Shaykh Atiyah Emarah
Founder & Resident Scholar
Sheikh Atiyah Emarah is the Imam of the Islamic Center of Lake Travis (ICLT) and the director of Islamic Studies Department at Austin peace Academy. Before Joining ICLT, Sh. Atiyah served as the Imam of the Islamic Center of Greater Austin (ICGA) for 8 years.
Sheikh Attia began his journey with Austin Peace Academy in 2013, continuing until 2021 when he took a three-year gap to further his education. During this period, he pursued a master's degree in Islamic Studies at UT Austin and completed his PhD from the Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), specializing in Quranic studies and spiritual identity. Sheikh Attia began his Islamic education in Egypt, where he obtained a bachelor’s in Islamic studies from the esteemed Al-Azhar University. There, he also received several Ijazahs in Qiraat, Hadith, and Tazkiyah from renowned scholars.
Following his education in Egypt, Sheikh Attia pursued further studies at distinguished institutions such as the University of Toronto (Canada) and Cambridge University (United Kingdom). He obtained certifications and advanced training in teaching foreign languages and Islamic Studies, and in developing academic curricula that are demographically and socio-culturally adaptive to the needs of Muslim communities in the West. In 2017, Sheikh Attia obtained a Master of Education from Texas State University with a dual focus on fostering community literacy and foreign language teaching.
Apart from his scholarly work, Sheikh Attia enjoys playing soccer, and he is passionate about mentoring youth groups and inspiring the next generation to pursue both academic excellence and spiritual growth.
Shaykh Dawood Yasin
Resident Scholar
Prior to him joining ICGA, Imam Dawood Yasin served as Director of Student Life and Center for Ethical Living and Learning at Zaytuna College. Imam Dawood served as Muslim Life and Service-Learning Coordinator at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. He previously served as Director of Outreach Affairs at Zayed Center for Islamic Culture in the United Arab Emirates and as an Arabic language teaching assistant at Yale University. He studied Islamic at Abu Nour Institute in Damascus, Syria.
Ahmed Akid
Instructor
Ustadh Ahmad is an Austin, TX native. Having attended Austin Peace Academy as a child, he went on to complete his undergraduate degree at Cornell University in economics, and worked in strategy consulting afterwards. During his time up north, Ustadh Ahmad found himself in a town with no masjid, and a Muslim community centered around his university. During this time he began his pursuit of knowledge, and in a leadership role in his community, would give khutbahs and halaqas. Looking to further his knowledge, he pursued his Masters of Islamic Studies at Bayan Claremont School of Theology, where he studied with many prominent shuyookh and scholars. Ustadh Ahmad currently works as a dentist, which he balances with his studies as a student in the Wahy Center.
Lama Aboubakr
Instructor
Lama Aboubakr is a certified mindset and spirituality coach, she uses cognitive-psychology based techniques and Islamic principles to help change people's mindset in order to achieve their practical and spiritual goals. Her mission is to liberate Muslim minds from the un-Islamic socialization and expectations set forth by society, to enable Muslims to live their lives with intention, and to become the best version of themselves.
