Meet the AMC Executive Board

Joshua Salaam has strong roots in the American Muslim community. He started attending national Muslim youth camps at the age of 12 and continued as a participant, counselor and speaker for over 30 years. Joshua entered the U.S. Air Force in 1995 and served as a Police officer for four years. He was a key contributor in establishing Friday prayer services on base for Muslim military members and went on to serve as an Imam in Goldsboro, NC for several years. He holds a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies with a focus in Christian/Muslim relations from Hartford Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry.

Zahra M. began working as an Associate Muslim College chaplain in 2023. She has been serving as the Interim Education Chaplain at AMC since September 2024.

Chaplain (Major) Ryan Carter was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. He is a military chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces currently posted to Ottawa, Canada. His chaplaincy career has allowed him to experience and be directly involved in operations in Canada and abroad in addition to being part of muslim communities across the globe. His passion is to serve the community in developing capacity to better support the mental and spiritual fitness of youth and young adults. He is a nationally recognized leader in Anti Racism programming and education in the workplace and has developed a number of diversity focused initiatives across Canada including the initiative; "Talking About Race" which is a national platform for discussions on race and discrimination in the workplace. As a chaplain, Ryan is a member of the Male Allies group with Peaceful Families, and is the co-author of the Muslim Abusive Patterns Intervention program rolled out by Peaceful Families this year.

In addition to being traditionally trained in the Islamic sciences, he holds a BA (Hon) in Criminology and Social Policy from Ontario Tech University Canada, a MA in Middle Eastern Studies from Durham University, UK, and a MA in Muslim-Christian Relations from Hartford International University, USA.

Chaplain Hanaa Unus holds an undergraduate degree in Social Work from George Mason University, which has given her with a deep understanding of human behavior, social systems, and the complex interplay between individual well-being and community health. This foundation is further enriched by her graduate studies at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, where she acquired specialized knowledge in interfaith dialogue, theological reflection, and pastoral care, equipping her with a unique ability to address the spiritual and emotional needs of diverse populations.

Throughout her career, Hanaa has served the Muslim and interfaith communities in multiple capacities including, most recently, as a full-time university chaplain, where she developed a nuanced approach to supporting individuals through intricate emotional and spiritual challenges, while earning several recognitions and awards along the way. Hanaa’s education has uniquely positioned her to blend the principles of social work with the spiritual dimensions of chaplaincy, allowing her to provide holistic care that addresses both the practical and transcendent aspects of human experience.

In 2022, recognizing the escalating need for specialized chaplaincy services, Hanaa founded her own consulting firm, dedicated to extending her reach and deepening her impact. Her work is driven by an unwavering commitment to trauma and grief management, and suicide prevention, through compassionate care, particularly among youth and young adults. Hanaa's global experience in trauma response has given her a comprehensive perspective on the challenges faced by Muslim communities in their personal lives, academic institutions, corporate environments, nonprofit organizations, and public service sectors, locally and around the world.

Hanaa is also passionate about utilizing alternative therapies to assist individuals through their healing journey. She is trained and certified in equine assisted therapy and provides services to the local community using this modality. Currently, Hanaa is pursuing her Ph.D in Organizational Leadership focusing on leadership and motivational theories.

Samra Ali is an accomplished educator and management professional with a robust background in arts, nonprofit work, and volunteerism. Over the past 15yrs, Samra has been instrumental in the Accreditation, development and expansion of one of the leading Islamic private schools in North Texas, and then as the Housing and Procurement Manager at the Texas Muslim Women's Foundation, where she was dedicated to supporting and empowering victims of domestic violence through her expertise in multi-level operations.

Bio forthcoming.

Jaye is a graduate of Hartford International University's Islamic Chaplaincy Program and an ICU chaplain at Michigan Medicine where she focuses on Muslim staff care. She underwent CPE training with ACPE, co-edited of Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America, and is involved with Alternatives to Violence Project.

Usama Malik is based in Austin, Texas, and serves primarily as the Resident Chaplain at Muslim Space. He also serves as a chaplain with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Trinity University. Usama works full-time as Senior Associate for Communications and Marketing at Austin Seminary.

Ustadh Nadeem Siddiqi grew up in Knoxville where he has lived since 1977. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Economics in 2002 and from Tayseer Seminary in 2016 in its first class. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Muslim Community of Knoxville, Annoor Academy of Knoxville, Tayseer Seminary, and the Association of Muslim Chaplains. He serves as adjunct faculty for Tayseer Seminary where he teaches a course in community governance and service. Ustadh Nadeem serves as a Muslim Chaplain in the local prisons and at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for the Muslim Student Association.

Lauren Schreiber is the co-founder and Executive Director of Center DC, a Muslim third space in Washington DC. She received her masters of arts in chaplaincy degree from at Hartford International University, with a specialty in Islamic Studies in 2024, and has completed two units of CPE at Washington Hospital Center. Under her leadership, Center DC launched a community chaplaincy project in January 2021, where they offer pastoral care to the broader community, free of charge. She is a convert to Islam, the wife of a youth director and mother of two wonderful little girls.

Salahuddin A. Muhammad comes from rich religious traditions on both sides of his family and is a third-generation Muslim American. He is married with three children; two girls and one boy. He has a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations from Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. He is a Clinical Chaplain for the Bureau of Prisons. He also serves as Vice President of Corrections for the Association of Muslim Chaplains. He authored the book America’s Imam: Warith Deen Mohammed’s Interpretation of Islam in the Milieu of American Society. Salahuddin A. Muhammad also serves as an Associate Imam at As-Salaam Islamic center of Raleigh, NC.

Olfat Sakr is a chaplain in healthcare based in Windsor, Canada. A lifelong learner, she obtained a Master of Pastoral Studies with a specialization in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy from the University of Toronto, where she later served students and alumni at the Muslim Chaplaincy of Toronto. She also completed 3 CPE units, and continues to deepen her understanding of the deen with her teachers. When not attending to hospital patients or clients as a registered psychotherapist, she enjoys spending time in nature, biking and reading.