Shirin graduated with her MA in Muslim Studies and is the Director of Middle East Women’s Leadership Network and Empower Women Media. With a background in ministry and cross-cultural training, Shirin also assists multiple organizations in media-based initiatives and partners with NGOs to promote women’s rights, peace building, and religious freedom.  

“My whole life I’ve had to learn how to be a bridge builder because I grew up with a mixed heritage. As I got older and traveled, I started to see that there was a huge gender gap within organizations and ministries, and women were often not invited to the decision-making table. So I decided to start focusing on training women to have full participation, visibility, and access to resources. CIU took me deeper intellectually and helped shape my perspective regarding how I think and communicate in regards to educating Christians and ministry partners about the Muslim world.”