Advisory Board
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board of Faith For Our Planet is headed by our Founder, His Excellency, Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa. Our Board members share a common vision of leaving a greener and more sustainable planet for future generations. Each of them has made immense contributions to environmental preservation, religious communities, and civil society.
Founder & Chairman
Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa
Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa the Secretary General of Muslim World League (MWL), the world’s largest Islamic NGO, and the former Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is widely recognized as a leading global voice on interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding, and countering religious extremism. In 2020, he led a historic Islamic delegation to visit Auschwitz to honour Holocaust victims ahead of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the former concentration camp.
Founder & Chairman
Mohammed Bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa
Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa the Secretary General of Muslim World League (MWL), the world’s largest Islamic NGO, and the former Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is widely recognized as a leading global voice on interfaith dialogue, peacebuilding, and countering religious extremism. In 2020, he led a historic Islamic delegation to visit Auschwitz to honour Holocaust victims ahead of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the former concentration camp.
Vicente Lopez-Ibor Mayor
Dr. Vicente Lopez-Ibor Mayor is a former Commissioner of National Energy Commission of Spain, and a Founding Chairman of Lightsource BP, Europe’s largest solar energy company. He is one of the pre-eminent authorities on renewable energy, and worked at UNESA, and was Special Advisor of the Energy Program of UNESCO. He is also a former special energy Advisor to the European Union.
Rajwant Singh
Ndileka Mandela
Ndelika Mandela is a distinguished South African activist and entrepreneur. She is the driving force behind the Thembekile Mandela Foundation, dedicated to social justice and human rights advocacy. As the granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, Ndelika passionately channels her family’s legacy into meaningful philanthropy, addressing critical issues such as poverty, gender equality, and education. Her strategic vision extends to sustainable development and economic empowerment through her successful entrepreneurial ventures. In addition to her work with the Thembekile Mandela Foundation, Ndelika also leads the Mandela Foundation for Equality, which focuses on addressing issues including poverty, gender equality, and education.
Muhammad Magassy
Muhammed Magassy is the Consul for the Gambia Embassy in Paris, a former member of the National Assembly of the Republic of the Gambia and of the Economic Community of West African States Parliament (ECOWAS). He is also Executive Director of the Magassy Foundation for Relevant Easy Adult Literacy. Furthermore, he has authored several articles on fossil fuel investment, climate change and nature conservation.
Afia Salam
Michael Shank
Fachruddin Mangunjay
Dr. Fachruddin Mangunjaya is the Chairman of the Centre for Islamic Studies at the National University of Indonesia (UNAS) in Jakarta. A leading eco-activist in the Muslim world, he has worked extensively in synergizing faith, education, and environmentalism. His pioneering work in Islamic environmentalism has seen him train more than 1000 Indonesian clerics in using theology to promote conservation, which helped shape the 2015 International Islamic Declaration for Climate Change in Istanbul.
Syed Mahmood Nasir
Dr. Syed Mahmood Nasir is former Inspector General of Forests, Ministry of Climate Change for the government of Pakistan. He is also former Director Board of Governors at the WWF Pakistan and Islamabad Wildlife Management. He is a fellow at LEAD Pakistan, and current CEO of the Nature Clicks Institute Islamabad. He has expertise in forests, biodiversity, climate change, species conservation and international trade on wild fauna and flora. He has a PhD in Anthropology from Quaid-e-Azam University.
Nathalie Beasnael
Dr. Nathalie Beasnael is a prominent figure in healthcare, philanthropy, and media, with a diverse background spanning several countries. As the founder of Health4peace, a nonprofit aimed at improving healthcare access in rural areas, she spearheads initiatives in Senegal, Chad, Ghana, and South Africa. Dr. Beasnael’s global influence extends to international relations, including collaborations with key stakeholders in various countries. Recognized for her contributions, she has received awards such as the AFRIFAMU and AFROAWARDS. With licenses and certifications in nursing and esthetics, she serves as a recovery nurse at the Surgical Institute in Beverly Hills while hosting TV programs like “The Nathalie B Show” and participating in events like COP28. Additionally, she is actively involved in women’s empowerment through initiatives like MAISONDENE, INC.
Haroon Sarab Diyal
Haroon Sarab Diyal is a Hindu religious scholar, faith environmentalist, and a minority and human rights activist. He is a member of various peace and interfaith forums including Pakistan Hindu Temple Management Committee, National Commission of Human Rights, National Interfaith Forum on Freedom of Religion and Belief Network, and Ambedkar Society for South Asia. He is also a recipient of several performance awards for his services to peace, justice and social harmony by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Human Rights, Interfaith Council for Peace, World Council of Religions, among others.
Chad Blackman
Chad Blackman is the Senior Advisor to the Director-General of International Labor Organization, and Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations. Ambassador Blackman has worked for over twenty years in international trade, and development, and sustainability. He serves as President of the G77 and China (Geneva Chapter), and was also the Chair for the Trade and Environment Committee and Trade and Development Commitee in the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, he chaired the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Group in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and was a Global Board member of the United Nations International Gender Champions (IGC).
Zareen Qureshi
Zareen Qureshi is the Director for Children of Adam, a US-based nonprofit Islamic organization working on poverty eradication, literacy, and empowerment of youth worldwide. She is the former Executive Director for Charter for Compassion, Pakistan, the largest and the most active charter in the world where she worked closely with Ms. Karen Armstrong and Hillary Clinton. An activist by nature and a feminist in action, Zareen has spent 17+ years working closely with various government and NGOs, including the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare Department, Government of Sindh; WWF Pakistan; Child Life Foundation; USIP, USAID, DAI, World Bank, Aga Khan Foundation, University of Stanford, British Deputy High Commission, SIUT, Asian Development Bank and more.
Philip Rosenberg
Philip Rosenberg is Associate Director at the PR Office. Phil previously worked as Director of Public Affairs at the Board of Deputies of British Jews. During his tenure, Philip closely worked with the diplomatic corps in London to maximise opportunities for peace in the Middle East; with different faith communities to promote community cohesion; and, through the Board’s ground-breaking “Commission on Racial Inclusivity in the Jewish Community”, oversaw a meaningful reaction to the murder of George Floyd. Phil has also served an elected local councillor in the London Borough of Camden; and as Executive Director of the Faiths Forum for London.
Dr. Norman Wirzba
Dr. Norman Wirzba is the Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor of Christian Theology at Duke Divinity School and senior fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. He is the author and editor of sixteen books, including This Sacred Life: Humanity’s Place in a Wounded World. Professor Wirzba serves as general editor for the book series Culture of the Land: A Series in the New Agrarianism, published by the University Press of Kentucky, and is co-founder and executive committee member of the Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology.
Micheal Wakelin
Micheal Wakelin is Executive Chair of the Religion Media Centre, Executive Producer for TBI Media and a founding partner of the Religion and Belief Literacy Partnership. He was formerly Head of Religion and Ethics at the BBC having worked for the corporation for 23 years. Since leaving senior BBC, Michael has worked with and for a wide range of faith initiatives, including as Project Director for the Council of Christians and Jews, Executive Associate in Public Education for the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge and Director of Programmes for Coexist House.
Dr. Osman Bakar
Osman Bakar is currently Al-Ghazali Chair of Islamic Thought at ISTAC-International Islamic University Malaysia and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Malaya. He was formerly Distinguished Professor at Universiti Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia Chair of Southeast Asian Islam at the Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Washington DC. Dr Bakar is author and editor of 38 books and numerous articles on Islamic thought and civilisation, particularly Islamic science and philosophy and interreligious and inter-civilisational dialogue. He has served as advisor and consultant to a variety of organisations, including UNESCO, the Qatar Foundation, and The European Science Foundation.
Usman Rana
Mohammad Usman Rana is a prominent figure in Norway, serving as the head of the Norwegian Muslim think tank “Wasila.” He is an accomplished author, known for his book “Norwegian Islam – how to love Norway and the Quran at the same time.” With a flair for writing, Mohammad Usman Rana is an award-winning columnist, sharing his valuable insights in the Norwegian weekly Morgenbladet. He is widely recognized for his expertise in commenting on subjects related to Islam, radicalism, and secularism. His contributions and perspectives have made a significant impact in fostering understanding and dialogue on these critical topics.
Amadou Thiam
Amadou Thiam is a politician from Mali who is currently serving as Minister of Institutional Reforms and Relations with Civil Society in the Boubou Cisse administration. In his political career he was elected as the National Assembly’s deputy in 2014 and served as the National Assembly of Mali’s second vice president. In 2019 Mr. Thiam formed his new party, “Democratic Forces for Prosperity in Mali. Furthermore, he was elected as the ADP-Maliba party’s representative in Commune V in the Bamako district. He additionally worked as a communications officer for the USAID Harmonised Education Strengthening Support Programme (USAID/PHARE). He was also appointed as a Vice-Chairperson ad interim for Committee B at the seventy-third World Health Assembly. Amadou Thiam is widely considered to be the youngest person ever to have been elected to the Malian parliament. He was awarded the honor of “Knight of the National Order of Mali” in 2018.
Dr. Matthew Pajares Yngson
Dr. Matthew Pajares Yngson is an international diplomat focused on small island developing states (SIDS). He heads the Caribbean ASEAN Council, the Pacific ASEAN Consortium, and the Eastern Caribbean-Southeast Asia Chamber, an organization recognized by the United Nations under the UN-OHRLLS. Dr. Yngson is a multidisciplinary professional with three decades of experience in several fields including information technology, journalism, broadcast media, and international business. He is also an author and a philanthropist. For his support of underprivileged indigenous peoples in the Southern Philippines, he has been bestowed traditional royal titles by The 35th Sultan of Sulu. Dr. Yngson has also been admitted as a Knight Commander in the Order of the Knights of Rizal, the patriotic order of chivalry of the Philippines.
Muddassar Ahmed
Muddassar is Founder and President of the Concordia Forum, a transatlantic think tank for Muslim thought leaders and change makers across Europe and North America. A few years ago, he launched ImamConnect, the world’s first online platform and marketplace for Muslim services. He is also a Patron of the Faiths Forum for London.
Muddassar is a Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund where he advises on international security and diplomacy. He sits on several boards including John Adams Society, Global Ties U.S; International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), the American Islamic College Rural Support Programmes Network (Pakistan), and The Forum for Discussion of Israel and Palestine (FODIP). He is also Chairman of one of the largest independent food banks in the UK, the Bow Food Bank.
