Meet The Executives
Admin Team
Summeiya (They/Them), Co-Founder
Summeiya Khamissa (They/Them) is the founder of Queer Muslim Network. Summeiya holds a degree in Children, Childhood & Youth Studies from York University, and works in the non-profit sector.
Summeiya is passionate about community building, progressive Islam, youth advocacy, and persisting radical joy. In the very few moments they’re not thinking about Queer Muslim Network, they’re almost always in the kitchen, cooking up a storm.
Laila (She/Her), Co-Founder
Laila (She/Her) is the co-founder and former graphic designer of Queer Muslim Network. As the second most senior member, her role quickly grew alongside the organization, taking on creative and leadership roles. She is currently studying history and sexuality at university and is passionate about producing work that is rich in culture, identity, and heritage.
When she’s not attending a diaspora, sexuality, or history class, you can find her pursuing filmmaking, Islamic art, writing, and taking care of her plants.
Layale (She/Her), Finance & Advocacy
Layale (She/Her) is the finance coordinator at Queer Muslim Network. Layale holds an undergraduate & master’s degree in physics. Her master's thesis research was in quantitative MRI methodology development. She has two years of experience as a digital consultant with a growing expertise in data science, AI, and machine learning.
In addition to the sciences, Layale is passionate about social justice, Lebanese culture, food, the Arabic language, Indigenous liberation, trans liberation, drag culture, the intersection between queerness & Islam, and politics. Layale is also a strong proponent of seeing a liberated and free Palestine.
Dahlia (She/They), Partnerships Coordinator & Communications
Dahlia (She/They) is a partnership coordinator at Queer Muslim Network. Dahlia studied Mathematics during her time in university. They’ve worked in international development for the past six years, mainly working with sustainable infrastructure projects & companies to maximize their positive impact on communities and businesses.
Dahlia has six years of experience in queer Muslim advocacy. They were part of the organizing team of London Queer Muslims before moving to Canada and joining Queer Muslim Network in 2023. Dahlia’s passions include building community & belonging for queer Muslims, Formula 1, and Heartstopper.
Events Team
Walid (He/Him), Events Lead
Walid is on a continuous journey of self-exploration, learning more about the intersection of queerness and Islam. He takes joy in creating spaces where people can come together and connect meaningfully. In his free time, Walid is learning to play the Oud, experimenting with spoken word, and deepening his understanding of Sufism. Walid has degrees in International Affairs and Education and has lived in eight different countries.
Youssef (He/Him), Community Liaison & Jummah Coordinator
Youssef (He/Him) is the community liaison at the Queer Muslim Network. Youssef has an undergraduate degree in business administration as well as a masters in international business. Youssef works as a management consultant servicing clients in Canada, the USA and abroad.
Having been involved in Muslim advocacy and community building his entire adult life, he shifted towards supporting Queer Muslims when he joined QMN in 2021. Aside from his official role, he takes pride in bringing people in the community together through social events, mentorship and food.
Zainab (She/Her), Volunteer Coordinator & Researcher
Zainab (She/Her) is the volunteer coordinator & researcher at the Queer Muslim Network. She holds a bachelor’s degree in global health and works in the healthcare field.
Zainab has many years of experience volunteering for community organisations advocating for things she feels passionate about, including anti-racism and oppression, disability rights, access to healthcare, food insecurity, and more. In her free time, Zainab can be found reading a good book, baking fun recipes she sees on Tik Tok, or working on a project from her never ending pile of crochet.
Marketing Team
Saad (He/They), Head of Marketing & Social Media Manager
Saad (He/They) is the head of marketing and social media manager for Queer Muslim Network. Saad is working towards an undergraduate degree in Politics and Governance with a minor in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, while actively being employed in the nonprofit sector.
Saad has been involved in local queer organizations for 7+ years, beginning as a community member attendee and then gradually taking on internal roles to facilitate more concentrated programming for intersectional community members. He strongly values community and ensuring folks feel like they belong. When not doing Queer Muslim things, you will most likely find Saad doing some form of content creation to make their friends laugh.
Saif Ali (He/Him), Graphic Designer
Saif Ali is a queer Arab Muslim Shiite from Iraq, working as a graphic designer for Queer Muslim Network. In addition, he is a digital artist, Illustrator, journalist, writer, and intersectional queer activist. Saif is the founder of both Gala Iraq and Queer Shia, platforms focused on queer representation within Iraqi and Shiite contexts.
In his free time, Saif prefers to immerse himself in Islamic art, spending time contemplating its details and historical and aesthetic richness. He also dedicates time to reading books that explore issues of sexuality and Islamic history, finding inspiration and a deeper understanding of how concepts related to sex and identity have evolved in different Islamic contexts. In addition, Saif enjoys creating queer artistic works for personal pleasure, away from professional or political purposes, seeing it as a way to express himself and derive enjoyment from creating something that reflects his identity and experience.
Ali (He/Him), Newsletter
Ali Zafar (He/Him) is a storyteller & copywriter at Queer Muslim Network. Ali holds an undergraduate degree in journalism and an MBA. He worked in the print media industry across Canada, the Middle East, and South Asia before shifting into the corporate space.
He’s passionate about all-things horror—movies, books, and even writing in the genre. He appreciates spending time with his cat and travelling the world.
Advocacy Team
Faisal Ibrahim (He/Him), Advocacy Team Lead
Faisal has a lifetime experience of being queer. He has a strange sense of humour but we love him anyway. As an Economics graduate student, he has seen how the sausage is made and can confirm it ain’t good, but that means more employment opportunities for him to try and fix it. Faisal has a passion for advocacy work and has organized with Students for Palestinian Rights, World BEYOND War, and Queers 4 Palestine. He has a strong desire to build broad and genuine connections with the Muslim community, to dispel misconceptions about queerness and queer folks, and to foster a world where all can exist in safety and security, and all can grow confidently from healthy roots grounded in authenticity and integrity.
Nafs (They/none), Advocacy Team
advocacy team. khoja ex-ismaili.
Ali Noor (They/Them), Advocacy Team
Ali is a South Asian and Queer Shia who is deeply passionate about the idea of revolution through a more productively and open dialogue by maintaining humility and creating more empathy based communities. They believe that a person’s true jihad does not stem from what is in front of you, but from what it is that you battle within. Outside of QMN, you will find them engaging in their very temporary hyperfixations, in hopes of one day finding an activity that they can truly call a hobby.
Ottawa Chapter
Blue (She/Her), Ottawa Chapter Liaison
Blue Petties (She/Her) is the Ottawa Chapter Liaison for the Queer Muslim Network. She is a proud community builder, facilitator, culture worker, and designer. Her work centres around creating spaces for marginalized communities to connect and thrive. Her values are rooted in community care, disability justice, and anti-oppression.
Blue is a graduate of the University of Ottawa where she majored in trombone performance. Blue is deeply involved with the various communities that she is a part of. When Blue is not organizing community events, she is often found cooking, connecting with friends and making art.
Abrar, Ottawa Chapter Liaison
Abrar (She/They) is the Ottawa Liaison at Queer Muslim Network and the founder of the Queer Shia Collective. With a master’s degree in Women’s Studies and a bachelor’s in Gender Studies, she has built a career in community engagement, strategic partnerships, and program facilitation. Her role has been instrumental in fostering connections and driving initiatives that support and uplift marginalized communities.
When she’s not coordinating events or facilitating programs, you can find Abrar obsessively collecting books about Bahrain, creating art that explores Bahrani identity, or nurturing spaces where communities can thrive. She is passionate about envisioning a future where queer Shias can live proudly and unapologetically.