Salih Abdullah is currently an English Lecturer at a Medical University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is American born and raised. He has a Bachelor’s in English, a Master’s Degree in Education, and a second Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. He is currently working on his PhD. in Global Comparative Education. His research interests are in cultivating a knowledge culture in educational institutions, facilitating professional learning communities, professional development, and educational leadership with a focus on Muslim institutions.

Gora Faal is currently a Program Developer and Trainer at Khamsys Technologies Ltd. He is a Certified Instructor/Trainer, (certified by the U.S. Dept. of Defense) a Scholar, (Social Scientist) an Engineer, (Sound Designer) and a former military leader (US Army) who has acquired a vast range of training & instructing experiences from various professional assignments handling classes of up to 100 personnel. During 8 years of military service, (active duty) he had the opportunity to train personnel (new recruits & seasoned team members) in the fields of Professionalism, Management, Leadership, Physical Training, Risk Management, Environmental Safety/Awareness, and Career Counseling. After only 3 years out of an 8-year service, Gora Faal was appointed as a military leader, to lead troops in Germany. Due to his professionalism and with a stellar approach to operation orders and mission, he was awarded the US Army Commendation Medal, for service in Macedonia & Kosovo. Prior to this recognition, Gora Faal was also awarded the Vanguard Soldier of the Year Award, that also earned him the Iron-Man Trophy, it is only awarded to one personnel member, annually, in recognition of their high level of professionalism, out of a battalion of 800 professional troops.

Besides a very successful military career, Gora Faal also had the opportunity to explore the civil-sector work environment, gaining useful knowledge and experiences in insurance, (sales) security, and filmmaking (as a sound engineer).

His formal education is composed of Military Science, to Media, Culture, and Communication. He holds a Master’s Degree from New York University, and a Bachelors Degree from The Art Institute of Atlanta. Additionally, he is the developer of the PDMLT Program, (Professional Development, Management & Leadership Training Program) a Professional Development Program that addresses the issues of Professionalism, Management and Leadership, to demystifying misnomers, and highlight the unique relationship that ties them together. The program was developed with an insightful stratified system that brings well defined, concepts to the minds of individuals on the issues of Professionalism, Management, and Leadership, to arm them with sharp tools to plough through the challenging fields of a globalized work force, and provide the potential drive (vehicle) to reach the pinnacle of Professionalism, Management & Leadership.

Mubeena Ifthikkar is an Indian residing in the UAE. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Education and also holds a BMAIS degree in Islamic Studies from Islamic Online University. She had worked as a teacher in the faculty of Science, UK curriculum in Dubai. After completing her education in Islamic Sciences, from an Islamic Institute in Dubai she has been teaching Tafseer in the same Institute since 2009. Currently, apart from being an assistant lecturer in the Education Department she is also a course facilitator for the diploma section of IOU.

Being an amateur artist, she loves to spend her free time engaged in art and also in reading.

Evelina Johansson is from Sweden and converted to Islam in 2004, at the age of seventeen. Her educational background is within linguistics, education and Islamic studies. She holds a BA in English from Mid Sweden University, a B.Sc. in education from Umea University and a MA in English linguistics from Gothenburg University. She has also completed her BA in Islamic studies from Knowledge International University and is currently studying towards a master’s degree in education.