Our Team

Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia is the Chairman of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ), an international Sikh organization headquartered in Birmingham, UK. Bhai Sahib has been associated with GNNSJ since 1974 and has been its chairman since 1995. The organization is focused on selfless service (Sewa), spiritual upliftment, and interfaith harmony.

Bhai Sahib is the first British Sikh to be awarded the title of Bhai Sahib by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Sikh organization representing approximately 26 million Sikhs globally. This honour recognizes his selfless service in promoting the Sikh faith, engagement in interfaith work, and dedication to heritage conservation4.

 Under his leadership, GNNSJ has expanded its reach globally, emphasizing education, healthcare, social welfare, and environmental sustainability. Bhai Sahib is also the Chairman of the Nishkam Centre, which is involved in numerous civic activities. He is a founding European Council of Religious Leaders member, Co-President of Religions for Peace International, and President of Religions for Peace UK.

 Bhai Sahib’s contributions have been widely recognized. In the 2015 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to interfaith and community cohesion. In 2012, he was the first Sikh to be honoured with the Pontifical Order of Knighthood of St Gregory for his interfaith work. He also holds honorary degrees from Aston University, Birmingham City University, and the University of Central England.

Julie Siddiqui MBE is a prominent British activist and community leader recognized for her unwavering commitment to interfaith dialogue, social justice, and women’s empowerment. As the co-founder of Nisa-Nashim, the largest network of Jewish and Muslim women in Europe, she has played a pivotal role in fostering cooperation between these communities in the UK. Her efforts have created a platform for dialogue and collaboration, addressing shared challenges and promoting mutual understanding.

Awarded an MBE for her significant contributions to interfaith work, Julie actively tackles issues such as poverty, discrimination, and gender inequality. She engages with diverse communities through grassroots activism to uplift marginalized voices and promote social cohesion. Her initiatives include Sadaqa Day, which encourages social action beyond monetary donations, and The Big Iftar, which invites people from all backgrounds to share in the blessings of Ramadan.

With a background in community organizing and education, Julie empowers women through mentoring and speaking engagements. She believes in the transformative power of service and integrity, inspiring individuals to contribute positively to society. Her work emphasizes that charity is not just about giving money but involves time, effort, and compassion.

Julie’s dedication to building bridges between communities has earned her respect and recognition across various sectors. She continues to inspire a more harmonious and equitable society by championing interfaith initiatives and advocating for social justice, making her a vital figure in contemporary activism.

Rabbi Michael Hilton is a respected rabbi, author, and interfaith leader who has been recognized for his contributions to Jewish scholarship and community relations. He served as Rabbi of Kol Chai Reform Synagogue in Harrow from 2001 to 2017 and now holds the honorary title of Rabbi Emeritus. He remains actively involved in the community.

Hilton’s engagement extends to various educational and interfaith initiatives. As the longest-serving Oxford Three Faiths team member, he helps organize interfaith conferences alongside Christian and Muslim leaders. He is also a Scholar in Residence at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, where he teaches adult education courses, often with Christian or Muslim speakers. Additionally, he lectures at Leo Baeck College Lehrhaus, teaching Classical Greek to students interested in exploring Jewish literature in Greek.

His commitment to interfaith dialogue is further demonstrated through his participation in Harrow Citizens, particularly with the Mental Health Action team. Hilton actively pursues his studies in Classical Arabic and Judeo-Arabic, focusing his research on the influence of Islam on Judaism.

Hilton is a Senior Lecturer at Leo Baeck College, London, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Manchester. He is the author of “The Gospels and Rabbinic Judaism: A Study Guide” (with Father Gordian Marshall OP), “The Christian Effect on Jewish Life,” and “Bar Mitzvah: A History”. His work promotes understanding and respect among diverse faith groups, fostering social justice and community cohesion.

Deepak has over 40 years of experience in the community and voluntary sectors. He is currently the Chair of the United Religion Initiative (UK) Board.  He has been a Board Member of URI (Europe) since its inception, and is a member of the European Network on Religion and Belief.

Deepak runs a charity, Together in Action, which builds on the achievements of the Coventry-based charity Minorities of Europe (MoE) over its 15 years of existence. The work of MoE covered four areas – Interfaith, European and International Development, Community Cohesion and Young People.

Together in Action works with partners:

– to help create opportunities that transform lives,

– to help design and deliver projects and services that have a lasting and positive impact,

– to help incubate and maintain harmony between people and communities from different cultures, beliefs and backgrounds.

Vivian Wineman brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to interfaith dialogue as a dedicated trustee of URI UK. With a robust background in commercial law, he has effectively navigated complex legal landscapes while fostering community engagement and understanding.

He was elected president of the Board of Deputies in 2009. Before that, he was the senior vice president. In addition, he is chairman of the Membership Council of the Jewish Leadership Council. In 2013, he was elected chairman of the Council of the European Jewish Congress and World Jewish Congress.

In 2007, he became vice-chair of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, the umbrella body for interfaith organisations and national faith bodies working in the UK, and on 1 July 2013, he was elected co-chair. Previously, he was joint chair of Peace Now and chair of the New Israel Fund of Great Britain.

Vivian Wineman is also currently the trustee of the following registered charities in the United Kingdom: Wineman Charitable Trust and The Rofeh Trust

Sariya Cheruvallil-Contractor is an Associate Professor in the Sociology of Islam at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University, UK. She is Chair (2020-2023) of the Muslims in Britain Research Network (MBRN) and is editor of the Review of Social and Scientific Study of Religion.

Her research emphasises collaborative methodologies that work with and for research participants. As a feminist sociologist of religion, she has a keen interest and appreciation of the power dynamics within knowledge production and the implications of the processes and systems of knowledge on society as a whole.

Her research portfolio critically interrogates how we ‘do’ knowledge while also giving voice to lesser-heard and harder-to-reach sections in society. Feminist, Pragmatist, and Decolonising methodologies are central to her methods toolkit. Her publications include Muslim Women in Britain: Demystifying the Muslimah (Routledge 2012), Religion or Belief, Discrimination and Equality: Britain in Global Contexts (Bloomsbury 2013), Islamic Education in Britain: New Pluralist Paradigms (Bloomsbury 2015), Digital Methodologies in the Sociology of Religion (Bloomsbury 2015), Islam on Campus: Contested Identities and the Cultures of Higher Education (OUP 2020), several journal articles, book chapters and mass-media articles.

Warwick worked on faith engagement for 18 years as a senior civil servant, most recently as head of the Faith Communities Engagement team of the Integration and Faith Division in the Department for Communities and Local Government. He has continued to work on interfaith projects in private, consultancy and Trustee capacities. He has worked in several other relevant civil service roles, including promoting neighbourhood empowerment through community rights and developing multi-faith events to mark the First World War centenary, the Millennium and the Golden Jubilee.

Warwick founded and continues to run a social enterprise, Faith in Society, which supports faith-based social action in various ways.

Mandip was the President of URI UK between 2005 and 2018. His career background of over 30 years is in the financial services industry in Senior Vice President regulatory compliance / AML and finance roles over a broad range of companies and with different nationalities. He often has had multiple roles attached, such as Company Secretary, Data Protection Officer etc.

Working with senior management, Boards, governance committees, both internal and external audits, clients, regulators and staff, as well as advising on the regulatory impacts to all areas of the business whilst being commercially aware of keeping the business goals in sight.  As regulations constantly change, Mandip has been involved in and led various projects to ensure the business complies with deadlines and deals with project and change management. His roles have involved systems implementations in helping mitigate regulatory risks, and provide scalability and automation.

Mandip has worked with various businesses, including small / start-up scenarios, where he has managed growth by ensuring an operating infrastructure and appropriate staffing exists. As well as working with charitable and non-profit organisations.

Shahin has a wealth of experience working and representing faith groups, bringing expertise in fostering community relations, communicating with diverse audiences, and navigating specific topics. 

Her interpersonal skills enable her to listen actively, negotiate effectively, and maintain professionalism while respecting varied views and beliefs.  Shahin is adept at collaborating with others to achieve shared goals. Her deep knowledge of the faith sector is a valuable asset to the board and the wider community.