Directors
KITABA has three directors who are ideally suited to meet the aims of the organisation
Imran Sabir, Chairperson. Imran has complex health challenges including
a visual impairment. In overcoming these challenges, he has had personal experience
of the issues that KITABA are attempting to address. After completing his schooling
in Scotland, he went on to study psychology through the Open University as well
as various management and creative writing courses. He founded and continues to
lead one of our sister organisations,
Ethnic Enable, which supports people with disabilities from the minority
ethnic communities. His passion for justice and equality draws on his commitment
to Islamic and Quranic Studies which he has pursued rigorously, using a combination
of audio, Braille, internet and personal contact with various scholars. He is a
qualified teacher of Arabic Braille with ijazah, license, from Mualana Hasan Mirchi
of Madrassa al-Nur, South Africa.
Abdul Aziz Ahmed is a teacher specialising in supporting children with
Additional Support Needs in mainstream schools in Scotland and has wide experience
of management in education and with several voluntary organisations in various parts
of the world. He has been involved in publishing, translating and editing Islamic
journals and books. He has travelled widely seeking and teaching traditional Islamic
knowledge.
Adnan Tariq has been visually impaired from birth with an ocular condition
called Degenerative Myopia as well as Congenital Nystagmus in both eyes. In addition,
he suffers from colour blindness and is partially deaf. Using large print, audio,
accessible internet material and personal contact, he is pursuing his own Islamic
and secular studies. Currently he is completing his 'A' levels with intention to
study law at university. He also hopes to memorise the whole Quran and advance his
Islamic Studies abroad. He writes poetry, is an avid reader and plays for an all
blind cricket team. Despite his youth, Adnan's passion for and commitment to social
inclusion and his first hand experience have been a driving force in several local
community projects in Bradford and have been pivotal in establishing KITABA.
Previous Directors
KITABA would like to express thanks and appreciation to those who have served in the
past, they include:
Asma Arif is an Orthoptist, eye specialist, being involved in the diagnosis,
investigation and management of various ocular conditions. She works with people
of all ages and varying levels of impairment. While gaining her Medical Sciences
degree at The University of Sheffield, Asma was secretary of the Islamic Society.
She has studied Islam with various teachers by attending teaching sessions in her
home town of Peterborough as well as other cities in the United Kingdom, and through
SunniPath and the OnlineHalaqa where she also works as part of the administration.
Left in 2009
Maha Khechen began losing her sight at 8 years old as a result of using
cortisone eye drops for longer than needed. Despite this, she qualified as a history
teacher and completed a diploma in special and inclusive education. She is pursuing
an MA in Special Education at London University and is also a qualified teacher
for people with visual impairments and a teacher of both Arabic and English Braille.
She taught at a special school for sensory impairment and language and communication
disorders in Lebanon, has worked on project teaching visually impaired children
computer skills for the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
and acts as a consultant for its specialised website, Net Forum for the Blind.
Left in 2010
