The ISB Campus was founded following the most recent Living Islam Festival. Young attendees appreciated the non-judgemental space that was specifically curated for them at the festival. Afterwards, they expressed a desire to keep meeting in an environment that would be similarly respectful and welcoming – a space that allowed them to forge new friendships and deepen their faith.
Since its inception, campus mentors have consistently supported this initiative, offering guidance, oversight, and training.
Dr Sara Saigol
GP, Muslim Youth Leader – Islamic Society of Britain
Sara is a General Medical Practitioner and a Muslim youth leader. She has had extensive involvement with various community organisations including Young Muslims and The Islamic Society of Britain (“the ISB”) for almost 3 decades.
Sara developed the ISB’s Campus – this aims to provide a diverse space for young people to freely discuss, debate and learn about their religion in an open and safe environment – from inception at the Living Islam Festival in 2016, and has overseen its growth into the primary project of the ISB. She is a public speaker and writer with considerable experience of engagement with British media outlets. You will find her regularly presenting at our Sixth Form and Freshers Circles, as well as our in-person events like residentials, masterclasses and more!
Sara is a graduate of the University of Birmingham medical school, is married with three children and based in south Manchester.
Dr Rizwan Syed is a GP who is professionally active in training and mentoring. As a practitioner having to communicate daily with a public of all abilities, Rizwan habitually distils complex, technical information into accessible language.
He is a longstanding member of initially, the Young Muslims UK and later, the Islamic Society of Britain, where he has held numerous posts in leadership or training, including course organiser for the advanced level Summer Islamic Studies Residential courses. He is presently lead of ISB’s tarbiyah department, overseeing curriculum development, implementation and ISB’s unique Intelligences Framework.
He has been studying and teaching Islam at a lay level since his late teens, developing interests in comparative religion, usul al hadith, usul al fiqh, Islamic history and psychology. He is particularly concerned with the challenge of how to make core Islamic teachings relevant to our contemporary context. For two years he taught the online study circle for ISB Campus, running a two-year course entitled, ‘Classical to Contemporary: Muslim and British’. Presently, Dr Rizwan presents in a number of online study circles and seminars, across a spread of age ranges, as well as speaking at our Campus Midlands Socials, and various in-person events!
Mubashir Khan completed his original bachelor’s degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and worked for some years as an aircraft engineer. He furthered degree-level studies in sociology, philosophy and religions.
He has been a member of the Islamic Society of Britain / Young Muslims for nearly 30 years. He previously worked in the Training Department of ISB, devising syllabi and was lead researcher for the national Islam Awareness Week for ten years.
Mubashir is active in his local community in Woking and has been involved in teaching and mentoring young people for the last twenty years. You will find him leading Campus South Socials in London, as well at speaking at our other events!
He is also a passenger jet pilot.
