The Islamic Association of Raleigh will soon hold its Shura election to help shape the leadership and direction of our community.
Key details:
Only members who joined prior to March 1, 2025 are eligible to vote.
There are 17 candidates running for 7 open Shura seats.
You may vote for up to seven (7) candidates.
Learn more about what the IAR Shura does here.
To verify your eligibility, please email [email protected].
Kashif Osman
Kashif Osman has been an active member of the Islamic Association of Raleigh for over a decade and served as an IAR employee for six years. During his tenure, he organized record-breaking fundraisers, developed a far-reaching social media presence, and collaborated with every Shura member and IAR committee to advance the masjid’s mission. Professionally, Kashif is a financial advisor specializing in faith-based and endowment investing, bringing expertise in strategic growth and sustainability. His vision for IAR focuses on strengthening its institutions, empowering its schools, and ensuring long-term financial stability for future generations.
Arif Khan
Arif Khan is a born and bred native of the Raleigh community, having grown up at the Islamic Association of Raleigh. Arif was on the shura for the last four years and is excited to run again in hopes of serving the community. Professionally, Arif is the Chief Strategy Officer at BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina where he is responsible for leading enterprise-wide transformation efforts, strategic planning and intelligence, portfolio management, and enterprise consulting. Arif is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is an active member of the community. His past and present board appointments include the UNC Board of Visitors, The UNC School of Pharmacy Foundation, the BCBS NC Foundation, Baltimore Medical System, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the American Heart Association (Greater Maryland), and the Our Three Winners Foundation.
Munir Abdullah
Munir Abdullah and his family have lived in this community for 41 years. He has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and is a retired pharmaceutical executive. Munir has volunteered and served IAR and the Community in various leadership roles over a span of 32 years. Currently, he is a Shura member and serves as Vice Chair of IAR Shura. His other volunteer roles and services at IAR include Page Road Committee/LLC Chair and Principal Manager; Team Lead for IAR Page Road campus opening and celebration; Interim Chair/Lead, Al-Iman School Transition Team for the establishment of Al-Iman School Campus at Page Road in partnership with Al-Iman School Administration; Chair, Cemetery Expansion Ad hoc Committee; Chair, Social & Welfare Committee; Chair, Al-Furqan School Committee; Shura member on IAR School Board; Lead, Shura ad hoc teams on Constitution & Bylaws and Consolidation of Islamic Education. Outside of IAR, Munir serves as Board Chairman of Mariam Clinic which offers free healthcare to the needy in our community.
Nouman Siddiqui
Nouman Siddiqui has been in Triangle area for more than 30 years. He is a current member of the IAR shura. He has been involved in volunteer outreach over the years. He is married and the proud father of four kids, MashAllah.
Ahmed Ayad
Ahmed Ayad currently serves as a member of the Shura, having completed two terms in recent years. He also contributes to IAR as a volunteer speaker for Jummah Prayers and has taken an active role in several ad-hoc committees during this current Shura term. A lifelong member of the IAR community, Ahmed grew up attending the masjid with his family and was actively involved in the youth committee, later serving as President of the NC State MSA.
Rashid Salahat
Rashid Salahat has over 20 years of volunteer service at the IAR. He has been a dedicated member of the Safety & Security Committee. Experience in working with local law enforcement to ensure safety precautions for large community events such as Eid prayers. In addition, he has overseen the safety of the IAR schools, which includes regular inspections and lockdown drills.
Imran Aukhil
Imran is a Principal at HR&A Advisors, Inc, an economic development consulting firm. He leads teams on complex development, economic analysis, and innovation ecosystem projects across the country and in the Middle East. He is also an adjunct professor at NC State, teaching real estate development and city building. Imran has served previously as a Shura member and spent 8 years on the Al Iman School Committee and nearly 15 years supporting the IAR’s media and public relations efforts.
Rana Badwan
Bio comming soon.
Ala Odeh
Bio coming soon.
Abdul Malik
Bio coming soon.
Ahmed Gomaa
Bio coming soon.
Hatem Hamis
Hatem Khamis is an engineer and longtime member of the Raleigh Muslim community. He strives to serve with sincerity, teamwork, and respect for everyone. As a husband, father, and student of the Qur’an, he values strong families, youth involvement, and open communication. Hatem hopes to contribute to programs that strengthen our unity, deepen our connection to the masjid, and help every member feel welcomed and supported.
Mansoor Kazi
Mansoor Kazi has been an active member of the IAR community since moving to the area in 2020. He has played an active role with the Education Committee and volunteering as a guest khateeb throughout the year. Prior to moving to Raleigh, Mansoor lived in Chicago, Illinois – where he served on the Board of Ta’leef Collective, was the Chairman of the Board of Prairie Academy, and guided the Muslim Education Center’s five year strategy which culminated in the creation of a new high school. Professionally, Mansoor is a Partner at Bain & Company, where he is a leader in the Retail Practice, and works with companies to drive strategic transformations. Mansoor holds a J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
Hatem Mohamed
Bio coming soon.
Waleed Jarrad
Bio coming soon.
Iltifat Husain
Iltifat Husain is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Raised at IAR since the age of five, he recently returned to Apex with his family. Dr. Husain has authored multiple peer-reviewed scientific publications and has successfully built digital education and podcasting platforms reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners worldwide. His work has been featured in the national news and reflects his commitment to innovation and community impact.
He also helped pioneer The Lighthouse’s Legacy Circle, a novel sustainable donor model that supports long-term community growth. With expertise in Instagram, TikTok, and multiple podcasting platforms, Iltifat is passionate about reimagining how we engage youth—meeting them where they are through digital platforms, authentic conversations, and creative storytelling. He hopes to leverage this experience to build pathways for youth connection and new donor engagement, bringing both deep IAR roots and a forward-looking vision to strengthen the masjid’s future.
Abood Dahnoun
Abid-Alhamid (Abood) Dahnoun is a Raleigh-Born Muslim, Palestinian-American Eye Doctor. He attended Al-Iman school from K-8 (Class of 2007), then Raleigh Charter High School (Class of 2011), followed by UNC-Chapel Hill (Class of 2015). He graduated from UNC Kenan Flagler Business School with an academic concentration in strategic consulting. He had extensive training in information technology, natural sciences, and healthcare systems. After a short time working as an operations director in the technology industry, Abood pursued a Doctorate of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee from the Southern College of Optometry. He graduated with Distinct Honors in 2020 and became Dr. Dahnoun, annd immediately returned to start practicing in North Carolina. In 2022, Dr. Dahnoun opened his own practice, See More Eye Care OD PLLC, in South Raleigh in a partnership with Costco. Through the years, Abood has been able to learn and fluently communicate in English, Spanish, & Arabic.
In 2023, Dr. Abood Dahnoun joined the Islamic Association of Raleigh as the committee head of Strategy Planning & Advancement. He was very focused on bring a unified direction for IAR through significant revisions of the IAR consitution and bylaws. He assisted in the reshaping and full understanding of the IAR system-being one of the founding thinkers behind the 5 pillars for IAR’s internal & external organization (Community, Administration, Services, Institutes, Operations). Abood is running for shura because he wants to help bring alive this vision of unified system to the highest degree. I want us all to work as a team and achieve the highest level of success because I think we have what it takes! It will take some sacrifice and not everyone will be happy with what has to happen..but we must come to understand that we will always be stronger together, and I hope to drive home that message to our amazing community of Muslims. جزاك اللهُ خيرًا
