About PICNA
‘PICNA’ is a faith-based organization dedicated to fostering goodwill and mutual understanding between people of all faiths and cultures. As stated in our Core Values, ‘PICNA’ is all about Peace, Love, Moderation, Integration and Knowledge. PICNA’s focus is on peace and harmony in the world generally and in North America specifically.
PICNA’s creation is meant to provide a breath of fresh air in an environment of strife, turbulence and tension. Our message is the universal message of love and mercy for all mankind. Our belief is that all people can co-exist in peace and tranquility on the basis of mutual respect and trust.
In pursuit of its objectives, PICNA is open to forging alliances and partnerships with organizations having similar goals. We would be happy to share/exchange resources with such organizations to mutual advantage and to further our message of Peace, Love and Compassion.
PICNA welcomes activists and volunteers, particularly youth, who share PICNA’s values and wish to offer their skills, time and energy for the good of humanity.
Board of Directors
Chaudhry Sadiq - President
Originally from Pakistan, where he graduated from the prestigious Pakistan Air Force College, Sargodha, Chaudhry operated his international business in construction equipment in the Middle East for 25 years. While he worked with business people across many continents in multi-cultural and multi-faith societies, in Oman he regularly hosted high profile events on Islam besides serving on a number of boards. Ever since his migration to the United States, Chaudhry has been actively involved with the Muslim community as well as inter-faith relations and civic affairs. He served as President, CAIR South Carolina and Member, CAIR National Council for six years until he resigned in 2010 on health grounds. Chaudhry currently serves on the Board of Directors, Carolina Peace and is an active member of Interfaith Partners of South Carolina. Chaudhry has frequently been interviewed by various electronic and print media outlets in the Carolinas. Chaudhry Sadiq writes religious and spiritual poetry in Urdu and his first collection of poems -“Sehra Mein Azan” or “A Prayer Call in the Desert” was launched at the Pakistan Academy of Letters in Islamabad in 2007, while his second book “Mein Ek Samundar” - “I am an Ocean”, was inaugurated at the same academy in 2014.
Professor Inamul Haq - Chicago, IL
A long time resident of greater Chicago area, Prof. Inamul Haq is currently Professor of Islamic Studies, at Elmhurst College, IL. He is also an adjunct professor at Loyola University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the Chicago Theological Union (CTU). Prof. Haq is an ex-Principal of Universal School in Bridgeview and Islamic Foundation School in Villa Park as well as a founding member of the International Strategy and Policy Institute, Oakbrook, IL. Prof. Haq was honored with the Community Builders Chicago community service award. He studied at International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan and at Drew University in New Jersey. Prof. Haq delivers Friday prayer sermons in many area mosques and is actively involved in the promotion of inter-faith relations.
Waleed El-Ansary - Cincinati, OH
Prof. El-Ansary is the Helal, Hisham, and Laila Edris El-Swedey Chair of Islamic Studies at Xavier University, OH, where he teaches Islamic studies and Islamic economics. He studied economics at George Washington University (BA 1986) and the University of Maryland (MA 1998) and religious and Islamic studies at George Washington University (MPhil 2005; PhD 2006). Dr. El-Ansary is a consultant to the Grand Mufti of Egypt and has been actively involved in interfaith dialogue at various levels. He is a co-editor of Muslim and Christian Understanding: Theory and Application of “A Common Word” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and has authored numerous publications in the areas of religion, science, and economics.
Hamid Khan - Columbia, SC
Hamid Khan is the Deputy Director of the Rule of Law Collaborative and an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina and is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; a National Security Fellow at the Truman National Security Project; a member of the academic advisory committee for Bayan Claremont, an Islamic Graduate School; and a resident member of the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Consortium on Islamic legal systems and source expert on Islamic Law for the International Network to Promote the Rule of Law (INPROL). Hamid Khan previously served as a Senior Rule of Law Program Officer at the United States Institute of Peace and as a Professorial Lecturer of Islamic Law at the George Washington School of Law. Khan also served as a Postdoctoral Fellow for Stanford Law School’s Afghanistan Legal Education Project. He has advised on and been involved in Islamic legal matters for the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, USAID, the United Nations, NATO, ISAF, the National Democratic Institute, and the U.S.-Islamic World Forum at the Brookings Institution. He received his B.S., summa cum laude, from the University of Wyoming and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
‘PICNA’ is a faith-based organization dedicated to fostering goodwill and mutual understanding between people of all faiths and cultures. As stated in our Core Values, ‘PICNA’ is all about Peace, Love, Moderation, Integration and Knowledge. PICNA’s focus is on peace and harmony in the world generally and in North America specifically.
PICNA’s creation is meant to provide a breath of fresh air in an environment of strife, turbulence and tension. Our message is the universal message of love and mercy for all mankind. Our belief is that all people can co-exist in peace and tranquility on the basis of mutual respect and trust.
In pursuit of its objectives, PICNA is open to forging alliances and partnerships with organizations having similar goals. We would be happy to share/exchange resources with such organizations to mutual advantage and to further our message of Peace, Love and Compassion.
PICNA welcomes activists and volunteers, particularly youth, who share PICNA’s values and wish to offer their skills, time and energy for the good of humanity.
Board of Directors
Chaudhry Sadiq - President
Originally from Pakistan, where he graduated from the prestigious Pakistan Air Force College, Sargodha, Chaudhry operated his international business in construction equipment in the Middle East for 25 years. While he worked with business people across many continents in multi-cultural and multi-faith societies, in Oman he regularly hosted high profile events on Islam besides serving on a number of boards. Ever since his migration to the United States, Chaudhry has been actively involved with the Muslim community as well as inter-faith relations and civic affairs. He served as President, CAIR South Carolina and Member, CAIR National Council for six years until he resigned in 2010 on health grounds. Chaudhry currently serves on the Board of Directors, Carolina Peace and is an active member of Interfaith Partners of South Carolina. Chaudhry has frequently been interviewed by various electronic and print media outlets in the Carolinas. Chaudhry Sadiq writes religious and spiritual poetry in Urdu and his first collection of poems -“Sehra Mein Azan” or “A Prayer Call in the Desert” was launched at the Pakistan Academy of Letters in Islamabad in 2007, while his second book “Mein Ek Samundar” - “I am an Ocean”, was inaugurated at the same academy in 2014.
Professor Inamul Haq - Chicago, IL
A long time resident of greater Chicago area, Prof. Inamul Haq is currently Professor of Islamic Studies, at Elmhurst College, IL. He is also an adjunct professor at Loyola University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the Chicago Theological Union (CTU). Prof. Haq is an ex-Principal of Universal School in Bridgeview and Islamic Foundation School in Villa Park as well as a founding member of the International Strategy and Policy Institute, Oakbrook, IL. Prof. Haq was honored with the Community Builders Chicago community service award. He studied at International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan and at Drew University in New Jersey. Prof. Haq delivers Friday prayer sermons in many area mosques and is actively involved in the promotion of inter-faith relations.
Waleed El-Ansary - Cincinati, OH
Prof. El-Ansary is the Helal, Hisham, and Laila Edris El-Swedey Chair of Islamic Studies at Xavier University, OH, where he teaches Islamic studies and Islamic economics. He studied economics at George Washington University (BA 1986) and the University of Maryland (MA 1998) and religious and Islamic studies at George Washington University (MPhil 2005; PhD 2006). Dr. El-Ansary is a consultant to the Grand Mufti of Egypt and has been actively involved in interfaith dialogue at various levels. He is a co-editor of Muslim and Christian Understanding: Theory and Application of “A Common Word” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), and has authored numerous publications in the areas of religion, science, and economics.
Hamid Khan - Columbia, SC
Hamid Khan is the Deputy Director of the Rule of Law Collaborative and an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina and is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; a National Security Fellow at the Truman National Security Project; a member of the academic advisory committee for Bayan Claremont, an Islamic Graduate School; and a resident member of the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Consortium on Islamic legal systems and source expert on Islamic Law for the International Network to Promote the Rule of Law (INPROL). Hamid Khan previously served as a Senior Rule of Law Program Officer at the United States Institute of Peace and as a Professorial Lecturer of Islamic Law at the George Washington School of Law. Khan also served as a Postdoctoral Fellow for Stanford Law School’s Afghanistan Legal Education Project. He has advised on and been involved in Islamic legal matters for the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, USAID, the United Nations, NATO, ISAF, the National Democratic Institute, and the U.S.-Islamic World Forum at the Brookings Institution. He received his B.S., summa cum laude, from the University of Wyoming and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.
