CORDOBA ACADEMY - Key Persons
Br. Abdur Rehman is an Engineer at Puget Sound Energy, volunteering with CAIR-WA, IEEE & ICOPS.
Brother Abdur Rehman Younus and his family have been part of the North Seattle Muslim community since 1998. He graduated from Washington State University earning both a Bachelor's and Master's of Science in Electrical Engineering, and is a registered Professional Engineer working for Puget Sound Energy, while also working towards an MBA.
While growing up, Abdur Rehman has participated and benefitted from youth programs, events, and classes from our local, respected Scholars, while volunteering with CAIR-WA (since 2006), IEEE, and ICOPS Masjid. He is now a father of two young boys and very excited to be part of Cordoba Academy's Board of Directors, working to advocate for, and further develop the next generation of Muslim leaders.
Sr. Afshan has experience working with children teaching various subjects including Quran and Islamic studies.
Sister Afshan is a student of Zainab center pursuing further studies in Arabic Grammar, Tafsir, and Hadith. She has experience working with children teaching various subjects including Quran, Islamic Studies, math, and language arts.
Job Titles:
- Academic Supervisor and Mentor
Sister Amina received a Bachelor's Degree in Business from the University of British Columbia and was a marketing professional early in her career. After moving to the Seattle area, she gained experience teaching math, language, science, history, Islamic studies, and Qur'an, and has helped develop and administer home-school cooperatives utilizing both WAVA and CVA programs in Washington State. Sister Amina leads our K12 academic program, providing support to learning coaches, parents, and students, as well as being a liaison between Cordoba Academy and various school districts.
Born and raised in Seattle, Brother Arif has had the unique experience of seeing how the Muslim community has grown in this region. From the Islamic School of Seattle, to Umar Al-Farooq Masjid, he and his family have been an intricate and influential part of the Seattle Muslim Community.
Graduating as a UW Husky in Mechanical Engineering, he started his career with Boeing working on the 747, then transitioning to Technology Consulting with Accenture in Washington, DC. While there, he was an active member of the ADAMS Masjid Northern Virginia Muslim community where he served as Den Leader of Cub Scouts, leading fundraising and team building activities (i.e. camping, pinewood derby).
Since moving back to Seattle in 2010, he has been an instructor of Analytics Certification through UW's Continuing Education program, and has co-launched "Minipreneurs" - a design thinking workshop for kids to develop and build IoT solutions for real-world scenarios. Brother Arif is currently with Microsoft's Customer Success, Director of Azure Data & AI Technical Strategy. He is passionate about STEM, and providing learning and growth platforms for our Muslim youth to become strong, confident leaders of tomorrow.
Job Titles:
- English Language Arts Teacher
Sr. Asma is currently teaching ELA and Social Studies/History for 5th grade for two years at Cordoba.
Sr. Asma is currently teaching ELA and Social Studies/History for 5th grade. It is her 2nd year teaching at Cordoba Academy. She grew up in Seattle and has been actively involved in community events. Sr. Asma holds a bachelor of Science degree in Computing and Software Systems from the University if Washington. She attended the Islamic school of Seattle in her elementary years.
"I believe that an Islamic education is an essential part in a child's developing years. It is the building block for their entire life." Sr. Asma Qureshi
Job Titles:
- Board of Director
- IT Consultant
Br. Faisal Ahmad is an IT Consultant and an activist in the Seattle Muslim Community.
Brother Faisal grew up in the North Seattle area and received a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from Central Washington University. His career in IT has focused on process improvement and change management, and he is presently an IT Consultant at AT&T. He has been an activist in the Seattle-Muslim community for over 20 years, starting in MSA and the storied Islamic Quiz of Seattle, to later collaborating with Islamic scholars from around the world to help develop youth, educational, and mentorship programs at various Masaajid in the region. His family helped start and run a homeschool family co-op for several years before co-founding Cordoba Academy.
Sr. Fouzia has done Masters in English Literature, NGO trained and has 3 years of teaching experience.
Br. Hafiz Adnan is a Scholar and a MA in Divinity, regular delivers Friday Khutbahs and leads Taraweehs.
Hafiz Adnan is currently the resident scholar at the Snoqualmie Masjid (MASR) and holds a MA in Divinity from the University of Chicago. He has many years of corporate experience and previously worked as a Product Owner in a Financial Corporation.
A native to the Seattle area, he has spent time abroad completing Hifz of the Qur'an and several years learning the Higher Sacred Sciences of Islam from traditional scholars. Adnan regularly delivers Friday khutbahs, leads taraweeh prayers during Ramadan, and provides a voice for the Seattle-Muslim community through published articles, lectures, and interviews.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Islamic Studies Teacher
For over 15 years, Imam Bazi has been a noteworthy leader in the Greater Seattle area, serving as an Imam, Khatib and Youth Mentor for the Muslim community. He is the Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Federal Way (ICFW). Imam Bazi completed his Hifz in Seattle and went abroad to the blessed region of Hadramout in Tarim, Yemen to pursue a higher Islamic education and study the sacred sciences of Islama Darul Mustafa.
Sister Aisha was born and raised in Gambia, where she attended Tallinding Islamic Institute and graduated in 2013. She completed her Hifz and has been teaching children how to recite Quran for 8 years. Sr. Aisha enjoys working with children and seeing them grow and achieve their goals.
Juwairiyyah works remotely for Cordoba academy and for a Muslim Matrimonial Company.
Sister Juwairiyyah received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of Washington, Bothell and is our remote Senior Administrator. She has 3 years of administrative experience working in various healthcare offices and in an academic setting. She served as a teacher at Masjid Umar Al-Farooq Sunday School for 5 years and is an active volunteer in the community.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Math & Science Instructor
Sr. Madiha has completed multiple certified workshops through Oxford Univresity Press.
Sr. Madiha Asghar holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Karachi University. She has served as a teacher in Pakistan as well as in the United States. She has 5 years of experience in teaching the WAVA curriculum. Sr. Madiha has completed multiple certified workshops through Oxford University Press and Karachi University for lesson planning, classroom management and in teaching various subjects. Aside from teaching, Sr. Madiha works as a Pharmacy Technician.
Job Titles:
- Director of Diverse Learning - Summit Public Schools
Mufti Saeed is an advocate for peace, humanity, integration and deals issues faces Muslims of West.
Mufti Saeed Bulhan was born in Egypt and raised in Melbourne, Australia by refugee parents. Before embarking on his religious pursuit of knowledge, he graduated in the top 6% of the country, receiving acceptance into the renowned Melbourne University where he majored in Neuropharmacology and Neurochemistry.
Studying the sacred, higher Islamic Sciences for over ten years under the tutelage of reputable senior scholars from around the world, he has been granted several ijazaat (licenses to teach) in Qur'an recitation, jurisprudence, theology, and Hadith (among others) and has taught the sacred texts of Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood. Mufti Saeed has travelled throughout the subcontinent, Africa, Europe, and North America giving dawah, teaching, counseling youth, and assisting masaajid in developing programs to guide the Muslim community.
With a unique outlook on life, he is an advocate for peace, humanity, and integration, and has a pragmatic approach for dealing with issues facing Muslims in the west.
Job Titles:
- 2nd Grade Instructor
- First Grade Instructor
Sr. Sana enjoys working with children, aiding them in academic careers, and helping students.
Sister Sana is from San Diego, CA and received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego. She moved to Seattle early last year, and has since been working as a Tutor at Sylvan Learning Center. Sister Sana enjoys working with children, aiding them in their academic careers, and helping students grow to be positive contributors to their communities. Sister Sana also actively volunteers to help plan events for Cordoba Academy including our annual Summer Camp and Story Times.
Brother Shehzad received a Finance degree from Central Washington University and was a Sr. Program Manager at Microsoft before moving on to a Senior Management role with the City of Seattle. His family was one of the pioneering Muslim families in the Puget Sound area, helping to establish the first Masaajid in the region, namely SeaTac and Northgate Masjid, respectively, and later Masjid Umar Al-Farooq in Mountlake Terrace.
Brother Shehzad has a strong desire for establishing a nurturing Islamic environment tailored for our youth, while also taking care of our aging community, with Islamic education as the foundation of our development. Over the years, he has supported the Islamic School of Seattle, along with many other programs throughout Seattle's history, bringing experience and leadership qualities to Cordoba Academy's Board.
Job Titles:
- Resident Scholar and Now Executive Director
Sheikh Umair has received an ijazah al-tadris (licensure to teach) as well as an unbroken chain of transmission by which to narrate the Prophetic Traditions (Ahadith) of such books as the Muwatta of Imam Malik and Imam Muhammad, six of the authenticated books of Prophetic Traditions (the Sihah al-Sittah: Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, NASA'i, and Ibn Majah), and the SharhMa;ani al-Athar of Imam al-Tahawi. He began serving the greater-Seattle community 2015 through Mihraab Foundation as a Resident scholar and Youth director. In 2017 he began teaching at Cordoba Academy, alongside serving as Resident Scholar and now Executive Director of Mihraab Foundation.
Mufti Abdul Mujeeb - Imam and Resident Mufti - Masjid Umar al-Farooq
Shaykh Fazal - Imam of Bellevue Masjid
Molauna Abdul Mannan Nadvi - Imam and Scholar of Waterloo Masjid, Canada
Shaykh Zafr Abid - Principal Darul Qur'an Institute, Canada
Shaykh Omar Siddiqi - Imam for the High Commission of Pakistan, London, England
Shaykh Umair Ahmad was raised in Seattle, WA. As a student, he served as MSA President at Shoreline Community College, North Seattle College, and MSA Northwest, while becoming a key contributor to Islamic Quiz of Seattle. He majored in Business Administration from Central Washington University. By the grace of Allah, he later embarked on his journey to South Africa to study the sacred, higher Islamic Sciences, including Arabic Morphology, Arabic Grammar, Science of Recitation (Tajwīd), Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Principles of Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh), Qur'ānic Exegesis (Tafsir), Principles of Qur'ānic Exegesis (Usul al-Tafsir), Prophetic Traditions (Hadith), and Principles of Prophetic Traditions (Usul al-Hadith).
Shaykh Umair has received an ijāzah al-tadris (licensure to teach) as well as an unbroken chain of transmission by which to narrate the Prophetic Traditions (Ahadith) of such books as the Muwatta of Imam Malik and Imam Muhammad, six of the authenticated books of Prophetic Traditions (the Sihah al-Sittah: Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah), and the Sharh Ma'ani al-Athār of Imam al-Tahāwi. He began serving the Greater-Seattle community in 2015 through Mihraab Foundation as a Resident Scholar and Youth Director. In 2017 he began teaching at Cordoba Academy, alongside serving as Resident Scholar and now Executive Director of Mihraab Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Principal Darul Qur'an Institute, Canada
Sr. Susan enjoys working with children and watching them learn and grow. She is excited to join our team.
Sheikh Umair is also serving as Resident Scholar and now Executive Director of Mihraab Foundation.
Sister Susan Haq is originally from Philadelphia, PA and moved to Washington in 1992. She is happily married and is a mother to her five sons. She has experience running her own daycare, working in the North Thurston School District as a substitute teacher, and as a Para Educator for the Shoreline School District. Sister Susan enjoys working with children and watching them learn and grow. She is excited to join our team and hopes to help children enjoy kindergarten.
Job Titles:
- Math & Science Instructor
Sr. Tehmina served as a teacher, was a part of an Islamic Speakers Bureau throughout the US.
Sr. Tehmina is originally from Pakistan but has been in the United States for 42 years. She has a bachelors degree in Economics and Statistics from Pakistan and a bachelors degree in Elementary Education from the University of Nebraska. Sr. Tehmina has many years of teaching experience throughout the US and even in the Middle East. She was also a board member for one the schools she taught at. By the grace of Allah, Sr. Tehmina has also started two Islamic Sunday School programs in small towns that are still running. Among her may achievements, she was also part of an Islamic School Speakers Bureau, where she went to schools, universities, churches and many other places to promote positivity about Islam.
She has also served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity and several interfaith organizations. Sr. Tehmina considers teaching more than just a job, but rather a passion and a blessing to be working with Muslim children.
Job Titles:
- Board Member of Islamic School League of America ( ISLA )