Dr. AbdulHamid Hathiyani
Dr. AbdulHamid Hathiyani seamlessly blends academic expertise and practical grassroots management. With a PhD from the University of Toronto, he excels in stakeholder management, forming partnerships across the City, inter-governmental bodies, and community organizations. Notably, he collaborates with MTCU, City Divisions, community agencies, and businesses. His strategic planning enhances labor market outcomes in specific Toronto neighborhoods.
Dr. AbdulHamid’s extensive experience shines in project management, encompassing program design, development, and evaluation. His leadership with Toronto Employment and Social Services drives initiatives aligned with the Workforce Development Strategy.
His research prowess drives collaborative initiatives for Toronto’s employment outcomes. He excels in personnel management, leading diverse teams in a unionized environment. Through training and support, he ensures efficient service delivery.
Dr. AbdulHamid takes on vital roles within Ansaar Foundation. He leads strategic planning, crafting innovative programs for seniors, youth, women, and immigrants. Initiatives like Adopt a Family, Healthy November, Breaking the Taboo Mental Health Series, Getting into Universities for youth, and more thrive under his guidance. Dr. AbdulHamid also excels in fundraising, research, and grant writing. He manages staff adeptly, fostering a strong team dynamic. His contributions drive the organization’s growth and effectiveness.
Dr. Abdul Hai Patel
Trustee
trustee@ansaarfoundation.com
Imam Dr. Abdul Hai Patel is founder and past Coordinator of Canadian Council of Imams, Currently, Director of Inter Faith relations. He has been serving as Imam and Community Leader for 50 years in Canada. He served as Trustee of Toronto District School Board for Scarborough, 2017-18. He is immediate past President of Canadian Multi-faith Federation (formerly Ontario Multi Faith Council). Currently Vice President. He is a member of Interfaith advisory Committee of Federal Gov’t’s Corrections Canada. He is a Muslim Chaplain at the University of Toronto, York Regional Police. He served as visiting Chaplain at CAM-H (Centre for Addiction & Mental Health) for three years. He served for six years as Chaplain at Whitby Mental Hospital and is Chaplaincy consultant to other Hospitals and correctional facilities. He is a member of Canadian Association of Police Chaplains. He served as a Commissioner of Ontario Human Rights Commission from 1999-2005. He is past member of National Board of Governors of Scouts Canada. He has been serving on advisory capacity to Toronto Police Service for 30 years. Member of the Advisory Committee of Ontario Law Commission on End of Life Care and Capacity for Decision making and Guardianship in Palliative Care (Since 2015); Member of Seniors Strategy Planning table for the city of Toronto (since 2015).
Zubeda Vahed
Trustee on leave
Zubeda.vahed@utoronto.ca
Sr. Zubeda is a Senior Policy Advisor with the Inclusive Education Branch at the Ministry of Education. She is devoted to building safe, inclusive and accepting communities by promoting diversity and social inclusion locally, nationally and internationally. She mediates conflicts, works with multicultural and diverse faith communities, contributes to the development of resources, and assists immigrant families and refugees.
Sr. Zubeda has served as a board member on numerous organizations such as the Chair of the Federation of Muslim Women. She is a Fellow of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (1993) and the winner of the Ministry’s Prix Realm Award (2010), which recognizes excellence and achievement in the category of Diversity and Inclusion.
Sabra Desai – Trustee
Zulfikar Hathiyani
President
president@ansaarfoundation.com
Zulfikar Hathiyani is a Program Manager for Celestica’s Robotic Process Automation Division. He has previously worked with Blackberry and Honeywell organizations where he had the opportunity to work with various International partners from all around the globe.
He has been the past President of NMJ Canada from 2007 to 2010. And has held various other posts prior to that. He has been a Director of Islamic Soccer league from 2000 to 20011 that saw a growth from 50 participants to 600 participants.
He was member of the selection committee for the Blackberry and Free the children Inspire Canadian Youth to Build a village program in 2012 that selected 50 youth to travel to India and Kenya to help eliminate obstacles preventing children from accessing education.
Naila is owner and Director of Market lane Early Learning Centre, Early Years Education System. She is Managing Director of Abacus Early Learning Center and President of AMU Alumin Association of Canada. She is currently serving on board of SAFSS (Settlement Assistance and Family Support Services).
Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in Public Administration and Early Childhood Educator. She has 16 years’ childcare industry experience both as provider and center operator enhancing principles and practices of child learning and development and has worked for Youth and Seniors with Not-for-Profit Organizations. She helps new immigrants in settling in GTA and has worked with Syrian refugees. She is recognized by Government of Ontario for her selfless dedication and contribution to the community in 2009.
Kassam Varvani
Treasurer
treasurer@ansaarfoundation.com
Kassam Varvani works as Professional Services Team Leader for Board International, a leading CPM/BI vendor. He has international experience having worked in Africa, Middle East and North America for leading companies.
Kassam serves as the Treasurer. He has previously volunteered as Secretary (2007-10); Internal Auditor (2011-17); and Treasurer (2017-19) for NMJ Canada.
Kassam is a graduate of IIT Kharagpur and holds MBA from Oxford Brookes University. He is a Fellow of ACCA, member of ISACA (CISA designation) and CPA in Canada.
Toquir Imam
Secretary
secretary@ansaarfoundation.com
Toquir Imam is a certified Project Manager/Program Manager. He has been working within the Healthcare domain for the last 15 years. Engaged with multiple hospitals, healthcare providers, mental health and addictions facilities. He has implemented and deployed a variety of electronic medical records and health related software systems in Canada and the USA. Established training courses and increasing adoption rates of the new systems.
Specialising in program, project, change, and event management, he aims to understand high level requirements and strives to deliver these to enable a successful end result.
Working with Empowered Futures who aim to provide free mentorship to young adults, enhancing their career opportunities. More recently he has joined Ansaar Foundation to participate in community projects including food delivery, poverty reduction and enabling fund raising activities for the foundation. Assisting in making them successful, currently assigned as the Secretary of the Ansaar Foundation he aspires to collaborate and assist the board and trustees to deliver on their promises.
Not all of us have the same opportunities to have a decent life. But those who were given a helping hand can certainly extend that hand to others, to give them a chance to have something better. It’s our humanistic duty.
Imtithal Moubarak
Having experienced firsthand the effects of displacement and the conflicts characteristic of active Middle-Eastern warzones until the 1990’s, my desire for leaving a meaningful impact in the world came at a young age. This inspired me to take up international diplomatic postings with the United Nations, working on sensitive humanitarian engagements in Cyprus, Germany, and Lebanon.
In 1982, while volunteering with the Palestinian Red Cross as an emergency nurse practitioner for injured refugees, helping in rehabilitation Centre and vocational training centre in the Shatila refugee camp, in Beirut, Lebanon, I witnessed the massacre of thousands of innocent civilians.
I took advantage of an adult education opportunities in Canada, studied public administration at Ryerson University into my mid forties. I dedicated 28 years of my career working with the Toronto School Board, overseeing payroll, managing efficient program delivery, and offering client-focused mentor ship to education service providers. Outside of work, I devote my time to humanitarian organizations, I volunteered at Agha Khan Centre and international engineering competition. I’m a proud Muslim, Palestinian-Canadian, and mother of four who champions resilience and a bias for action.
Rizwana Kaderdina
Rizwana Kaderdina is a hijab-wearing Muslim woman from the South Asian diaspora. She has been an educator with the York Region District School Board for many years, currently in the role of Equity Consultant. Rizwana is the co-Chair of the Alliance of Educators for Muslim Students (AEMS), the co-Chair of the Professional Learning Team for the Asian Canadian Educators Network (ACENet), and the co-founder of al-Jeeran. She has been a volunteer with the Victim Services of York Region for several years, and is very grateful to have the opportunity to support the work of Ansar Foundation.
Rizwana is deeply committed to anti-racism, anti-oppression, and anti-Islamophobia work. She is grateful to those who have supported her learning and growth, and opened space for her. Through their guidance and mentorship, she strives to do the same for others, whether colleagues, students, or community members.
Houdou Dene
Houdou Dene is a Program Manager in Celestica, a leading supplier for aircraft products. He has managed projects related to new production introduction through development, qualifications and transition of parts from supplier to a new supplier. As a program manager, his responsibilities has been to Initiate, plan and execute projects within a specific timeline by working with cross-functional groups from various regions.
Houdou Dene previously worked at the Toronto international airports as an aircraft avionics engineer fixing airplanes as an employee of Skyservice and also has a diploma in Industrial Maintenance Mechanic. He is a sports fanatic and participates in various sport related activities. He is also a willing contributor to society and enjoys helping poor families to make a difference in their lives.
Rukhsana Syed
Rukhsana Syed is the Diversity & Inclusion Acceleration leader for IBM Canada, responsible for making sure IBM meets and exceeds corporate & government standards for equity, diversity & accessibility. She is IBM Canada’s Employment Equity Officer and played a vital role in creating a global model for IBM to roll out Transgender Benefits
Two decades of experience include leading IBM’s flagship programs specific to Indigenous People, Women, & People with Diverse Abilities. Rukhsana is a proud certified LGBT+ Ally since May 2014. She takes pride in creating and delivering 100+ IGN.I.T.E. Technology camps for Aboriginal students from coast to coast to coast (Halifax to Vancouver to Resolute Bay) for past 14 years.
Rukhsana has led over 300 Women In Technology (K-12) sessions, reaching more than 18,000 female elementary students. She is Civilian Co-chair of the Muslim Consultative Committee and on Chief’s advisory Committee with Toronto Police Services. She mentors within & outside her community globally and works closely to promote education & women rights. She also works as the Treasurer at her local religious by the Women for the women mosque/community center.
Her efforts were acknowledged by the former Lieutenant governor of Ontario, Honorable James K. Bartleman for her contributions to his Aboriginal Literacy program. She also received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Honorable David Onley in 2012.