Countering Islamophobia

Join us for a profound and important panel discussion on Countering Islamophobia. This conversation will bring together four insightful panelists and a skilled moderator to address the challenges and impact of Islamophobia in London and explore effective strategies for combating it. 

Our distinguished panelists will share their expertise and experiences, fostering a thoughtful dialogue on ways to promote understanding, inclusivity, and solidarity within our community. This discussion aims to raise awareness, challenge prejudices, and inspire collective action against Islamophobia. 

Your presence and participation are vital as we work together to build a more inclusive and respectful community. 

Refreshments will be provided. 

Prayer will start at 7:00pm

Panel discussion will start at 7:30pm

Bios:

Ahmer Khan is the Muslim Community Liaison Advisor at the City of London. In his role, he works with the community to guide the implementation of the A London for Everyone: An Action Plan to Disrupt Islamophobia. Ahmer is responsible for developing and strengthening the City’s relationships with the diverse Muslim communities and representative organizations in the community, and for recommending processes and initiatives that better enable the City to align service delivery with the needs of Muslim people in our city. Before he joined the City, he was a Constituency & Stakeholder Relations Manager, at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, where he was a primary contact for community organizations, government stakeholders and local businesses to proactively build connections and awareness on local issues. Prior to that, Mr. Khan worked as a Senior Export Advisor for the Ontario Ministry of International Trade where he supported and collaborated with government agency partners as well as multi-sector small and mid-size enterprises to provide a one window resource to navigate government resources and provide strategic export advice. He is a father and avid cyclist.

Siham Elkassem, PhD, is a lecturer for the University of Waterloo and also a therapist within the city of London, Ontario, Canada. Her practice focuses upon on the use of anti-racist and anti-colonial approaches through the lens of intersectionality. Siham’s current research areas of interest are in racialized communities in Canada, anti-Muslim racism, addictions, critical race and anti-colonial studies.

Nusaiba Al-Azem holds a BSW from King’s University College and a Juris Doctor from Western Law, where she was the recipient of the Margaret H. McNulty Prize awarded to a student who shows great promise. She graduated with distinction and was honoured to receive the Law Society of Upper Canada Prize for academic achievement. Following her call to the bar, Nusaiba practiced as a corporate and commercial lawyer at a downtown London firm before transitioning into human rights based and advocacy work at the National Council of Canadian Muslims, Canada’s foremost anti-Islamophobia advocacy organization.
As NCCM’s Director of Legal Affairs, Nusaiba is responsible for helping community members seeking legal assistance in matters related to Islamophobia, hate and discrimination and for developing legal and policy solutions for a more just and inclusive Canada. In this role, she has appeared at all levels of court including the Supreme Court of Canada and has testified at various parliamentary meetings on issues pertaining to Islamophobia.

Selma Tobah: Selma Tobah is a Community Development Worker at the London InterCommunity Health Center in London Ontario. In her role, Selma looks to support individuals, families, and communities in taking collective action to address the social determinants of health. She has a Bachelor’s of Art in Globalization studies, a Masters in Health Information Science and is currently a PhD candidate in Health Promotion at Western University. Her doctoral degree examines health systems use of Arab immigrant seniors. In addition, Selma has been active in the Muslim community in a number of organizations, mainly in youth and advocacy work. She has been a strong local advocate over the years on issues concerning racism and Islamophobia. Since the June 6th 2021 Islamophobic attack that killed 4 members of the Afzaal family, Selma has been a mentor with the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia (YCCI), guiding Muslim youth in the city organize and heal in the aftermath.

Shahin Pardhan is an Assistant Professor at Huron University College. Shahin has been a volunteer with the London Interfaith Peace Camp as the Muslim representative for the past 11 years and regularly speaks about her faith at Interfaith events, churches and schools. She is excited to be teaching Islam in the Workplace in the Winter term at Huron. Shahin is also a Business Professor at Fanshawe College and is the mother of teenage boys who are now better than her at every board game out there.

Host or Publisher King's Author Series Planning Committee