Maha Abdo Oam

Mrs Maha Abdo OAM is a widely respected Muslim activist who has won various awards for her extensive community work, particularly in the field of social welfare over the last three decades, and is the Executive Officer of the United Muslim Women Association. Maha has accomplished great strides amongst young Muslim women, holding positions on multiple advisory committees and has worked in partnership with the Premier’s Department of NSW to develop strategies dealing with young people from Arabic and/or Muslim backgrounds, correcting misconceptions about Muslim women and ensuring the needs of Muslim women are taken into consideration in the development and implementation of services, programs, & policies. Maha has also given presentations at various local, national, and international conferences highlighting the difference between religious and cultural practices in Islam and the status of women in Islam. She continues to be involved in religious dialogues at all levels.

Maha has served the Australian Muslim community on Ministerial Advisory committees, such as:

The Department of Sport & Recreation.
Substitute Care where she chaired a subcommittee researching the needs of young Australian Muslims in Out of Home Care.
The Muslim foster care Advisory committee.
The NSW Premier’s Council for women.
The Community Harmony Reference group with the Community Relations Commission.
The Human Rights Equal Opportunity Commission’s Reference group (the Isma’ project), giving advice on eliminating prejudice against Muslims in Australia.
The Clinical Excellence Commission Citizens Engagement Advisory Council.

Awards

The 2002 Premier’s award for her work on the Muslim Foster care program.
The 2003 Muslim woman of the year award, which was awarded by Affinity.
The 2004 Muslim woman of the year award from Bayt Elzakat Sydney.
The Award of the Centenary Medal.
The 2008 Order of Australia Medal.
The 2013 Premier’s Multicultural Community Medal.
Maha also holds a Social work degree and a Masters in Social Science, majoring in young people and children’s studies, and is finalising her Graduate Diploma in Family Dispute Resolution.

Nora Amath

Nora Amath is an academic, author, human rights advocate and interfaith leader who is passionate about helping others and promoting peace. Born in Vietnam, Nora grew up in the US after her family had to flee her home country in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Nora currently works at the Islamic Women’s Association of Queensland  as a CAMS (Community Advocating for Multicultural Services) Statewide Coordinator  and as a supervisor for the Settlement Grants Program.

Previously Nora worked as a lecturer of Acquired Linguistics and TESOL at Bond University.

She has completed a PhD in Community Development and Sociology of Religion.

Nora has been actively involved in a number of NGOs and community organisations. Most notably, she is the chairperson of Australian Muslim Advocates for the Rights of all Humanity (AMARAH),  advocating for human and social rights, social reform, environmental responsibility, and better intercommunity relations.

Nora has served on the boards and committees including the Islamic College of Brisbane Advisory Committee, Muslim Community Reference Group (a Qld. State Government initiative), Ethnic Community Council of Queensland Youth Advisory Committee, Believing Women for a Culture of Peace,  Al-Nisa’ Youth Group Inc. and the Multicultural Advisory Council to the Queensland Government.

Always dedicated to those in need, Nora co-founded a Brisbane safe house for women and children fleeing domestic and family violence.  Nora also works with refugee students at Woodridge State School.

In recognition for her services to the community, she received the prestigious award of Australian Muslim Woman of the Year 2006. In 2007 and again in 2012, she was awarded the Australia Day Community Award. In 2015 Nora was recognised as the 2015 Peacewoman of the Year, awarded by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, a UN-affiliated organisation

Mr Affy Bhatti

Affy is a Management Consultant with over 16 years of experience leading projects and managing change from the UK and Australia. He leads Deloitte’s Project Risk practice in Perth which helps solve complex program and project management challenges.

Affy is also actively involved in community based work. He is a co-founder of Muslim Professional Network that connects Muslim professionals with community based, grass root projects, to enhance the standards of excellence in the WA Muslim community. He is the local chair of Crescent Institute, a not for profit organisation that provides meaningful access to Australia’s prominent business leaders through small intimate networking events.

Affy is also a current member of the WA Multicultural Advisory Committee, led by the WA Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests and was on the selection panel for the 2017 WA Australian of the Year Awards.

Talal Yassine Oam

Talal currently serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Whitlam Institute and Western Sydney University Foundation Council Board. He also serves as Chairman of First Quay Capital and Chairman of the Australian Arab Dialogue.
Talal has also served on the Australia Post, Board of Sydney Ports, Macquarie University and the Western Sydney Area Health Service and the Chairman of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Council of Australia Arab Relations.
In an executive capacity, Talal spent 10 years at PwC as a director and strategist, and at investment firm Babcock & Brown in the Corporate Finance Group and later in the Technical Real Estate Division. Later Talal held leadership positions in Better Place Australia, Platinum Hearing and Star Transport Australia.
Talal holds a Master of Laws, a Master of Business Administration which was focused on international business strategy, as well as honorary and adjunct Professorships within the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University and School of Business in the University of Western Sydney, respectively.
On Australia Day 2010, Talal was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to business and to the community through a range of education, health and multicultural organisations.