Welcome NCCM Summer Student Cohort 2023
Education Assistant
Nabeel Hameed was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and has lived in Calgary for most of his life. Throughout his university career, he became involved with the MSA and the Muslim community on campus and across Calgary. Engaging with people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, he learned that it was commonplace for many individuals to have experienced Islamophobia in their lives. With this exposure, and the understanding he gained from my formal education In Psychology and Education, he became motivated to advocate for the voices that often go unnoticed. He had the opportunity to partake in an advocacy day, where we lobbied major provincial government parties of Alberta to implement an Anti-Islamophobic strategy within their political platforms. Soon after, both major parties committed to doing so. He learned about the power of advocacy and intends to continue this work. With his teaching experience in various classrooms, he has understood the intricacies of the art of teaching and learning. Couple this with the initiative of educating people about Islamophobia, and he finds himself in a place of responsibility in developing opportunities for learning so that our number one success in tackling islamophobia in Canada is not from medication, but from prevention, and that is where he believes education is so powerful.
Reyhab Mohmed Patel is a Sociology PhD student at Carleton University, Ottawa. She is currently focusing her research on storytelling practices and exploring the intersections of arts-based research and resisting Islamophobia. Some of the key themes of her interests are on Muslim-futurism, arts-based education and everyday identity.
Legal Assistant
Mariam Aly, a second-year Law student at Queen’s University, holds an honors degree in Political Science from the University of Ottawa. Passionate about community service and committed to understanding legal complexities, she balances her studies with a love for reading and puzzle-solving.
Suliya Mazou is a community organizer who is passionate about building community capacity, research, advocacy, and global health policy and has 5+ years working in community development. She is a first-year law student at the University of Ottawa in the common law program. In 2022 she was selected to be a Young Director with The Fora Network and. During the pandemic she supported black-lead health organizations like Black Physicians of Canada, York University to advocate and track data related to COVID statistics and access to COVID vaccines. She was also selected as part of the 2021 Cohort of Muslim Youth Fellows and had the opportunity of working as a youth intern in City Hall.
Social Policy Analyst
Hasna Hafidzah is a third-year undergraduate studying International Relations and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, St. George. As an aspiring public policy professional, she wants to anchor her career development by working on issues that intersect with her identity as a Muslim woman. Joining the NCCM as a Social Policy Analyst this summer, she is eager to bring her research and stakeholder management skills to an impact-oriented work environment that raises awareness of the Canadian government and Canadian Muslim communities’ commitment against systemic oppression worldwide.
Khalid Habib is an iBBA student at the Schulich School of Business specializing in Finance and Responsible Business. During the exchange program at HEC Paris, Khalid had the opportunity to lead discussions and interview the Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights and contributed to research on human rights bills in Canada. His particular focus on the intersection of business and social responsibility drives his dedication to promoting ethical and sustainable practices in the corporate landscape.
Besides that, Khalid interned at The World Bank Treasury, which allowed him to delve into the complexities of international development and finance. He contributed to research on financial inclusion and worked closely with experienced professionals to gain practical knowledge of development finance.
In his free time, Khalid enjoys learning new languages and traveling abroad. Looking ahead, Khalid is eager to leverage his skills and knowledge to contribute to NCCM’s goals and missions
Zena Shamli Oghli is joining NCCM as a social policy analyst. As a graduate from McMaster University in health sciences with a minor in political sciences, she is most passionate about the intersection of research and actionable policy, especially within the realms of health and minority rights. In line with this passion, she has worked on various projects with McMaster Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, the CAN HEAL research project, and the McMaster Student Union, among others.
During her bachelor’s degree, Zena served as PR External of the McMaster MSA and completed her undergraduate thesis on the current status of cultural adaptations for mentally ill migrant youth. She is an incoming student of the Globalization MA at McMaster University (inshaAllah). In her free time, you can find her reading, biking, and attempting to master every ethnic cuisine on the planet.