Discover all the speakers and committee members J4C2018

Usama Hasan

UK - English

(Imam Dr) Usama Hasan is Head of Islamic Studies at Quilliam and was a founding advisor to the organisation in 2008. In recent years, he has written, published and broadcast widely on issues of Islamic theology and reform, countering extremism and terrorism, and promoting pluralism, democracy and religious freedom. Most recently, he has co-authored a 100-page Quilliam rebuttal of ISIS’ terrorism manual, Fiqh al-Dima’ (The Jurisprudence of Blood).
As a teenager Usama was a radical salafi activist and, whilst still a Cambridge undergraduate, briefly took part (1990-1) in the ‘Jihad’ against Communist forces in Afghanistan. However, following the 7/7 bombings in London, Usama began campaigning against extremism and for religious reform within Muslim circles.
Fluent in English, Urdu and Arabic, Dr Usama completed memorizing the entire Qur’an by the age of 11. He has served as a part-time imam for over 30 years since his teens and is a certified transmitter of the Qur’an and Hadith scriptures and has translated a number of Islamic texts into English, including The Islamic Foundation’s “Way of the Prophet” (2009).
Before joining Quilliam, Dr Usama was a Senior Lecturer in Engineering at Middlesex University (2003-2012), Visiting Associate Professor at NUST in Pakistan (2002-3) and a consultant in artificial intelligence in UK industry (1997-2003). He holds a PhD, MSc & MA in Physics and Artificial Intelligence from the Universities of Cambridge & London and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and of the Muslim Institute. He is also a Member of the International Society for Science & Religion, and of the London Society for the Study of Religion.
Usama’s numerous writings are available via the Quilliam website, Academia.edu, The Guardian newspaper’s “Comment Is Free” blog, and Usama’s own personal blog, UNITY (unity1.wordpress.com)