centre Team

Al Nawawi Centre is led by a diverse range of community members from various backgrounds, coming together to help shape a vision for the future of the Muslim community in Australia. Meet the Al Nawawi Centre team below. 

Dr Ibrahim Abu Muhammad

Founder

The Grand Mufti of Australia – Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Abu Muhammad – is the head of the ANC project and the genesis of this idea.

Dr Ibrahim has a long history of active involvement and leadership of the Australian Muslim community. Born in Egypt, he studied at Al Azhar University, where he also received his doctorate. He then had a distinguished career in teaching in a number of locations including Egypt and the Emirates, before migrating to Australia. 

Dr Ibrahim has initiated several successful projects in the community, including the Quran al-Kareem radio station and a respite centre (My Home Disability Care) for people with special needs. He was elected the Mufti of Australia in 2011 and reappointed to the role in 2018. 

He is the author of over 25 Islamic books covering a diverse range of topic areas, and is the member of a number of esteemed bodies of Muslim scholars, including the International Union of Muslim Scholars, the Afro-Asian Union of Muslim Scholars and the Association of Islamic Universities.

Talal Elcheikh

Senior Strategic Advisor

Talal is a business leader and active member of the Australian Muslim community. As a proprietor, he leads the successful and award-winning international Love n Care brand, a leading provider of children’s products.

He is involved in various Muslim community initiatives and organisations, including as executive of the United Muslims of New South Wales. He was previously Governor of the National Sports Club and has long contributed to initiatives that seek to bring together people of different communities and backgrounds.

Talal is a strong proponent of the Centre’s ambitious vision and its focus on the youth and future of the Muslim community in Australia. He brings his considerable experience to help drive fundraising and construction of the Centre.

Talal has long been a strong supporter of innovative new projects in the Muslim community through his leadership and financial support of them.

Mohsen Abdelraheem

Director

Mohsen is an engineer by profession, having worked in the construction sector for several decades. He is a Director at Al Nawawi Centre and is currently Project Manager for Stage 2 of Al Nawawi Centre’s journey (construction of temporary facility). Read more about Al Nawawi Centre’s journey here.

Mohsen has been a driving force behind the vision of Al Nawawi Centre and has been close to the Mufti of Australia for 20 years. In his capacity as an advisor and associate of the Mufti, Mohsen has helped arrange public activities and media relations for the Mufti for close to 20 years.

Samir Bennegadi

Media Advisor

Samir is a seasoned professional and Muslim community figure, with expertise in Strategic Planning, Business Development, Communications, and Public Relations.

During the past 25 years, Samir has had the privilege of working closely with the Australian Muslim community in several Da’wah, welfare and charitable projects such as the establishment of educational institutions, places of worship, orphan sponsorship programs and many more, he currently holds the position of senior advisor to H.E the Grand Mufti of Australia and the Australian National Imams Council ANIC.

Some of Samir’s key appointments include involvement in the Board of Islamic Relief Australia, Charity Right Australia and Awqaf Australia, among others.

Mahmoud Nahya

Project Support

Mahmoud is a Business Transformation Program Manager with Masters in Industrial Engineering. He has helped establish and support several community initiatives and projects.

Mahmoud has been a close associate of the Grand Mufti, Dr Ibrahim Abu Muhammad, for over 20 years, and has long admired his visionary and balanced approach to da’wah in the Australian context.

Mahmoud has a vision for a Centre that is built on professional principles, Islamic leadership, sound governance, process excellence and community transparency.

Mahmoud is a passionate member of Al Nawawi Centre team and aims to help create a centre that can serve as a model Islamic institution at the forefront of Islamic thought leadership and practice for generations to come.

Ahmed Bashir Hijazi

Public Relations

Ahmed is a communication and management consultant and currently a lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney and the Australian Catholic University.

He is a Program Coordinator for Al Nawawi Centre and assists the Mufti of Australia in his public programs strategy.

Ahmed is a driving force behind the Centre and is passionate about the innovative approach the Centre embodies when it comes to helping solve the problems the Muslim community faces. He is particularly passionate about the Nawawi Institute for Islamic Thought, a critical part of the overall project that aims to break new ground in the community. 

Ahmed is interested in data-driven research to improve community outcomes and believes the future of the Australian Muslim community lies in a fact-based approach to solving our most pressing problems.

Mona Abdelraheem

Women’s & Youth Affairs Lead

Mona oversees the Nawawi Centre’s women’s and youth teams, helping shape a future that puts these core demographics of the Muslim community front and centre of planning and execution of the Centre’s vision.

Mona is an active member of the Muslim community and a proud young mother, acutely aware of gaps and opportunities to improve facilities and access for women and children.

Mona has recently completed a Masters in Clinical Psychology and will soon be formally registered as a psychologist. She has a strong record of working with children and adults experiencing mental health issues, disorders and having a history of trauma.  She has also previously worked as a school counsellor.

Mona hopes to bring her rich experience to help shape a future for youth and women that is holistic and considers the diverse pressures acting on them in today’s society. She is a founding member of Al Nawawi Centre’s working team.

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