RISE HOMESCHOOL CONFERENCE 

Speaker Bios

Dr. Qanita Mohiuddin

Dr. Qanita Mohiuddin is a mother of six children.  She obtained her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential as well as a Master's degree in Teacher Education from the University of California, Irvine. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management from Alliant University where her research focused on social justice and activism through read-aloud and conversation. She is an eclectic homeschooler and passionate curriculum author.  She teaches writing workshops to public, private, and homeschooling groups.  As a public speaker, Dr. Mohiuddin loves encouraging mothers to parent with purpose--for peace and Paradise!  She is the Founder and CEO of RISE, an organization dedicated to building community and empowering students, parents, and educators.  

For homeschool and parenting consults, click here. 

Shahzia Rahman

Shahzia Rahman, is the co-founder of QUADM, a platform known as the Modern Market for the Muslimah Maker which empowers Muslim women in entrepreneurship and creative pursuits. A mother to two girls, Shahzia homeschooled her children in their formative years and is a huge advocate for homeschooling. Her passion extends to her role as the Director of Events at RISE. Amidst her other obligations, she currently works for Celebrate Mercy, a non-profit dedicated to spreading the love of our Deen. She is native to Southern California but currently resides in Dallas, TX with her family.

Hina Khan Mukhtar

Hina Khan-Mukhtar is a married mother of three young men and one of the founders of the homeschooling co-operative known as ILM Tree in Lafayette, California, which now serves over 35 homeschooling families in the East Bay. In addition to having taught Language Arts to elementary, middle school, and high school students, she is also involved in interfaith dialogue. Hina was a monthly contributor to The Muslim Observer’s “Raising Our Ummah” column and also writes for Seeker’s Guidance where she shares parenting advice and ideas for nurturing spiritual traditions in childhood.

Nour Sagha

Nour, a resilient Muslim Circassian woman, is on a mission to redefine the significance of the term "Caucasian" for herself and her community. Arriving in the US at the age of 2 as a refugee immigrant from Syria in the 80s, she embarked on a profound journey to discover her identity and purpose in a complex world. It was in Istanbul, Türkiye, amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, that Nour found her calling in cultural revitalization, rekindling her connection to her heritage and establishing a welcoming online platform for others to participate in this cultural awakening.

Acknowledging the invaluable guidance and support of Black & Indigenous communities, Nour embraces their boundless generosity, which illuminated her path to rediscovering her roots in a transformative and healing manner. Presently, she is steadfast in her commitment to uniting with indigenous groups in the Caucasus region and various communities impacted by Russian colonialism. Through this collective effort, Nour endeavors to comprehend the historical suffering of her ancestors, paying homage to their resilience and paving the way for a future imbued with healing and honor.

Beyond her noble pursuits, Nour finds joy in graffiti art, savoring nacho fries, sharing laughter with toddlers, and reveling in the beauty of flowers. Her fondest memories are rooted in the serene landscapes of the San Gabriel mountains in San Bernardino County, where moments of tranquility have shaped her journey of self-discovery and cultural reclamation.

Ustadha Sarah Ahmed

Sarah Ahmed is an educator and author of "Reading Quran: A Step-by-Step Guide to Qur’anic Fluency." She is an Islamic scholar, writer, and home educator. She graduated with an alimiyyah degree in 2011 from Dar ul-Uloom al Madania in New York and has served as an Islamic Studies instructor and Qur’an teacher for the past decade.

Sarah is the co-director of Empowher Health, a community program in the DFW area that hosts workshops integrating the expertise of a female family physician and a female Islamic scholar to address women's health and well-being holistically. She also co-hosts the She Should Know Podcast, extending Empowher's content and energy to a global audience, focusing on women's health and spiritual well-being.

Passionate about empowering young Muslim women with knowledge of their deen and spirituality, Sarah currently resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three children. She is also working on other beneficial Islamic works.

Ndaa Hassan

Ndaa Hassan is a children’s author and creative-design enthusiast. She is passionate about storytelling and social entrepreneurship, with a focus on religion, language, and culture. As a mother of four, she is intentional and mindful of the stories she chooses to share with the world, recognizing that for many children, books are their first introduction to a world beyond their own. She is the author of the best-selling Ramadan Around the World, The Most Powerful Night, and Sitti's Olive Trees. Visit her website at www.ramadanaroundtheworld.com

Nasreen Serhal

Nasreen Serhal, a recent transplant to the Dallas community from the Bay Area, is currently in her third year of homeschooling her son and daughter, who are entering 8th and 4th grade, respectively. Transitioning from a tech career, Nasreen has redirected her focus towards activism and enhancing the homeschooling experience for her children. Motivated by recent events in Gaza, she feels a renewed sense of dedication to activism from an Islamic standpoint and aims to share her journey to potentially inspire others in shaping their home environments through activism.

Khadijah Qamar

Khadijah Qamar is a writer and academic researcher in the area of Islamic ethics, aesthetics, and pedagogy. She has a Master's in Islamic Intellectual History from Harvard University's Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and a Bachelor's in International Affairs from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. She is the founder of Zāwiya, an early childhood institute reviving Islamic pedagogy with aspects of a Waldorf approach and she is a Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher-in-training. 

Hana Khatib

Hana is passionate about homeschooling. For years, she’s cultivated a rich learning environment that inspires, nurtures and empowers her students and herself as well. Working with her own strengths and talents may be the secret to her success and the key to her ability to thrive long-term as a homeschooler. 

The homeschooling journey is a challenging one, even at the best of times. Hana encourages you to build your confidence as a homeschooling parent by learning to cultivate your own passions and love of learning, so you can raise lifelong learners. In the process, you’re likely to discover who you are, your strengths, and your abilities. 

Hana has been homeschooling since 2003 using a Waldorf-inspired approach. While her 3 sons are grown, she is still homeschooling her 13-year-old daughter. 

She currently lives in California but can be found virtually on her website at pepperandpine.com and sharing videos and content on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and TikTok at Pepper and Pine.