A world-renowned Blackburn-born imam met with community and faith leaders at a special event hosted at the MyLahore Restaurant.

Ibrahim Hussain is a mediator and arbitrator who is originally from Blackburn but moved to Canada in 2011. He is renowned globally as a conflict resolution expert.

Headquartered in Toronto, his organisation ‘Sulha Solutions’ provides online dispute resolution services for Muslims across the world.  The service is of particular importance to families and women who wish to gain religious rulings and knowledge over disputes and disagreements.

Lancashire Telegraph:

He is currently touring the UK for a series of book signing events and will also set to deliver a special lecture at the Cambridge Central Mosque. 

His book, ‘Sulha 40 Narrations on Conciliation: A Muslim Dispute Resolution Guide’ is made up of forty hadith (prophetic narration) which aims to serve as a succinct Muslim dispute resolution.

Lancashire Telegraph:

The Imam has met numerous global leaders including Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to share his message of peace.

Imam Hussain attended St. Michael with St John’s Primary School, Pleckgate High School and went on to graduate graduate from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

He volunteered at the Holy and Noble Koran Society with his father, Imam Imtiaz and then taught and served as the Imam there before moving to Toronto.

He said he was delighted to be back in Blackburn.

Imam Hussain said: “I was looking forward to coming back to my hometown.

"It was lovely to be in Blackburn, and it was a delight to meet my teachers and community leaders. I made sure I had vegetable samosas from Manchester Sweet Centre, and supper from Shandaar Tandoori during my stay.

"Blackburn has and will always have a special place in my heart, and I am excited to give back to my community by opening a community conflict resolution centre.”

He added: “I miss the gorgeous Lancashire countryside and delicious food. In Canada, I make sure I’m always stocked up with Yorkshire tea and Irn Bru at home. I make sure I keep to date with the news by reading the Lancashire Telegraph online.”

Imam Hussain said his work involved mediating and arbitrating business and family conflicts. 

He said: “I’m the only faith leader across the world who has been admitted as a member of the chartered institute of Arbitrators, the Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society and the International Chamber of Commerce Canada Arbitration Committee. I am the recipient of the mediator of the year award in Canada.

“I also train faith leaders in mediation and conflict management as I developed the world’s first certificate course for faith leaders in mediation and conflict management in my role as a faculty member of the Canadian collaborative of engagement and conflict management.”