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.

Najiba is a chaplain and life coach who has been serving the Greater Boston Muslim community for the past 20 years. She received her B.A. in Peace and Justice Studies from Wellesley College and her Masters in Social Work from Boston College. She received her coaching certification at the Associate level with Integral Coaching Canada. She has also studied under teachers from Boston Islamic Seminary and Fawakih Arabic Institute. She formerly served as Youth Director at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) and as the Muslim Chaplain at Wellesley College. Najiba has extensive experience leading interfaith dialogue fuled by her passion to help people discover and develop their whole selves - spiritually, psychologically, emotionally, intuitively and more. She and her husband are raising three children.

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.

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 the Program Coordinator for the Office of Student Affairs at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Naijla Faizi is the Associate Chaplain for Muslim Life at her alma mater, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. She completed her Masters of Science in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania in May 2020. Naijla is passionate about the development of Muslim youth and cultivating them into advocates for the Muslim community by equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to navigate a society that privileges non-Muslim communities. Naijla is also committed to educating communities about Islam in an effort to develop institutional change that proactively supports underrepresented identities. In her personal life, Naijla juggles a spouse and two kids.

Hospital Chaplain, Psychotherapist, Spiritual Counselor

Zoya is a dedicated and compassionate hospital chaplain with a wealth of experience, holding an MDIV degree and serving in this vital role for three years. Combining the realms of healthcare and spirituality, Zoya brings a unique perspective to her work, fostering a holistic approach to healing. In addition to her role as a chaplain, Zoya is a seasoned psychotherapist, providing valuable support and counseling to individuals navigating complex emotional and spiritual journeys.

With a deep commitment to providing guidance and comfort to those in need, Zoya serves as a trusted spiritual counselor, offering solace and wisdom to individuals from all walks of life. Her unwavering dedication to promoting the well-being of patients and their families within the healthcare system exemplifies the core values of the Association of Muslim Chaplains.

Jaye is a graduate of Hartford International University's Islamic Chaplaincy Program and an ICU chaplain at Michigan Medicine where she also serves on the ethics committee and focuses on Muslim staff care. She underwent CPE training with ACPE and was previously an AMC board member and a co-editor of Mantle of Mercy: Islamic Chaplaincy in North America.

Mira Abou Elezz is an APC board certified healthcare chaplain with specialized experience in oncology and behavioral health. She achieved her Masters degree in Religion from Rutgers University with a Bachelors in Psychology, completed her CPE residency in Los Angeles and is currently a staff chaplain at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. Mira is a new first-time mom and is relearning about life through her son's eyes.

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 is currently pursuing her masters in chaplaincy at Hartford Seminary, with a specialty in Islamic Studies. 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 a wonderful little year old girl.

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.