Inayatiyya International Board
Pir Zia Inayat Khan, PH.D., is a scholar of religion and teacher of Sufism in the universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, a school of Sufi contemplative study and practice. He is author of Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide; Dream Flowers: The Collected Works of Noor Inayat Khan with a Critical Commentary by Pir Zia Inayat Khan; Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions; and Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest. He is editor of Caravan of Souls: An Introduction to the Sufi Path of Hazrat Inayat Khan and A Pearl in Wine: Essays in the Life, Music and Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Pir Zia divides his time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France.
Deepa Gulrukh Patel is a facilitator with a specialism in interdisciplinary collaboration and has a passion for the arts, social justice, conversation, and the contemplative life. She was born in Kenya to Indian parents and lives in England. This experience has influenced both her professional and personal life. Deepa has worked with young people, in the field of cultural diversity, as a Live Music producer and in music education with the BBC. Her current work is with The London College of Fashion, UNHCR, and the University of Sheffield in refugee camps in Jordan and Africa and with the Fetzer Institute on two projects, one on creating sacred space in the virtual world and the other on their shared spiritual heritage project. Deepa is a guide and teacher in the Inayatiyya, she is a graduate of Suluk Academy, a healing conductor, a knight, a musical representative, and the co-chair of the Inayatiyya International Board. She is also the chair of the Tamasha Theatre Company, an advisor to the Loss Foundation, a cancer and COVID bereavement support service, and to the Charis Foundation for New Monasticism and Interspirituality on their interfaith dialogue projects.
Tariq Al-Olaimy is co-founder of 3BL Associates, a people + planet strategy Think-do-Tank, that was established to accelerate regenerative development through collaboration. Through his work, Tariq has co-founded various social enterprises, including Public-Planet Partnerships, Diversity on Board, Recipes for Wellbeing, and Diabetes.bh. As an educator at heart, Tariq has conducted training across six continents and has held advisory board and co-chair roles with organizations such as UNESCO, the World Economic Forum Global Shapers, EAT Foundation, and AIESEC. Among his studies, Tariq has completed a specialization in the field of Biomimicry, as well as an Alternative Masters in Divinity (Alt*Div) that was centered at the intersection of justice, spiritual ecology, and community building. Tariq continues to have a passionate engagement with organizations working at the intersection of climate and (inter) faith initiatives and is based in Bahrain.
Shakira Margaret Hannah was born in the South of England and now lives in Scotland. She spent her professional career as a doctor specialising in public health. For many years Shakira has been a member of International Futures Forum (IFF), an educational charity based in Scotland which aims to grow the capacity to thrive, not just survive, in the 21st Century. Using many of its ideas and thinking to inform her work, she co-wrote The Future Public Health (Open University Press 2012) and Humanising Healthcare: Patterns of Hope for a System under Strain (Triarchy Press 2014). She grew up a Catholic, attending a convent school, later becoming a Quaker. In 2003, she discovered the inner path of Sufism. She is a Conductor in the Inayatiyya Healing Activity and co-ordinates the Knighthood of Purity Activity in the United Kingdom.
Mehrunnisa Dilek Ekşi Bilgin was active in software and system design projects in IT departments in the private sector (financial institutions, insurances, and human resources), and worked as a project manager and a team leader for many years. She wrote the illustrated children’s book ‘The Soul Tells a Story to the Souls’, which was supported by Seferihisar Municipality, Turkey’s first slow city (cittaslow), and distributed to children as a report card gift. She translated the special book titled ‘Twenty Jàtaka Tales’ as retold by Noor Inayat Khan into Turkish. She loves to share the wisdom of fairy tales with children and adults. As a Kundalini Yoga instructor, her special interest is human body intelligence, body kinetics and sound healing. Mehrunnisa is a graduate of both Suluk’s Zindarud Class (2015) and the Graduate course ‘The Divine Art: The Alchemy of Human Transformation’ (2022).
Thomas Munawar Aubepart is an entrepreneur and trainer. He’s a genuine all rounder with a special interest in tea, poetry, environment, diversity, and engineering. He was a lobbyist during the COP21 in Paris, then worked as a strategy consultant before starting his own business in the tea industry. Thomas received a master degree in management with a special focus in environment, sustainability and development economics. As a volunteer, he was chair of the NGO Empow’her and the theater company Alkimia. Thomas first came in contact with Inayatiyya in 2016.
Oona Eager is an entrepreneurial and collaborative leader, working primarily on innovative communications and community-building projects in the philanthropic and impact investing spaces. She has been a student of Sufism since 2019, first with Hurqalya Center, and now as an alumni of Suluk Academy class Lulu wa Marjan. She is Canadian, having grown up on the sacred and unceded territories of the Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples. She is currently based in Amsterdam where she enjoys cycling absolutely everywhere!
Helena Doku has been part of the Sufi family for more than five years. She is passionate about using the wisdom of the Sufi path to find healing solutions to the ecological and social justice issues in the world. With this great foundation, she was inspired to co-found Haywanat, an Inayatiyya young adults network for collective healing. This network is flourishing and provides a sacred space where young adults can share ideas about spiritual practices and sacred activism as well as on how to find creative solutions to the ecological crisis. Helena lives in Royal Leamington Spa in England and she loves playing with her sons, walking, dancing, and meditating in nature.