Judging Panel

Sir Iqbal Sacranie has been actively involved with the community by participating in many charitable initiatives for the last four decades, in the UK and overseas. He is motivated by his noble mission to ensure that faith-based and ethnic communities are treated fairly, equally and given due recognition for their contributions to society.

Sir Stephen Timms is a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom. Previously having served as the Shadow Minister for Employment from 2010 until September 2015, his current appointments include Labour Party’s Faith Envoy and a chair on the Exiting the European Union Select Committee.

Sam Tarry, born August 27, 1982, has been the Labour MP for Ilford South since 2019. He chaired Young Labour from 2009 to 2011 and has been active in anti-fascism with Hope not Hate. Previously a councillor for Chadwell Heath ward, he’s also served as a national political officer for the TSSA trade union. From April 2020 to January 2021, he was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ed Miliband. Appointed Shadow Minister of State for Transport in January 2021, he held the position until June 2022. As a staunch Trade Unionist, Sam advocates for workers’ rights and represents his diverse constituency on various international issues, including organizing fundraisers for Palestinian humanitarian aid.

Adam Ismail Ebrahim is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer at the Oasis Group, a wealth management organisation he established in 1997, which has grown into a diversified and sustainable business in the regulated ethical investment space.

Co Founder Crep Nohman Ahmed is one of the three brothers who founded the group Undercover Brothers which specialises in the lifestyle fashion industry specializing in exclusive sneakers, shoe care, streetwear, and bags.

One of the more prominent brands under their ownership is Crep Protect which has revolutionised the shoe care industry. Founded in 2013, Crep Protect has grown to become an international success in the industry with global presence in over 52 countries. Selling to sportswear retail giants such as JD Sports and Footlocker, Crep Protect was ranked the 2nd fastest growing independent company in the UK and the 7th fastest in Europe (2019).

The group also operates multiple luxury go-to boutique for high-end streetwear and exclusive sneakers under the brand ‘Presented By’, one of Europe’s largest sneaker marketplaces – KLEKT, and is also the worldwide licence holder for Adidas Shoe care.

Manzila Pola, Baroness Uddin is a campaigner of women’s rights and activist in the cause of anti-racism, anti-colonialism and a strong advocate on supporting women’s participation in the public spheres. She was elevated to House of Lords as the first Bangladeshi and Muslim in 1998, in recognition for her role, influence and impact on the advancement of women’s and disability rights and championing social justice, particularly in the East End of London.

Shahzad Younas (London, UK) is the founder and CEO of Muzz. Previously a Vice President in Equity Portfolio Trading at investment bank Morgan Stanley for 9 years, Shahzad quit his career to fully focus on building a high quality mobile app to help Muslims around the world to find their perfect marriage partner.
Backed with a total of $9M investment (Seed and Series A) from a range of Silicon Valley and global investors, headquartered in Aldgate, London, and boasting a fast growing 65+ strong global team, Muzz is transforming how Muslims meet and marry

Afzal is a Shareholder of EP Group which specialises in sustainable and innovative packaging solutions with manufacturing sites for paper, plastic and aluminium foils. The Group supplies over 4000 products to major retail and food service groups across 20 countries and employs 1,500 staff across its portfolio.
A graduate from Kingston University London, Afzal left University in 1986 and joined the family business. The Business Head Quarters are located in Birmingham with factories in Malaysia, Dubai, UK and France. The company was sold in 2006 to Private Equity Mid Ocean Partners and was subsequently re-purchased in 2009 through the financial crisis.
Afzal along with his brother heads up the Family Investment Office where they acquire businesses and properties.
Afzal has a passion for business, travel and contributing to the wider community.
Afzal currently divides his time between Dubai and the UK.

Kamran is an influential banker who has facilitated over £3bn in capital market transactions over the last several years, including many successful oil & gas, mining and tech deals. He played an integral role in facilitating small cap company’s into strong revenue Kamran and his group successfully underwrote two transactions with Touchstone Energy Inc and were early backers of Afritin Mining, making significant returns in both companies.
Kamran possesses the relevant financial qualifications and experience to ensure robust financial reporting and audit oversight can be put in place. He is the principal of Portillion Capital, which offers bespoke financial advice to a wide range of individuals, including many HNWIs and UHNWIs. Kamran and Portillion are registered and authorised by the FCA, and Kamran holds several senior management functions as a regulated individual, including SMF3 Executive Director, SMF16 Compliance Oversight and SMF17 Money Laundering Reporting Officer.
Kamran is also the CEO and largest investor in Love Hemp, as well as being a significant shareholder in Bushveld minerals

Haroon Kalla is a prominent South African businessman and director of AMKA Products, one of the largest privately owned cosmetic and toiletry companies in South Africa. He is also a renowned pharmacist and the creator of Bactroban, a leading antibiotic cream.

With a wide network and extensive business expertise, Haroon has played a vital role in the growth and development of Post-Apartheid South Africa. He has utilized his knowledge and connections within the Muslim community to support various philanthropic initiatives and advocate for the oppressed.

During his time in the UK, Haroon served as the vice chairman of the Halal Food Authority. He also chaired AWQAF South Africa for 11 years, during which the organization was honoured with the prestigious Islamic Economy award in 2015.

Sultan has spent over a quarter of a century in financial services, his career taking him to Deloitte, Charles Schwab, Barclays, Al Rayan Bank and most recently Offa.  Starting life as a chartered accountant, Sultan is one of the leading names in UK Islamic finance. He played an instrumental role as part of the founding management team that obtained Western Europe’s first Islamic banking licence for Al Rayan Bank, where he served as CEO for 8 years. During this time, he turned the loss-making business into a profitable one with exponential growth through a real estate financing strategy, building the balance sheet to £2bn.  Sultan is a Member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. He also sits on the Islamic Finance Council UK Advisory Board.

As the Chairman of MUSIAD UK, Murat Bingol is proud to lead an organisation that is a significant force in the international business community. MUSIAD UK presence extends across over 71 countries, with a particularly strong impact in Turkey, where it contributes to over 20% of the nation’s GDP, reflecting a vital role in shaping global economic trends and practices. In addition to responsibilities at MUSIAD, Murat’s business ventures span across various sectors. He is deeply involved in the clothing manufacturing industry, the international real estate market, and, significantly, the construction sector in Turkey through his association with Dap Yapi. Dap Yapi is a key player in Turkish construction, known for its innovative projects and contributions to the country’s infrastructure development.

Rohema Miah is a Political Advisor and has worked in the parliamentary sphere for over 20 years. Her experience spans working for MPs, Ministers and Members of the House of Lords. An International Speaker and a consultant to local, national and international organisations and departments. Rohema is Director of International Trade Affairs for the UKBCCI .
Former Director for the Commission on British Muslims and Islamophobia and the Policy and Development Officer for the Centre of Muslim Affairs. Rohema has set up and coordinated interfaith projects
Rohema is an Ambassador for Peace and holds a number of positions in the charity and voluntary sector.

Sam Elia, the co-founder of Europe’s largest Asian inspired quick serve restaurant group; Chopstix, has been a stalwart of the UK’s leisure sector for the last 30 years. After creating the noodle bar concept back in 2002 he has been instrumental in the brands direction and growth over the last two decades. His dedication and integrity have allowed the brand to grow to more than 100 locations, partnering with the likes of Welcome Break, Applegreen and Bourne leisure along the way. Now his dream of making the Chopstix ‘X’ as recognisable as the famous golden arches is well on the way to becoming a reality, as the brand continues to become a mainstay of the UK’s fast-food offer and pushes forward into Europe and beyond with its franchise model. Sam is a true visionary in every sense of the word but remains an operator at heart, committed to the diversity of offer that the UK consumer is demanding.

Sagheer is a Partner and Chief Commercial Officer at OFFA, which is UK’s first bridge finance provider operating an ethical finance model designed in accordance with Islamic finance principles.. During his 18-plus years of experience in Islamic banking, Sagheer has developed and managed a multi-channel distribution of Sharia-compliant products worldwide, generating more than £1 billion from property finance. Sagheer combines his experience in analysis and risk mitigation with a proven ability to create and implement strategies for growth across products, systems, policies and people, He built an impressive reputation whilst Head of Premier and Retail Assets at Al Rayan Bank, where he not only operated in retail banking, but also specialised in asset products such as the Home Purchase Plan (HPP), Buy to Let and other types of property finance.

Rahima is a trustee at the Aziz Foundation, a charitable family foundation that supports British Muslims, especially through Masters scholarships. Rahima is currently studying her Masters in Developmental Psychology at University College London, and aspires to work as a Clinical Psychologist in the future.

Aamir Saad is a renowned professional with over 26 years in business banking, consultancy, and project management, specializing in change management for SMEs and Corporates. His comprehensive career includes significant roles in business banking and consultancy at a global bank, and project management and consultancy at a top global firm. As a non-execuGve director and entrepreneur, Aamir has been instrumental in aligning client goals with strategic business soluGons, adeptly addressing the diverse challenges in the business world.