Kirrily is a primary school teacher who has a passion for sport. She has had the privilege of playing many sports, at representative, state and national levels. In 2011 she came across the female AFL team, the Auburn Tigers. Many of the players were Muslim and wore the hijab. Since 2011 Kirrily has been captain of the Auburn Tigers sharing with the girls her love for the sport and the all important values of a team – discipline, determination, selflessness, respect and pride. In that first year, the girls affectionately gave Kirrilly her nickname “Kizz, our Anglo” and shared with her their important values of their faith – modesty, respect, unity and good intention. Together they created a truly ground-breaking multicultural sporting team. They have had many opportunities to promote inter-faith dialogue and empower young women and multiculturalism in Australian sport.

In 2011, Tarik Houchar had an idea – to bring beautiful, modest clothing to Muslim women. Instantly everyone loved the idea. No one could have envisaged that only a few short years later, Hijab House, the local shop that originated in Centro Bankstown, would grow with such welcomed ferocity. With a loyal national and international following, Hijab House has grown to cater for the fashionable the world over, with whimsical designs and a youthful vibe. Hijab House has featured in the “Faith, Fashion, Fusion” exhibition at the Sydney Powerhouse Museum. It has received wide media exposure globally because of its fresh approach to modest fashion.

Mr Ali Sowaid is an English teacher at Al-Faisal College. Mr Sowaid has also been the speaker at many Friday Prayers where his khutbas (sermons) have quickly developed a reputation for being interesting and entertaining, yet deeply insightful. Mr Sowaid devotes his time within and outside of school hours to his students. He has developed a low cost tutoring program to allow student access to more educational assistance. He has also developed and delivered programs for at-risk boys at Parramatta High School. Calm, intelligent and friendly in nature, he is both loved and admired by all at the school, and by the wider community.

Ahmad is a 23-year-old university student, young community leader and activist of Iraqi heritage. He co-founded the Bankstown Poetry Slam, a monthly event attracting an audience of over 200 people. He is an instigator within the community for raising the importance of the arts and providing performers with an avenue to speak their mind. He also mentors youth of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and works in street outreach. Ahmad is a 2012 and 2013 Australian Poetry Slam state finalist and 2013 Nimbin World Cup finalist.

Janeth was the founder and president of the Muslim Welfare Association, co-founder and president of the QLD Muslim Historical Society and diligently collects and records QLD Muslim history. She served as the secretary of the QLD Multicultural Council and a member of the Ethnic Community Council, The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin, Multicultural Development Association and the Kuraby Lions Club. Amongst these awards, Janeth also received the Australia Day award from the Brisbane City Council and the Federal Electorate of Moreton. She is a mother of five and grandmother of twelve.

Sonny Bill has represented the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League, and New Zealand’s National Rugby Union team, the All Blacks. He has also been boxing professionally since 2009. Williams has been a source of encouragement and an inspiration to many young Muslims and the wider Australian community through his athletic excellence on the field. He was also the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks.

Akram won Young Australian of the Year 2013 for his work as a mentor for young Indigenous people. Arriving in Australia thirteen years ago from Afghanistan, Akram is now studying a triple major – law, science and arts – at University of Western Australia. In 2011, he co-founded a student-run initiative to raise awareness about Indigenous issues in universities. For three years, Akram mentored young Indigenous people in the Looma community in the Kimberley region, and has mentored primary school students in the small farming community of Wyalkatchem, in the Western Australian wheat belt. Akram is also mentoring a Special Olympics athlete to help raise community awareness concerning disability issues.

Tasneem serves as chair of the Islamic Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria. Tasneem works to facilitate Muslim women’s full participation in Australian society through programs and services designed to empower while promoting social justice. She is also the Chairperson of the Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights (AMWCHR). Tasneem is completing a Masters in International Development in addition to running her own cross- cultural consultancy. She is listed in The Age Magazine’s Top 100 as one of Melbourne’s most influential “Movers and Shakers” of 2008 and one of the Top Ten Thinkers by The Australian Newspaper in 2009. She is also a mother of three.

Oguz is the director of World Orphan Fund (WOF). Established in 2010, WOF has a 100% donation policy with many including Oguz who work on a completely voluntary basis. Currently Oguz coordinates over 100 Australian volunteers for WOF and has changed the lives of over 300 orphans in Cambodia, who had experienced genocide, child sexual assault and child trafficking. He launched a program to help orphans and financially disadvantaged students to get into university. Oguz was awarded the Commonwealth’s highest bravery award as well as the Star of Courage for putting the life of another before his own.