Executive Team
Sr. Waheeda Khan received most of her education in Islamabad, Pakistan. She received her M.A. from Punjab University in Pakistan, and later completed M.Ed. Teaching and Learning with Technology from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. She has teaching certification in elementary education from K-8 from Michigan State and Ontario. She is a certified member of the Ontario College of Teachers. She has earned her PQP certification (Principal Qualification Program), ABQ Primary, ABQ Junior, ABQ (Mathematics) Intermediate Divisions, AQ Integration of Information Technology in Instruction. She completed MLPP Training (Michigan Literacy Progress Profile) and has an Education Technology Certificate from Michigan State University. She received Homer Higbee International Education Award and Urban Teaching Intern Scholarship from Michigan State University.
She enjoys unique opportunities to gain insight into what is required to coordinate, implement, and manage highly dynamic and effective academic programs.
Sr. Waheeda believes in continued growth and excellence in student learning, professional development, and a strong home-school connection.
Office Staff
Manal Mekkaoui, born and raised in Kuwait, moved to Canada in 1990. She is a graduate of St. Clair College and the University of Windsor with a degree in business administration and accounting. Manal joined the Al-Hijra team in 1998. She worked as a full-time secretary for more than seven years and then as a full-time teacher for more than nine years teaching Arabic, Islamic studies, and physical education. She is now working with the administration team as a secretary. Al-Hijra Academy is her second home. Her time away from the office is spent with her beautiful family.
Sr. Sousan Khaled was born and raised in Windsor. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education at the University of Windsor, with qualifications in the intermediate and senior divisions to teach English and French. She also teaches history and geography and loves it! She is a certified member in the Ontario College of Teachers.
On the constant quest for true Islamic knowledge, Sr. Sousan greatly values reading or listening to anything based upon the Words of Allaah, tabaarakasmuhu, and the sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, ‘alayhi salawaatullaah wa salaamuh.
Her desires are to make the world a more peaceful place through thoughtful dialogue, to encourage the verification of information in all its forms, to challenge ignorance delicately, and to educate not only children, but anyone with the true desire and will to actually learn.
Academic Staff
My name is Samia Al-Zaher. I was born in Daraa, Syria. I came to Canada 26 years ago. I am married and have children of my own.
I graduated from St. Clair College in 2012 from the Early Childhood Education program. Al-Hijra has been home to me for the last 20 years. I sent all my children to this school and have been working here for the last five years. My hobbies include reading, going on walks, and spending quality time with my family and friends. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, as I gain pure joy from being surrounded by children.
Sr. Suheyla Aktas was born in Adana, Turkey and grew up in a small town in Yalova. After finishing her school in Istanbul, she got married and moved to Canada. Her hobbies are sewing, painting, cooking, eating, camping and walking daily.
Suheyla has been working at Al-Hijra since 2007. “I have never worked at a school which a child receives such love and care. I do not believe that this statement is an opinion. I know it as a fact because I sent two of my children to this school as well.” Suheyla studied and taught the Islamic sciences in Istanbul for seven years.
Her time away from the classroom is spent with cooking, and spending time with her two kids.
Assalamu alaykum. My name is Rania Farhan.
I came to Canada in 1993 from Cyprus with my family and have lived here since. I finished high school and attended the University of Windsor in 1995 to major in psychology.
I joined the Al-Hijra team in 1997 as a part-time kindergarten assistant for two years. Later, I moved to North Carolina after I getting married and came back to Al-Hijra in 2003 first as a kindergarten teacher and later to teach Grade 2. In 2016, I became a registered Early Childhood Educator through the College of Childhood Educators in Ontario.
I have four children: three who were students here, and one who still is. I love working with children, and I enjoy playing and laughing with them.
I was born and raised in Lebanon. I received my ECE certification in 1983 and started my teaching career in Lebanon for two years. I then moved to Abu Dhabi with my husband and taught Qur’an, Arabic, and French there for 15 years.
I joined the Al-Hijra team in 2000 and have been working as a kindergarten teacher ever since.
Nila Malik was born in Lahore, Pakistan. She came to Canada at the age of eight with her family. She graduated from Clark Road Secondary School and after attended Fanshawe College where she took secretarial classes. She then got married and moved to Windsor and began working in a dental office as a dental assistant. Years later, she resigned from her job to have a family. Later in her life, she realized she missed working and decided to open up a daycare and worked for five years through a company called WeeWatch. She then applied for a job here at Al-Hijra Academy and began working in SK as a teacher’s assistant and has been working for nine years now.
“I love working with kids so much that it inspired me to apply at Al-Hijra Academy. This allowed me to bring my four-year-old son to an Islamic environment and it has been so rewarding. Every year I get asked, “How is it working here?” and I always answer with, “I love my job.” I am so lucky to be able to meet a new and interesting group of children every year and I thoroughly enjoy getting to know them all individually.”
Malak Hammoud is a recent graduate from St. Clair College from the Early Childhood Education program in 2022.
Her goal is to build a long-term career in her hometown of Windsor with the education and skills that she has developed to date, allowing her to substantively contribute to the innovative work Al-Hijra Academy provides for its students.
As a former student at Al-Hijra Academy, she has a strong sense of devotion to giving back to a community that raised her.
My name is Mona Kurdi. I was born and raised in Windsor. I have 12 years of teaching experience. I’m TESOL certified, I have a diploma in ECE, and I have a diploma in child psychology.
I love working at Al-Hijra Academy. I’ve been working here since 2013; it’s my second home and my coworkers are like family. I love to coming work every day to see the kids and to hear their funny stories–they make me laugh.
I love spending lots of time with my wonderful family. I have two beautiful and smart daughters whom I adore.
I enjoy learning new things and furthering my education. My goals are to better myself as a Muslim, teacher, and especially as a mom. I hope to raise my girls to be good Muslims, to follow their dreams, and to be strong and confident Muslims girls.
Br. Astrit has been a teacher at Al-Hijra Academy since 2009. “I’ve never taught in a school where the staff receives so much support. As a teacher at Al-Hijra Academy I have a built-in safety net.” Br. Astrit, a native of Albania, earned his B.A. and B.Ed. at University of Tirana. He earned a certification from Ontario College of Teachers on April 2006.
His time away from the classroom is spent taking care of his family and he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.
Mariam Fakhuri is a recent graduate of the University of Windsor with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees.
Having been a 100% Al-Hijra student (enrolled from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 8), she is excited to rejoin the school as a teacher and give back to her community. As she navigates through her first year in this role, her dedication to teaching promises to create a positive and lasting influence on her students and the school community.
Fatima Klaibi has an English Language and Literature degree from Al-Yarmouk University-Jordan. She was a homeroom teacher in the United Arab Emirates. Upon arriving to Canada, she obtained an education degree from the University of Windsor.
Sr. Fatima encourages her students to research and be critical thinkers through countless hands-on experiences and insightful discussions. She loves to integrate technology into her lessons to make sure the students see beyond abstract concepts. Sr. Fatima loves crafts, and she utilizes them to broaden students’ imagination and creativity.
Sr. Ghena has been teaching at Al-Hijra since 2019. She was raised in Windsor, and holds a bachelors degree in English Literature as well as a professional degree in Education from the University of Windsor.
Sr. Ghena strives to create a safe learning environment for her students. She is constantly learning about new teaching strategies that can be applied in the classroom to ensure success in every student.
In her free time, Sr. Ghena enjoys reading historical biographies and spending time with her family.
Sr. Mumtaz Elias is from South Africa, a country situated at the southern tip of Africa where the two oceans–the Atlantic and the Indian–meet, but more famously, the land of Nelson Mandela. In South Africa, she worked as a high school teacher teaching both English and Afrikaans (Dutch).
Sr. Mumtaz strives to be a figure of justice and fairplay in the classroom. She believes that equality is not only about treating everyone the same, but making sure that everyone is provided with opportunities where the outcomes will be the same. Sr. Mumtaz likes different and is always reiterating messages within the classroom space to show that diversity and differences and love for one another are valued elements in Islam.
Sr. Mumtaz encourages students to think independently as this allows her to see issues from different perspectives and gain insights into the workings of young minds. As Nelson Mandela said, “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination!”
Love. Good manners.
Sr. Ammal, a native of Palestine, earned her Bachelor of Science with a major in mathematics from Nasser University in Tripoli, Libya. Her classroom career spans more than 20 years. She taught for eight years in Tripoli, Libya as an elementary school and high school teacher and in an institute for training future teachers. She moved to Canada in 2000 and has been teaching at Al-Hijra for since 2005. She has been teaching math, science, and the Arabic language for Grades 7 and 8 .
Her time away from the classroom is spent with family and friends.
Sr. Sousan Khaled was born and raised in Windsor. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education at the University of Windsor, with qualifications in the intermediate and senior divisions to teach English and French. She also teaches history and geography and loves it! She is a certified member in the Ontario College of Teachers.
On the constant quest for true Islamic knowledge, Sr. Sousan greatly values reading or listening to anything based upon the Words of Allaah, tabaarakasmuhu, and the sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, ‘alayhi salawaatullaah wa salaamuh.
Her desires are to make the world a more peaceful place through thoughtful dialogue, to encourage the verification of information in all its forms, to challenge ignorance delicately, and to educate not only children, but anyone with the true desire and will to actually learn.
Ms. Reda Kilani has been directly involved in the field of education for over two decades. Though she graduated from university with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree, her passion has always been Qur’an and Islamic Studies. As a result, she has made this the focus of her teaching career and consequently has continued her own personal studies in these areas. She has attended many recognized tajweed classes, most recently gaining certification of Ahkam Al-Tajweed as well as reciting the holy Quran through Hafith program in Furqan Institute in Flint, MI.
Ms. Kilani’s vast experience, spanning several countries and continents has allowed her to bring out the very best in her students who currently memorize a notable average of 15-20 chapters of the Qur’an per year. She increasingly grows in her path as a lifelong learner and continuously gains and applies new knowledge, skills, and abilities, as do her students.
Ms. Sawsan Arwani has been teaching Qur’an and Arabic studies for the last decade. She spent the majority of her teaching career in the United Arab Emirates teaching non-Arabic speaking students Arabic reading, writing, tajweed, and successful memorization of the Holy Qur’an.
Ms. Sawsan Arwani has attended many tajweed classes gaining the knowledge and understanding of the Qa’eda
Al Noorania and Matn Al Jazariyyah which she now implements while teaching her students.
Ms. Sawsan Arwani focuses on every student’s strength which means every student is taught according to their needs.
Sr. Suha Abdo received her secondary education in Jerusalem, Palestine. She completed her Bachelor of Computer Science at Marymount University in Arlington, VA, where she also worked as a programmer analyst for two years before moving to Canada.
Sr. Suha learned Quran and Tajweed by attending weekly halaqas taught by a certified Quran teacher. She has been volunteering at Al-Iman weekend school as a Quran, Arabic, and Islamic studies teacher since 2007.
She joined the Al-Hijra team in 2013 as an Islam teacher and as a Quran teacher assistant. She strives to continuously expand her Islamic knowledge by listening to Islamic lectures and reading Islamic books.
Sr. Suha loves the outdoors and enjoys going on adventures with her family. She also loves to travel and discover the world.
Assalamu alaikum. My name is Shaima Al-Hamaideh. I graduated from the Hashemite University in Jordan with a bachelor degree in elementary education. I was born and raised in Jordan and moved to United Arab Emirates after getting married in 2003.
I have been teaching for many years, and I have had several experiences within different grade levels and classrooms in public and private schools in the United Arab Emirates.
I have four children. I like reading, cooking and making crafts. Teaching and working with children is a joy to me. I am very passionate about teaching the Arabic language and do my best to make every day fun.
My mission as a teacher is to help children discover the joy of learning and to help each child develop a strong belief in his/her ability to achieve.
I am very pleased to be a part of Al-Hijra Academy and to teach the students of this school.
Sr. Rana Kazoun joined the Al-Hijra team in 2022. She was born in the Francophone country of Lebanon and received her education
completely in French. After she moved to Canada, she went to the University of Ottawa and earned a bachelor’s degree of education in 2012. She is also a certified member in the Ontario College of Teachers.
“When I was given the opportunity to take over the French program, I accepted right away. French is one of Canada’s two official languages and being bilingual is a valuable skill that will open a lot of opportunities and careers for our students in the future Inshalla. Also, teaching another language shows the importance of diversity in Islam.”
Sr. Rana’s time away from the classroom is spent with her husband and three children.
Br. Nazir Khlif was born and raised in Hama, Syria. He moved to the United Arab Emirates before finishing his Civil Engineer degree at the University of Aleppo, Syria. He studied and worked as an Oil Technician. He earned my Bachelor of Islamic Studies in Al Imam Al-Ouzai University in Beirut, Lebanon. He worked as an Imam and khateeb and taught Quran, Arabic, and Islamic studies for non-Arabic speaking students. He earned the Ijazah and Sanad of Memorizing the Holy Quran, alhamdulillah. Br. Nazir moved to Canada in 1998, and graduated from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario as a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). He teaches Quran at Al-Hijra Academy to Grades 7-8, and he is the Tahfeeth teacher.