Ahmad Totonji

Ahmad Totonji was a co-founder and officer of the now-defunct Safa Trust and a co-founder of the International Institute of Islamic Thought, along with Anwar Ibrahim, Jamal al Barzinji, and Hashim al Talib. He also served as chairman of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), and Deputy Secretary General of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth. Totonji was born in Iraq, and is a citizen of Saudi Arabia.

Whilst	studying	for	a	BSc	in Petroleum Production Engineering at Birmingham University, he simultaneously began	networking	with	fellow	students	and	the	wider	Muslim	community,	devoting	precious	time	and energy to establishing a number of organizations in the UK including the Muslim Students	 Society	 (MSS)	 of	 the	 United	 Kingdom	 and	 Northern	 Ireland,	 and	 later	 on	 the Muslim	Students	Association	(MSA)	of	Europe. Overcoming	many	challenges	and	witnessing first	 hand	 the	 impact	 of	 mobilizing	 others	 and	 developing	 their	 strengths	 for	 ethical community	work,	a	vision	was	born	towards	whose	active	realization	he	has	devoted	the rest	of	his	life.

Having	obtained	his	BSc,	he	then	travelled	to	the	USA	to	study	for	a	doctorate	in	Petroleum Engineering	at	Pennsylvania	State	University. Once	again	whilst	pursuing	his	studies	at	the University	Dr. Totonji	continued	to	work	tirelessly	in	the	service	of	the	Muslim	community and	 youth,	 networking	 with	 fellow	 students	 and	 community	 members	 on	 a	 number	 of projects,	 the	 most	 important	 of	 which	 culminated	 in	 the	 establishment	 of	 the	 Muslim	Students	Association	(MSA)	of	the	United	States	and	Canada. This	was	the	1960s,	a	decade	which	 witnessed	 Dr. Totonji	 not	 only	 become	 President	 of	 the	 MSA,	 but	 network	 and	develop	relations	with	major	American	personalities	in	the	Muslim	community	at	the	time,	those	who	were	influencing	the	US	Muslim	context. These	included	such	notable	figures	as Malcolm	 X,	 those	 involved	 in	 the	 civil	 rights	 struggle,	 and	 the	 late	 legendary	 boxer, Muhammad	Ali. His	work	then	took	on	an	international	dimension	which	saw	him	over	the	decades	visit	all four	corners	of	the	world. On	the	professional	career	level,	he	established	the	College	of Petroleum	 and	 Mineral	 Engineering	 in	 Libya	 and	 the	 Department	 of	 Petroleum	 in	 Saudi	Arabia;	 on	 the	 dawah	 level	 he	 helped	 establish	 the	 World	 Assembly	 of	 Muslim	 Youth	(WAMY);	and	on	the	relief	level	the	International	Islamic	Charitable	Organization	(IICO). This	is	but	a	glimpse	of	Dr. Totonji's	projects,	for	on	an	even	greater	scale	they	encompassed	the	establishment	of	a	wide	variety	of	institutions,	both	academic	and	volunteer	work-related,	in	many	countries	both	within	and	outside	the	Muslim	world.