Home > ISNA HQ > About > Board of Directors > Muzammil Siddiqi
Born in India in 1943. Received his early education
at Aligarh Muslim University and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow,
India. Graduated from Islamic University of Madina in Saudi Arabia in
1965 with a higher degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies. Received M.A.
in Theology from Birmingham University in England and Ph.D. in
Comparative Religion from Harvard University in USA.
Dr. Siddiqi worked with many Islamic organizations
in Switzerland, England and United States. He was the Chairman of
Religious Affairs Committee of the Muslim Students Association in US
and Canada. Dr. Siddiqi also served as Director of the Islamic Center
of Washington, D.C. He served two terms (1997-2001) as President of the
Islamic Society of North America with Headquarters in Indiana. Since
1981 He the Director of the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden
Grove, California. He is also the Chairman of the Shura Council of
Southern California, an organization representing the Islamic centers,
masajid and organizations in Southern California, He is the Chairman of
the Fiqh (Islamic Law) Council of North America and a founding member
of the Council of Mosques in US and Canada. He is a founfing member of
the Council of 100 of the World Economic Forum based in Switzerland.
The Council is to foster dialogue and better relations between Islam
and the West.
Dr. Siddiqi has widely traveled and has lectured at
universities, colleges and other academic and religious institutions in
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, England, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Turkey,
Trinidad, Guyana, Grenada, Barbados, Mauritius, New Zealand, Malaysia,
Singapore, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Gibraltar, Brazil, United States
and Canada. He has taught courses on Islam and world religions at
Harvard University, Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey, Seton
Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, Birmingham University,
England, International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan and
California State University in Long Beach. He is at present an adjunct
professor of Islamic Studies and world religions at California State
University in Fullerton and Chapman University in Orange, California.
He is also an external examiner for the Departments of Islamic Studies
at the University of Durban-Westville in South Africa, University of
Karachi, Pakistan and University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Dr. Siddiqi has participated in many
inter-religious dialogues. He spoke at the World Assembly of the World
Council of Churches in Vancouver, Canada and has participated in many
seminars organized by the National Council of Churches and National
Council of Christians and Jews in USA. From NCCJ he also received the
Humanitarian of the Year Award in 1999. In September 2001 on the
National Day of Prayer and Remembrance he was invited by President
George Bush to lead a Muslim Prayer at the Interfaith Prayer Service at
Washington National Cathedral. In November 2005 Dr. Siddiqi was
recognized by Orange County Register as one of the 100 people who
shaped Orange County in the last twenty five years. In August 2006 LA
Times recognized Dr. Siddiqi as one of the top 100 most influential
people in Southern California.
Dr. Siddiqi is the Vice President of the Academy of
Judaic-Christian and Islamic Studies in California. He is also the
member of the Supreme Islamic Council of Egypt and the Supreme Council
of Mosques in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. He conducted a weekly religious
radio program from Pasadena from 1982 till 2004. He has contributed
many articles to many Islamic and Academic Journals, Encyclopedias and
other publications. He writes a weekly column for Pakistan Link in Los
Angeles on the issues of Islamic law and social problems. He also
regularly answers many questions on Islamic law at the Islam on Line
program on the Internet. (2006)