Mousab Almusaddy

I am a pulmonary critical care and sleep physician who has also worked as a Certified High Performance, mindset coach for the past few years. I’ve had the privilege of mentoring many youth members of the MQI community, also participated in the wellness and mentorship program.

I am enthusiastic about the prospect of serving the community on the board of Trustees, where I can leverage my leadership expertise from coaching to enhance communication between the Board, administration, and community members. 

As our community expands, we will undoubtedly encounter likely bigger challenges. Meeting these challenges will require all of us to stretch our abilities and rise to the occasion, cultivating the resilience needed to navigate the complexities of our world and guide others through these turbulent times.

Adeeb Alshahrour

Born in 1970 in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria, and raised in Damascus, Syria, Adeeb Alshahrour graduated from Aleppo Medical School in 1994. He completed his OB/GYN residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago in 2004 and became board-certified, with additional training in Urogynecology from the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2005. He currently practices at the Women’s Healthcare Center of Chicago and is fluent in Arabic, English, and Spanish. A member of the Syrian American Medical Society, he has participated in leadership and humanitarian missions. He joined the Mecca community in 2004, has served on the board since 2021, and currently chairs the Membership Committee, while also serving on the Civic Engagement and Volunteer Committees.

Zefer Jawich

My name is Dr. Zefer Jawich, a practicing internist at Silver Cross Hospital since 2000. I am married to Mai Khaiallah, and we are blessed with five children. I am excited to express my interest in joining the Board of Trustees at the MECCA Center. I have served as the Department Chair of Internal Medicine and currently serve on the Quality Review Committee, which has strengthened my leadership skills. For the past two years, I have also supported fundraising efforts at the MECCA Center. Outside work and volunteering, I enjoy gardening and swimming. I am eager to contribute my time, energy, and passion to help the Board make informed decisions that will benefit our masjid. May Allah (SWT) bless and guide our efforts.

Irene Kapustina

Originally from Minsk, Belarus, Irene holds a BA in Theatre from Loyola University Chicago and an MA in Applied Theatre from CUNY. Irene directed at prominent theaters and wrote a critically acclaimed play; she volunteered at the MAS Youth Center in Brooklyn. Since 2021, Irene has served as co-chair of the Convert Engagement Committee at TMC. Together with her colleagues, Irene grew the committee’s work from one to seven permanent programs, supporting New Muslims on their journey to being confident members of the Ummah. Irene created the ConverTsation series, helped initiate the Converts’ Conference and launch the Quran Seekers, and worked to prevent the construction of the truck stop. Irene lives in Willowbrook with her husband Jihad, and her three children Malika, Zein, and Muhammad. Irene spends her days homeschooling, developing community projects, and enjoying the outdoors.

Ricardo Pena

Ricardo Peña is a Latino American Muslim Convert who embraced Islam in 1995 and has been part of the Mecca Center community since its days on Plainfield Rd. The Mecca Center has been Ricardo’s favorite masjid, living a short walk away and being a frequent presence there.

Ricardo was one of the original organizers of the Mecca Center Convert Engagement group and has participated in various Mecca Center initiatives as a volunteer from time to time. Ricardo had also led a private Men’s Support Group for Muslim brothers in the community to address the challenges of marriage, men’s mental health, and more for over seven years.

Ricardo is a Software Engineer having earned a Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees, is happily married, and the proud father of one son.

Khalid Saleh

I spend my days trying to be a good Muslim, good family man and a successful businessman. Some days I do well, other days, I fall short. I am the father of four children, happily married for nearly 20 years. 

I run with my wife a marketing agency that works with companies across the globe. I presented at hundreds of marketing conferences, and co-authored an Amazon.com best-selling book on marketing.