Khalid Ashraf is the Chairperson and co-founder of Deaf Muslim UK, where he leads the Board’s strategic direction and governance while cultivating strong collaboration between the Board and executive management. He works as an Independent Consultant, advising on accessibility and inclusion. His professional background spans architecture, structural engineering, access consultancy, and onscreen presenting and interpreting for ITV.

Khalid also serves on the Board of Directors of Deaf EXperience (DEX), advocating for the education rights of deaf children in the UK. He previously served as a Trustee of the UK Council on Deafness (UKCoD) and as Chairperson of the Institute of British Sign Language (iBSL). He holds a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the Markfield Institute of Higher Education, which was validated by Newman University, and has studied Inclusive Environments: Design and Management at the University of Reading. Additionally, he holds a Level 4 NVQ in British Sign Language (equivalent to the current Level 6), awarded by Signature.

Kerry embraced Islam in 2007 and has been deeply connected with Deaf Muslim UK ever since. Formerly a trustee and now serving as Vice Chairperson, she feels truly honoured to work alongside such an inspiring and dedicated team.

Kerry brings a wealth of life experience and wisdom to her role, with a strong passion for driving equal access and inclusion. Her motivation aligns perfectly with Deaf Muslim UK’s vision: “The revolution in creating equal and accessible Islamic resources for all.”

Holding an NVQ Level 6 in British Sign Language (BSL) – equivalent to a degree and awarded by Signature – Kerry is highly skilled in BSL communication. She currently serves as a Manager for Deafscope Ltd and Deafscope Link CIC, both of which deliver a range of accessible services for the Deaf community throughout the UK.

Owais Murad is the co-founder of Deaf Muslim UK since 1994, a trustee member and responsible for developing DMUK’s islamic research agenda. He is a trustee of the Global Deaf Muslim Federation based in the United States and he was recently appointed as the Director of the European Network of Deaf Muslims. He graduated with a degree in Deaf Studies from the University of Bristol and a Masters in Islamic Studies from the Markfield Institute of Higher Education. 

Owais is researching the linguistic techniques to produce high quality educational materials on the Quran, Hadith and Islamic history in British Sign Language. Professionally he runs a communications company which provides BSL translation services. He has been engaged in implementing his vision of educating Deaf Muslims nationwide for almost two decades. Owais has featured in media engagements from the BBC to Islam Channel advocating for Deaf Muslims.

Farooq Murad supports the Islamic education and development of Deaf Muslims.  He has worked as a management and training consultant, and developed community regeneration solutions in the fields of education, training and employment. He has also delivered community and cross-cultural training programmes for government departments and the voluntary sector. From 2010 to 2014 he was the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, chairman of Muslim Aid (2004-08) and President of the Islamic Society of Britain (1998-2000).  At the Davos World Economic Forum, he attended as a constituent member.

Nashiru Abdulai is the Co-Founder of Global Deaf Muslim (GDM), a non-profit organisation that strives to provide opportunities for the Deaf to learn about Islam and gain inclusion in the Muslim community. He led efforts to provide access to Islam in sign language and charity service for hundreds of Deaf Muslims, domestically and internationally. In 2018, Nashiru was elected by international organisations to become President of the Global Deaf Muslim Federation (GDMF) Board of Directors in Istanbul, Turkey. He spearheaded GDM-USA’s translation of the Quran into American Sign Language (ASL), and organised three international conferences for Deaf Muslims in Qatar (2013), Malaysia (2016), and Indonesia (2019).

Nashiru earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Work and Master of Human Resource Management from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and in 2018, he also obtained Master of Public Administration degree from American University in Washington, DC.