Dear Beloved Friends of the Caravan,
I hope this message finds you well. It is with a heart full of joy and gratitude that I reach out on behalf of the Board to share exciting news about our new Executive Director of Inayatiyya North America & Oceania.
We are truly blessed to welcome Mika’il Petin, known as MP, as our Executive Director, effective September 2. As he transitions into this sacred role, he will be working alongside our beloved Alia during the weeks of August 25 and September 1 for key onboarding activities. With his thoughtful and collaborative spirit, MP embodies the essence of leadership that aligns beautifully with our mission. You can see his bio below.
As we celebrate this significant transition, we also want to honor Alia’s contributions as the outgoing Executive Director. We are profoundly grateful for her unwavering commitment, wisdom, and love that have shaped our organization, community and uplifted our mission in extraordinary ways.
To foster connection and celebrate this threshold on our journey, we invite you to join us in two gatherings:
Executive Director Celebration & Welcome Gathering
September 5, 2025, 3-4:15 pm ET
In this heartfelt event, we will come together to express our deep appreciation for Alia and extend a warm welcome to MP. Zoom Link
Inayatiyya Leadership Gathering w/ NAO Board & New Executive Director
Sunday, September 28, 6-7:30 pm ET
As we grow our relationships into the future, we invite Inayatiyya North America & Oceania Leadership within the Seven Activities, Affinity Groups, Inayatiyya Centers, and Astana Staff to meet with the NAO Board and MP. During this informal gathering, we will have the opportunity to engage with MP, ask questions, and connect on a deeper level as we welcome him into our spiritual family. We will share a Zoom link with leaders closer to this gathering.
We invite you to join these sacred spaces, honoring the contributions of Alia and extending a warm welcome to MP. Your presence and support are invaluable as we continue to grow and serve our shared mission.
With Love and Gratitude,
Nazish
Board Chair, Inayatiyya North America & Oceania
Mika’il Petin (pronounced: MEE-KAA-EEL PEE-TIN), known as MP to family, friends, and colleagues, is the new Executive Director of Inayatiyya North America & Oceania.
Before this role, MP served as the Equity, Inclusion & Strategic Initiatives Director at States Newsroom, an online news organization covering political developments across all fifty U.S. states. His previous leadership experience includes positions such as Chief of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at All Hands and Hearts; Assistant Vice President of Student Success at Motlow State Community College; Associate Dean of Student Success, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Assistant Professor at Illinois College; and Associate Director of African and African American Studies at George Mason University.
MP holds a doctorate in Cultural Studies from George Mason University, a master’s degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Radford University.
Spiritually, MP was introduced to Sufism nearly 30 years ago through the Shadhili and Naqshbandi orders, shortly after his conversion to Islam. He considers himself a true universalist, with his immediate family actively involved in the Unitarian Universalist Church.
A native son of Virginia, MP resides in Richmond with his “patient” wife and their two “rambunctious, curious, and beautiful” sons.
