Muslim Aid announces new chair

Mustafa Faruqi has stood down as Muslim Aid Chair after six years steering the charity. Fellow trustee Raihan Alfaradhi assumes the role with immediate effect, completing a long-planned succession.

Mustafa will spend the next three months ensuring a smooth transition to Raihan. He will leave the Board of Trustees after the next Board meeting in June to take up a new board role at the Fair Work Agency.

Faria Ali and Mohammed Aziz will continue as Vice Chair and Deputy Vice Chair respectively.

Commenting on his time at Muslim Aid, Mustafa said:

“At the renewal of my third term as a Trustee last September, I notified the Board that my plan was to follow the good example set by my predecessor Iftikhar Awan and stand down as Chair well before the end of my final term to allow for a smooth transition to a suitable successor. One of the strengths of Muslim Aid is the diversity of our Trustees and the good governance discipline instilled in our constitution which ensures that the Board is regularly replenished with new talent so that Muslim Aid can continue to be open to new ideas and challenge itself to find better ways to achieve its charitable objectives as the world around us constantly evolves.

Sara Pantuliano and Mohammed Aziz will also be stepping down later this year as they too approach the end of their final terms. We are all proud of the important work that has been delivered collectively by the Board, Leadership Team and staff working together during our time here. This includes the restructuring of HQ and consolidation of the country offices in the aftermath of the pandemic. There has been a renewed coming together of the Muslim Aid family with agreements signed with Muslim Aid USA, Muslim Aid Sweden and Muslim Aid Malaysia. A gender balanced Board is in place and the implementation of our 2030 Strategy will continue under Raihan, our interim CEO Tim Holmes, and the wider team.

New Chair Raihan Alfaradhi said:

“I am honoured to take on the role of Chair and to build on the strong foundations established by the Board and Mustafa, whose leadership and commitment to a smooth handover have been invaluable. I look forward to working closely with the Board, Leadership Team and colleagues across Muslim Aid as we support the organisation through this next phase. I am committed to ensuring we continue growing our impact for the rights-holders we serve.”