The Muslim News Awards for Excellence 2026: Introducing the Independent Panel of Judges

Aya Bdaiwi is a Social Media and Marketing Manager at Catch22, a not-for-profit social business with a legacy of more than 200 years building resilience, aspiration, and opportunity within communities across the UK. Of Iraqi heritage, Aya is an accomplished marketing and communications professional with a strong commitment to social impact. Her experience spans interfaith engagement, mental health advocacy, community outreach, and strategic communications. Alongside her professional work, she has supported civil rights and humanitarian initiatives through Who is Hussain London and previously served as a trustee of the HEAR Equality and Human Rights Network, championing equality, diversity, and human rights.

Khalid Gure is an operations director, mentor, and school governor of Somali heritage with extensive experience in leadership, safeguarding, and community development. Alongside overseeing operations within the care sector, he has played a leading role in fostering safer and stronger communities through youth engagement, mentoring, and public service initiatives. He founded and led a non-profit organisation dedicated to preventing youth involvement in crime and promoting positive pathways for young people. Khalid currently serves as Vice Chair of the Brent Safer Neighbourhood Board, working closely with community stakeholders, local authorities, and policing representatives to strengthen community safety and engagement. He is also actively involved in education governance, safeguarding, and the strategic development of schools.

Ioni Sullivan has worked across the public and voluntary sectors for more than 20 years, specialising in community development, supported employment, and advancing equality of opportunity. She is currently Strategic Programme Manager for Supported Employment at Surrey County Council and has served since 2018 as a trustee of the Sussex Community Development Association, supporting vulnerable communities through inclusion, wellbeing, and employability initiatives across Sussex. Ioni embraced Islam while working in Palestine and Jordan over 25 years ago and has since contributed to research exploring the experiences of converts in Britain. She has also played an active role in supporting Muslim women’s groups and strengthening community networks throughout her home county of East Sussex.

Dr Ruhi Khan FRSA, FHEA, is an internationally recognised media scholar, editor, and journalist of Indian origin with more than 15 years’ experience spanning journalism, higher education, and strategic communications. She teaches and conducts research at the London School of Economics, specialising in international media, creative economies, and AI ethics. Dr Khan has held senior editorial roles at LSE Media Blog, Living Bridge Magazine, and IGNITE Magazine, overseeing and curating media content for international audiences. As a journalist, she has reported on major global events, including the Russia–Ukraine war, the Mumbai terror attacks, and the Sichuan earthquake. Her distinctions include the Mary Morgan Hewitt Award and a Jefferson Fellowship, while her published works include Escaped (2023) and Equivocal Feminism (forthcoming 2027).

The Reverend Canon Andrew Thompson MBE, PhD, serves as a vicar in the Diocese of London and formerly ministered as chaplain in Abu Dhabi. Deeply committed to interfaith engagement, he previously chaired the Al Amana Centre in Oman and served as a trustee of Forum for Peace (UK). He is currently Chair of the Hillingdon London Borough Interfaith Community and a trustee of St George Chapel at Heathrow Airport. A distinguished author and scholar, his publications include Christianity in the UAE: Culture and Heritage, Jesus of Arabia, and Christianity in Oman: Ibadism, Religious Freedom and the Church. In recognition of his contributions to human rights and interfaith dialogue, he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011 and holds a PhD by Publication on Christianity in the Arabian Gulf.