Annual Iftar 2025 - Liberation

Dr. Osman Latiff, a Senior Researcher and Instructor at Sapience Institute, holds a BA in History, an MA in Crusader Studies, and a PhD focusing on the role of religious poetry in Muslim efforts to reclaim Jerusalem during the Crusades. He has presented numerous papers at prestigious academic institutions globally and authored 'The Cutting Edge of the Poet’s Sword: Muslim Poetic Responses to the Crusades' (Brill, 2018). He also conducted post-doctoral research on the impact of war media imagery on US identity and authored 'On Being Human: How Islam addresses othering, dehumanisation and empathy' (Sapience Institute, 2020) and 'Navigating War, Dissent and Empathy in Arab/U.S relations: Seeing Our Others in Darkened Spaces' (Springer, 2021). His recent works include 'Divine Perfection: Christianity and Islam on Sin and Salvation' (Sapience Institute, 2022) and 'Characteristics of the Caller' (Sapience Institute, 2023). His most recent book is a historical fiction set in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. It centres around a cryptic Muslim family who go through many tests to survive, and rely on secret messages and secret books. Dr. Latiff is also a lecturer and teacher at Jamia Masjid and Islamic Centre, Slough, and a frequent speaker at mosques and universities in the UK and abroad.

Dr Azzam Tamimi is an outspoken and well-known British Palestinian academic and political activist. He writes and lectures on issues relating to Islamic political thought and Middle Eastern politics. Dr Tamimi received his BSc in Combined Sciences from the University of Sunderland in 1979, before completing a PhD in Political Theory from the University of Westminster in 1998. He is currently the Chairman and Editor in Chief of Al Hiwar TV Channel. He has been a visiting professor at Kyoto University (2004) and Nagoya University (2006). 

He makes regular television appearances for both English language and Arabic media outlets such as AlJazeera and Press TV, and frequently publishes opinion pieces in the Guardian and other newspapers.

Dr Tamimi is the author of several books on Middle Eastern and Islamic politics including Hamas: Unwritten Chapters (2007), Rachid Ghannouchi: A Democrat within Islamism (2001).

Issam Bayan is a Palestinian-German artist, activist, and entertainer. He studied education and worked as a teacher for three years. He is deeply committed to the Palestinian cause and uses his platform to raise awareness of human rights violations and amplify the voices of the oppressed. His goal is to foster awareness and mobilize solidarity. Through his work, he inspires a wide community and helps make the Palestinian perspective more visible in the German-speaking world.
In addition, Issam Bayan is active as a social media personality and motivational coach. He runs multiple social media channels where he presents various formats on topics such as Islam, Muslim identity, Muslim lifestyle, and activism.
Through his diverse projects and dedication, Issam Bayan contributes to spreading positive messages and inspiring the Muslim community.

A British-born Muslim, Moazzam Begg is a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner and outreach director for CAGE.

After his release, he became one of the most prominent public-speakers and Muslim advocates for justice and dialogue. 

He is the author of the best-seller Enemy Combatant in which he recounts his experience as an innocent man detained and torture at Guantanamo, Bagram and Kandahar.

The Muslim 500 listed him as one of the 500 “most influential Muslims” in the world.
The New Statesman listed him in the top 50 “Heroes of our time”.

He has travelled extensively to investigate state abuses and western complicity in torture including to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Syria.

A direct eye-witness to the conflicts in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Syria, his life has been recorded by the Columbia University Oral History project, and the BBC Storyville documentary, The Confession.

Mansoor grew up in a rural village in Yemen. At the age of 19, he was taken to Guantanamo in a case of mistaken identity. He remained imprisoned there for 15 years. In 2016, Mansoor was released, but his plight did not end. He was transferred to Serbia, a country he had no connection with. Despite his daily struggles in Belgrade, Mansoor writes, creates artwork, and advocates for prisoners rights. He has recently published his memoir “Don’t forget us here” (Hachette). His work has been featured by the New York Times, BBC radio, CBC radio, WNYC, and the John Jay College of Justice.

Hamza is the founder and CEO of Sapience Institute. He is the author of the best-selling book: “The Divine Reality: God, Islam and The Mirage of Atheism”, which has been translated into over 10 languages. He co-authored, “Unveiling Tyranny: The Genocide in Gaza and False Zionist Narratives on Palestine”. He has an MRes, MA and a PgCert in Philosophy from the University of London. He is in the final year of his PhD on the Qur’ān and its verses pertaining to nature. He has studied Islamic Thought and Theology under qualified scholars.

Hamza has a professional background in project and programme management, charity governance and operations, and has worked as a consultant for the public and private sector. He was the CEO of iERA from April 2017 until February 2020, where he and his team developed sector-leading robust systems, processes and procedures. He grew the organisation by over 500%, with an international operational growth of over 1000%.