Sohail is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Islamica. He served as Executive Director of Kalam Research & Media (KRM), and Head of Press and Media for Code on the Road (COR). He is member of the Board of Advisors of the Faith Centre of the London School of Economics (LSE). At KRM he was the Co-Leader of the Islamic Analytic Theology project with the Sir John Templeton Foundation. Sohail has worked as Secretary of the Support Offices of the Executive Team of the National Transitional Council (NTC) of Libya in Benghazi. He was former advisor to HRH Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad of Jordan, and Chief Archivist for ‘A Common Word’. He obtained BSc in Government from the London School of Economics (LSE), postgraduate certificates in Catholic Theology from the Angelicum in Rome, and an MA in Protestant Reformed Theology from the University of Nottingham, UK. Sohail has over 30 years of award-winning graphic design expertise and was a finalist in the prestigious British Book Design and Production Awards (2002) in London, and is an acclaimed photographer.
Zulkafly Baharuddin, KMN, began his journalism career with the Malaysian National News Agency (BERNAMA) in 1977, serving in Johor, Perlis and Singapore. In 1983, he received the UNESCO International Press Fellowship, completing a year-long programme in Belgrade and a reporting attachment in Paris. He later became a Washington, D.C.–based correspondent for Utusan Melayu and TV3, covering the White House, State Department, Pentagon, and major international institutions. His career included roles with the Jordan Times, coverage of the Iraq War, and editorship of Milenia Muslim. He later produced for mobTV.my and remained active in national discourse. He was awarded the KMN (2004) and a Lifetime Dedication to Journalism Award (2024).
Shahzad is the Chief Commercial Officer at Islamica, responsible for strategic and business planning, marketing and finance functions. Shahzad is an accomplished life sciences executive with deep expertise in diagnostics, medical devices, and biopharmaceuticals. He began his career with significant commercial roles at Wyeth and Roche in the UK, later advancing to international senior leadership positions at Pfizer and Becton Dickinson (BD). Shahzad has a proven track record in general management, business turnarounds, complex integrations, and leading high-performing teams across established and high-growth emerging markets. As a strategic advisor to entrepreneurs and startups, he drives innovation and growth, while beyond biotech, his passion and interests extend to real estate development and media publishing. Shahzad is a Life Sciences graduate, a professionally qualified Marketer and holds an Executive MBA from Warwick Business School, UK.
Maryam is a Business Development Associate with a background in research, analytical writing, and economic policy analysis. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Northern University of Malaysia and has experience working on social and economic policy-related research with government agencies, international organisations, and academic institutions in Malaysia. She is passionate about integrating research and business insights to support strategic and impactful initiatives.
Amina is an award-winning magazine editor, interviewer, and documentary filmmaker. In 2010, she founded an acclaimed magazine and served as its Editor-in-Chief for nearly a decade, growing a global readership in the hundreds of thousands. She has interviewed numerous notable thought leaders, including Samuel Huntington, Noam Chomsky, Madeline Albright, Desmond Tutu, Paulo Coelho, Reza Aslan and many others. Her documentary films have been featured in dozens of film festivals, earning accolades such as Best Documentary, Best Directing, and Best Inspirational Film and appeared at The Boston Globe, PBS and Amazon Prime. She holds a PhD in Religion, with a focus on Islam in America, from Boston University, as well as a Master’s from Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and from Columbia University in Human rights. She is currently a Scholar and Fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Khalina is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the International Islamic University of Malaysia in Islamic philosophy of Science. As the Director of Citra Ilmu Consultancy Sdn. Bhd., she designs curriculum and workshops on culture and identity for a multi-cultural society. She holds a BA in Economics from Columbia University, a MSc in Education from the University of New England, and PhD Islamic Philosophy from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
Naim Hishamuddin is an Editorial Production Assistant for Islamica Magazine. With a Degree in Creative Writing, Film & Television Studies at Aberystwyth University and a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Surrey, his studies focused on publishing, fiction & non-fiction writing. A freelance writer, he also volunteered at the Imperial War Museum, the British Film Institute and worked at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, where he had had firsthand experience working in internationally recognised cultural spaces and major exhibitions.
Hayes is Site & Tech Manager at Islamica. Hayes is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States where he graduated from the University of Nevada with a B.A. in film. After graduating Hayes spent two years in the U.S. Peace Corps teaching English at the State University in Vanadzor, Armenia. His time in the Peace Corps over Hayes decided to stay in Armenia to work with Bars Media on documentary film projects. Once the film “A Story of People in War and Peace” was finished, he helped establish the Tumo Centre for Creative Technologies, designing the media and IT system in Yaravan, which now serves over one thousand media students. In 2007 Hayes joined the Cafesjian Center for The Arts as Director of IT & Media. During this time he was deeply involved in the construction, commissioning opening and operation of the premier art center in the South Caucuses. Next Hayes took a year off to travel through, and photograph, the Middle East and Africa. Upon reaching Dubai Hayes joined the team at Kalam Research and Media, a Think Tank, Educational and Media organisation.
Itrisyia Dayini is a Malaysian scholar and writer. She holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from University of Oxford and specializes in Modern Middle Eastern Studies, focusing on late Ottoman history.
