Zarqa Nawaz, Keynote Speaker
In 2007, Zarqa Nawaz created the television series Little Mosque on the Prairie, which premiered to record viewership and ultimately became CBC’s highest rated sitcom. The show airs in over sixty countries around the world and has garnered many national and international awards. Zarqa wrote and directed the award winning documentary Me and the Mosque, which explored encroaching conservatism in North American mosques.
Imam Siraj Wahhaj, Motivational Speaker
Siraj Wahhaj is an African-American Muslim convert to Islam and public figure for Muslims in North America. He is currently the Imam of Al-Taqwa mosque in Brooklyn, New York and the Amir (Leader) of The Muslim Alliance in North America (MANA). Siraj is a prolific speaker in America. He makes many appearances at major North American Muslim conventions, and numerous forums and lectures in New England.
Baba Ali, Entertainment
Humor is a powerful emotion, and using it is indeed an art form. That’s exactly what the year’s most promising Muslim Personality, Baba Ali, has accomplished, taking a lighthearted approach toward Muslim-based entertainment. His videos have been broadcast to millions of people all over the world and his work has been covered by the NY Times, USA Today, and the BBC.
