International Day of the Girl is a worldwide celebration of the importance, power, and potential of girls around the globe, and focuses attention on the particular problems they can face. This year, Islamic Relief brings you the story of Ashamoni. Early marriage – often called child marriage – is common in rural Bangladesh despite laws…
Read moreAs Islamic Relief publishes a new learning paper on safeguarding, our Safeguarding Project Coordinator Bushra Rehman discusses key insights gained from an event bringing together Islamic Relief colleagues from 11 countries. In recent years, the importance of safeguarding has gained significant traction in the humanitarian and development sectors. In 2022, Islamic Relief launched…
Read moreIslamic Relief’s latest Annual Report, published today, shows continued growth in our positive impact as we tackle poverty and suffering in an increasingly turbulent world. In 2023, the report shows, Islamic Relief responded to more large-scale humanitarian crises than ever before. Conflict, natural disasters and extreme weather events devastated lives in many of…
Read more“The memories of my husband are still vivid, and remembering our happy time together brings tears to my eyes. I miss him a lot and I’ll carry those memories close to my heart.” Life in Katahariya, in southeastern Nepal’s Rautahat district, was already tough for Chadani, but it became even more challenging when…
Read moreThe blessed month of Dhul Hijjah is a perfect time to reflect on the importance of knowledge in Islam and its impact on our lives. Knowledge is not just a tool but a divine gift, guiding Muslims to fulfil our purpose and excel in all aspects of life. Here, Sulaiman Ali, Marketing Volunteer…
Read moreAs Eid al-Adha approaches, Islamic Relief’s annual Qurbani distributions will provide food to more than 2 million people, including many people affected by the world’s worst hunger crises and on the verge of famine. Eid al-Adha involves the tradition of Qurbani, the sacrificial slaughter of animals – traditionally goats, sheep, cows or…
Read moreIn early 2022, Sri Lanka plunged into crisis as the country grappled with soaring costs, shortages of essential goods and crippling debt. The unprecedented economic crisis saw Sri Lankans experience power cuts and shortages of basic necessities such as fuel; schools were forced to close, and people were asked to work from home…
Read moreSumia, a 22-year-old woman from Aden, Yemen, has faced many challenges to get to where she is now. Growing up, Sumia was raised by 2 loving parents. Her father worked hard as a mechanic, while her mother cared for their home. When Sumia was only 5, her father died, leaving her mother to…
Read moreAs Eid al-Fitr begins, marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Palestinians in Gaza are facing their most difficult ever Eid and struggling just to stay alive, Islamic Relief says. A normally happy festival of celebration and family get-togethers is now a time of mourning and trauma for most families, as…
Read moreLast year, Islamic Relief’s learning division, the Humanitarian Academy for Development (HAD), kicked off a series of 5 taster workshops both in-person and virtually across several major UK cities.The sessions aimed to boost the competency of UK mosques and campaign groups in their daily activities and included training on topics such as bid…
Read more
Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.
Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.
Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.
Nadeem Azhar
Nadeem joined Islamic Relief Worldwide in September 2022. He has worked in the charitable sector for over a decade.
He studied Modern History and Politics at Manchester University, and at the University of Law in London before qualifying as a solicitor in 2011.
Nadeem is an experienced corporate, commercial and governance lawyer, having worked with various faith-based and grant making charities as well those in health and education settings. He was a partner at a law firm in London before moving in-house where he focused on setting up and restructuring charities and social enterprises.
Most recently, Nadeem was Lead Counsel at Mind, a leading mental health charity, where he co-authored a new federation agreement, revamped legal processes, and played a major role in developing its strategic and fundraising partnerships.
Nadeem has been a charity trustee for the Seafarers Charity, as well as many grant-making bodies and theatre companies.
Adnan Hafiz
Adnan joined Islamic Relief in 2004 as a regional fundraiser in the UK. He worked in multiple roles over 10 years at Islamic Relief UK, including setting up the first digital team and leading the growth of digital fundraising and engagement. Adnan also led numerous fundraising and marketing campaigns, which played a significant part in the growth of Islamic Relief UK.
Having moved to Islamic Relief Worldwide in 2014, Adnan has held different roles that have helped grow Islamic Relief’s global digital footprint into new geographic territories, supporting Islamic Relief members with their digital and marketing growth as well as developing new products and initiatives for the Islamic Relief family.
Adnan graduated in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University. He has since completed an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration from Durham University and a Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Institute of Data and Marketing.
Martin Cottingham joined Islamic Relief in 2012 as IRUK Media Relations Manager, and was appointed Head of Communications in 2015 before taking up his current position as Director of External Relations and Advocacy for Islamic Relief Worldwide.
Martin has helped Islamic Relief to increase its mainstream media profile and expand its campaigning work, producing hard-hitting advocacy reports on floods in Pakistan (2011) famine in Somalia (2012) disaster risk reduction (2013) and aid to Afghanistan (2014). He has over 20 years’ experience working in media, communications and marketing roles for international development and environmental charities.
Martin graduated from the University of London with a degree in English and Drama (1982-85) then trained as a journalist with a postgraduate diploma at City University (1986-87). He has previously worked for Christian Aid as Editor of Christian Aid News and Media Relations Manager (1988-97) for Oxfam as Regional Campaigns Manager (1997-2000) and at the Soil Association as Marketing Director (2001-2006), as well as working for a wide range of organisations as a freelance writer, researcher and communications consultant.
Waseem Ahmad joined the Islamic Relief family over 24 years ago, serving as Programme Officer in the Balochistan province of south-western Pakistan before becoming Head of Programmes in Pakistan. Waseem then moved to Oxfam and Tearfund before returning to Islamic Relief to establish our mission in Malawi. Later serving as Head of Programme Funding and Partnerships, Waseem led the response to major crises across the globe, including the East Africa drought, Pakistan earthquake and the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Waseem then served for nearly 6 years as our Director of International Programmes, during which time the charity secured and retained the coveted Core Humanitarian Standard certification in recognition of the quality of our programming. He was appointed CEO of Islamic Relief in May 2021.
With a special interest in community mobilisation and infrastructure, Waseem received an MSc in Project Planning and Management from the University of Bradford, as well as an MSc in Economics from Arid Agriculture University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Waseem has also worked for Lepra Health in Action and is a member of the International Civil Society Centre’s Board of Trustees. The father-of-3 enjoys walking and playing football, and is a keen birdwatcher.
