Islamic Director's Biography
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi

Born in India in 1943, Dr. Siddiqi received his education at Aligarh Muslim University and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Locknow, India. He graduated from Islamic University of Madina in Saudia 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 has 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, Chairman of the Department of Religious Affairs at the Muslim World League Office to the United Nations and USA from 1976 to 1980. 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. Since 1981 he has been the Director of the Islamic Society of Orange County. He is also the Chairman of the Shura Council of Southern California. He is a member of the Fiqh (Islamic Law) Council of North America and a founding member of the Council of Mosques in US and Canada.

Dr. Siddiqi has widely traveled and lectured at universities, colleges, and other academic and religious institutions in Saudia 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, California State University in Long Beach and Chapman University in Orange, California. He is at present an adjunct professor of Islamic Studies and world religions at California State University, Fullerton. 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 (NCCJ) in the United States. 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's National Cathedral. He is vice president of the Academy of Judaic-Christian and Islamic Studies in California. He is also a member of the Supreme Islamic Council of Egypt and the Supreme Council of Mosques in Makkah, Saudia Arabia. He has conducted a weekly religious radio program from Pasadena since 1982. He has contributed many articles to Islamic and academic journals, encyclopedias and other 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 site on the Internet.