The Problem
Muslims in the United States are experiencing a variety of social welfare, mental health, behavioral health, marital and family problems. Family and marital problems continue, hunger and homelessness continue, other challenges continue to face our youth each and everyday, our disabled and elderly continue to need support. The formerly incarcerated have nowhere to turn when they reenter society and as practicing Muslims want to make a new start in life. We are facing a crisis because of the lack of Muslim counselors and the lack of mainstream providers knowledgeable of best practices with Muslims. We need social workers and mental health professionals in our full time Islamic schools. We need volunteers, paraprofessionals and professionals who can work with Muslims facing a variety of challenges everyday.
Our Vision
The Islamic Social Services Association, Inc. (ISSA-USA) envisions a spiritually and culturally competent social service network that ensures the highest quality of life possible for every individual, family, and community.
Our Mission
The mission of ISSA-USA is to build a network of professional, paraprofessional and volunteer social service and mental health providers; and to enhance their capacity through education, training, technical assistance, research, mentorship and collaboration.
Our Approach
Our approach is multifaceted and includes a focus on the secular and other faith providers, Muslim community members, imams, community leaders and professionals as well as promotion of cross-cultural awareness among Muslims. ISSA-USA offers a range of training and capacity building resources for Muslim, other faith and secular communities that facilitate our approach.
Our Objectives
- Provide training programs for imams, community leaders, Muslim, secular and other faith professionals and paraprofessionals.
- Provide consultation and serve as a liaison with secular and other faith social service and mental health providers.
- Encourage Muslim students to major in professional education in the fields of social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology and psychiatry.
- Encourage and facilitate the publication of research about social service and mental health issues concerning Muslims and to serve as a clearinghouse for resource material.
ISSA-USA's methodology is multifaceted and includes a focus on mainstream providers, Muslim community members, imams, community leaders, human services students and professionals. Additionally the plan promotes cross-cultural awareness among Muslims, the coordination of zakat and sadaqa collection and distribution on the local level, the development of strategic alliance and partnerships and the investment in qualitative and quantitative, evidence based human service research.
Our History
ISSA was established in 1999 at the annual conference of Muslim Social Services where 60 Muslim social workers, mental health professionals and counselors convened in Washington D.C. This dedicated group of individuals were concerned about the social issues affecting the Muslim community in North America. These community leaders believed it would be important to develop a network of Muslims in the field of human services to begin to address the mental health, social welfare, and general family issues that impact Muslims. Additionally, founders felt that it would be important to work closely with secular and other faith professionals to develop a partnership in meeting this work, promote understanding about Islamic traditions, beliefs, and practices, as well as provide a forum to discuss contemporary social issues facing Muslims in America.
In 2003 ISSA split into 2 sister and independent non-profit organizations: one in the USA and one in Canada. They were each incorporated having their own voluntary board of directors for services to be delivered in the U.S.A and Canada respectively. These two boards of directors work together on projects that serve to educate and connect social service providers to the community.
Visionary founders of ISSA include the late Dr. Maryam Funches, Dr. Aneesah Nadir, Dr. Bilquis Eltarab and Shahina Siddiqui.
National Executive Board of Directors
Dr. Aneesah Nadir
President, Co-Founder
Phoenix, Arizona
Dr. Aneesah Nadir is a retired Arizona State University social work professor. She has enjoyed a fulfilling career as a social worker for over 40 years and continues to mentor students in social work and other human service professions. She is an award-winning pioneer in the field of Muslim mental health and provides diversity education and training.
Dr. Nadir is a trailblazing leader in the Healthy Muslim Marriage Movement. She raises awareness about the impact of healthy marriage and dysfunctional marriage on mental health and well-being. She has developed and provides the Before the Nikah® Marriage Preparation Course and other premarital education programs through the Before the Nikah Institute. She is also the author of the book, Before the Nikah: Proven Principles to Help Single Muslims Choose Wisely and Build Strong Marriages.
Dr. Nadir serves as the President and is a cofounder of the Islamic Social Services Association-USA (ISSA-USA), a national nonprofit headquartered in Arizona which provides mental health education and advocacy. ISSA-USA's Sakinah Healthy Marriage Initiative and the Annual National Healthy Muslim Marriage Week raises awareness about the importance of Healthy Marriages and Families in the Muslim Community.
Shaema Imam
President-Elect
Atlanta, Georgia
Shaema Imam, has her MSW from the University of Denver with a concentration in Mental Health and Trauma. She has worked in the fields of homecare (Canada), community development (Bahrain and Dubai), and community mental health and recovery from substance abuse (Atlanta). She is registered as an LMSW in the State of Georgia and is currently working as a suicide prevention specialist. She has previously worked with the Islamic Family and Social Services Association in Edmonton as a youth development and parenting education coordinator and has been involved with ISSA since 2002.
Anjum Ali
Secretary
Richmond, Virginia
Anjum Ashraf Ali has a Master's Degree in Islamic Studies from McGill University, concentrating on Women and Children's Rights in Islamic Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College in International Relations and French.
Based in Richmond, VA, she worked as an Islamic Studies professor and has 20+ years of experience spanning dialogue facilitation, public speaking around Racial Justice, equity, conflict transformation, and interfaith dialogue. Her previous work includes conducting trust-building workshops for diverse community groups and work spaces in international settings with various NGO’s.
She is certified in Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resiliency (EMU). Along with being a Health insurance agent and educator, she is a Trauma Awareness and Relationship Coach using Brainspotting Therapy and focusing on Islamic Spirituality, and Attachment Theory in conjunction with Internal Family Systems. Anjum has been connected to ISSA since its inception.
Dr. Mohammad Hoque
Treasurer
Chicago, Illinois
Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Hoque is a retired professor of Social Work at Mississippi Valley State University. His educational background spans around Social Welfare, Community Development; and Social Work. He has served on the Board of the Association of the Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD) of the USA. His research interests had been in the areas of development and mental health issues of children and youth.
Zarinah Nadir
Member at Large
Phoenix, Arizona
Zarinah Nadir is a dynamic attorney, educator and best-selling author of Legally Savvy. She is the Director of Student Engagement at her alma mater, Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Her advocacy encompasses juvenile law to civil rights to navigating the complexities of Islamic family law within the U.S. legal system. A seasoned community organizer and Board member of the Islamic Social Services Association-USA, Zarinah passionately bridges legal education with community impact. She also co-instructs for Before the Nikah® Course equipping students with vital
knowledge to choose wisely and have a healthy marriage.
Daymee Hissu
Member at Large
Cairo, Egypt
Daymee Hissu is an Oromo‑American from Arizona who holds a B.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University. She has been deeply involved with the Islamic Social Services Association, USA (ISSA‑USA) for four years, contributing to research, web and social media design, program planning, and coordinating key initiatives such as the Love More Challenge and various video projects. She has served on the boards of the Muslim Students Association at ASU (MSA‑ASU) and the Oromo Youth Association (OYA). After graduating, she worked as a Housing Stabilization Case Manager, helping individuals find and maintain stable housing. She is currently based in Cairo, where she is studying Quran memorization and Arabic.
Sameera Qureshi
Member at Large
Virginia
Sameera Qureshi, MS OTR, is an Occupational Therapist and Islamic Psychology Practitioner specializing in soulful mental and sexual health education, therapy, and training. As the founder of Sexual Health for Muslims, she integrates Islamic traditions of the soul into holistic, trauma-informed frameworks for Muslims and the professionals who serve them. A sought-after subject matter expert and thought leader, Sameera’s work is rooted in compassion, self-accountability, and spiritually grounded approaches to healing.
Shahana Rahman
Member at Large
Georgia
Shahana is a compassionate mental health professional pursuing a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy. With a background in Psychology and an MBA, she is certified in trauma support, CBT, and therapeutic art. She supports individuals, couples, and families in their healing journeys, fostering resilience and emotional growth. Shahana is also a gifted artist who channels her creativity through oil and acrylic painting to support and raise funds for charitable initiatives.
Tabari Zahir
Member at Large
California
Tabari Zahir, LCSW, CADC, is a clinician, educator, and advocate with nearly 20 years of experience in mental health and addiction treatment. As founder of Lamps of Light Project, he addresses addiction in Muslim communities with cultural sensitivity. Having witnessed addiction’s impact firsthand in street communities, his approach blends deep empathy, clinical expertise (MSW), and Islamic knowledge. He mentors incarcerated and inner-city populations, teaches at Islamic institutions, and serves as a UCLA chaplain. Based in Southern California, he bridges therapy, social justice, and spiritual growth.