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Finalists - Awards

Artist of the Year – Finalist Bios

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One MAX

March 19, 2021

On March 6, 2021

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Chef Moeen Abuzaid

CHEF, ARBEQUINA · TORONTO
Farkhunda Muhtaj

CAPTAIN, AFGHANISTAN WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM · SOCIAL ACTIVIST
Rubaba Mohammadi

PAINTER · FOUNDER, RUBABA ART AND CULTURAL CENTER
Sabreen El Awad

FILMMAKER, POET AND CULTURAL ORGANIZER · FOUNDER, FRAMES OF SUDAN
Tazeen Qayyum

MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST · CO-FOUNDER, ART ADDRESS

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Awards

The objective of MAX Awards is to recognize Muslims who have demonstrated significant achievement, leadership, and commitment to serving their community.

Scholarships

MSF awards well-rounded High school and University students who are eager to make an impact, learn and create. Winners are students who have contributed to their communities and Canada at large, achieved above-average marks and are recognized by their peers, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. MSF is a registered charitable entity, and donors are eligible for a Charitable Tax Receipt.

Mentors

MAX Mentors is a professional mentorship program that connects near-career students with early career mentors and early career professionals with mid-career mentors to catalyze excellence amongst the Canadian Muslim community and help a new generation break glass ceilings.

Business

MAX Business LAB aims to facilitate and encourage the development & success of high performing Muslim decision makers in Business across three core principles:
i. L – Leadership
ii. A – Advisory
iii. B – Professional Training

Women in Leadership

MAX Women In Leadership is a program with a mission to celebrate, inspire and cultivate leadership excellence in Canadian-Muslim women. The program focuses on Recognition, Leadership, and Network & Partnerships, thereby connecting and mobilizing Muslim women across Canada to institute a strong and sustainable network.

MAX Gala

The Annual MAX Gala is an incredible night of celebration that offers a rare glimpse into the skills, talents and cultural strengths of a dynamic community of patriotic Canadian Muslims, whose continued efforts help build a strong workforce, energize the economy, and expand our combined cultural horizons. It represents the culmination of efforts of hundreds of volunteers across a plethora of teams at MAX.

Chef Moeen Abuzaid

CHEF, ARBEQUINA · TORONTO

Considered a pioneer of elevated Arabic cuisine, Chef Moeen Abuzaid always imagined bringing his craft to the global stage. Taking a leap of faith, with only a few words of English, he moved from Amman, Jordan to New York City in 2009 in pursuit of his dreams.

“I became a chef by accident. It’s true. I grew up in Jabal Al Taj, Jordan, just a short drive from Al-Wehdat refugee camp, where my mother, from al-Lydd, and my father, from Yaffa, lived as refugees.”

Moeen discovered his passion for the culinary arts and ingredients at a very young age, beginning his journey at eighteen years old working in some of the most renowned hotels in Jordan. In 2009, his desire to be known for elevated Arabic cuisine brought him to New York City. Amid the city’s vibrant food scene, Moeen worked alongside some of the globe’s most illustrious chefs, expanding his palate and discovering new ingredients. This melting pot of culinary innovation became his playground, where he started infusing diverse flavours into traditional Arabic favourites.

Over more than a decade, he collaborated with world-renowned chefs, each partnership adding a new layer to his culinary repertoire. His relentless pursuit of excellence led to the conceptualization and successful launch of his NYC pop-up, “The Broken English,” which quickly became a sensation.

Chef Moeen’s path brought him to Toronto in 2019, where he continued to create and collaborate globally. Today you will find him in the Roncesvalles neighbourhood, at Arbequina Restaurant, taking guests on a gastronomic journey through his homeland where each dish tells a story of tradition, innovation, and rich cultural heritage — a local, sustainable, zero-waste, and zero-proof culinary adventure.

Farkhunda Muhtaj

CAPTAIN, AFGHANISTAN WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM · SOCIAL ACTIVIST

Farkhunda Muhtaj is a professional soccer player and social activist, serving as Captain of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team and competing for Calgary WILD FC in the Northern Super League.

In 2021, following the Taliban’s return to power, she led the evacuation of more than 300 Afghans, including the Afghanistan Youth National Team. Her pivotal role in this effort was featured in We Are Ayenda, a Cannes Lions Grand Prix-winning documentary presented by WhatsApp, as well as AYENDA, a documentary presented by MSNBC and executive produced by Rashida Jones and Trevor Noah.

The daughter of former Afghan refugees, Farkhunda immigrated to Canada at the age of two. Her lived experience inspired her to co-found Scarborough Simbas, a non-profit organization that uses sport to support the settlement journey of refugees and newcomers to Canada. She is an ambassador for Right To Play Canada and a supporter of UNHCR Canada, and serves on the Canadian Child Rights in Sport Advisory Committee, Canada Soccer’s Women’s Development Advisory Committee, and the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto Sport, Physical Activity, Health & Wellness Program Advisory Body.

Farkhunda holds two degrees from York University: a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health Sciences and a Bachelor of Education in Science and Physical Education. During her time there, she captained the women’s soccer team and earned recognition as a U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian, OUA First Team All-Star, and OUA Gold Medalist.

Bridging sport, education, and humanitarianism, Farkhunda is driven by a commitment to advancing gender equity and social justice. A sought-after global speaker, she addresses global active citizenship, the transformational power of sport, leadership in times of crisis, and women’s and refugee rights.

Rubaba Mohammadi

PAINTER · FOUNDER, RUBABA ART AND CULTURAL CENTER

Born in 2000 in the Malistan district of Ghazni province, Afghanistan, Rubaba Mohammadi entered the world with a congenital disability that left her unable to use her hands and feet. Despite her physical limitations, she would go on to become one of Afghanistan’s most inspiring and celebrated artists — widely known today as “the Mother of Painting in Afghanistan.”

In 2003, Rubaba’s family relocated to Kabul, seeking better access to medical care. Her mother, Masuma Rahimi, tirelessly carried her daughter on her shoulders each day to the Red Cross Hospital for treatment. After five years of effort and no improvement, doctors gradually lost hope. At the age of eight, Rubaba became homebound, unable to attend school or explore the outside world.

While her younger sisters went to school, Rubaba remained alone at home, drawn to their schoolbooks and art supplies. One day, filled with curiosity and determination, she decided to try drawing herself. After failing to use her toes, she held a pencil between her teeth and drew her very first straight line. That moment marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey. With the help of her sisters, Rubaba taught herself to read and write, and began teaching herself to draw, discovering a powerful voice through her artwork.

Rubaba’s life took a transformative turn in 2014, when a television network featured her story after discovering her artwork on Facebook. From 2014 to 2024, Rubaba created hundreds of paintings and held numerous exhibitions, nationally and internationally. Her work has been showcased at embassies in Kabul, Kabul University, the Presidential Palace, and in cities such as Herat, Bamyan, Mersin, and Abu Dhabi. She has received multiple awards, medals, and honours.

In 2019, Rubaba established the Rubaba Art and Cultural Center, a space dedicated to teaching art to others, particularly those with disabilities. Tragically, later that year, the centre was destroyed in a grenade attack by unknown assailants. Forced to flee Afghanistan for her safety, Rubaba spent two difficult years in exile before returning home.

In early 2024, Rubaba immigrated to Canada, where she once again picked up her brushes and began creating art. Today, she continues her mission — not only as a painter, but as a symbol of courage, perseverance, and the transformative power of creativity.

Sabreen El Awad

FILMMAKER, POET AND CULTURAL ORGANIZER · FOUNDER, FRAMES OF SUDAN

Sabreen El Awad is a Sudanese Canadian filmmaker, poet, and cultural organizer currently residing in Canada. Her journey as an immigrant has deeply influenced her creative practice, as she navigates the complexities of heritage and domesticity. Her work in cinema and verse delves into memory, exile, and spiritual identity, capturing the steadfast endurance of communities in transition.

Through intimate performances at communal and artistic gatherings, her poetry reflects on the nuances of displacement and restoration. In her directorial debut, First Muslims in Canada, she documented the neglected histories and cultural legacies of the nation’s pioneering Muslim populations. Currently, she is developing Ahmed, a narrative project that furthers her dedication to exploring authentic human narratives grounded in personal truth.

Beyond her individual artistry, Sabreen founded Frames of Sudan, where she acts as Creative Director for this community-led effort to champion Sudanese film through curated exhibitions and professional collaborations. Whether engaging in visual media or public discourse, her practice is anchored in the conviction that collective storytelling can protect our heritage, disrupt conventional media tropes, and build transformative cross-cultural bridges.

Tazeen Qayyum

MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST · CO-FOUNDER, ART ADDRESS

Tazeen Qayyum is a Pakistani-Canadian multidisciplinary artist trained in the unique art form of miniature painting rooted in South Asian and Persian traditions. She continues to explore new materials and processes through various mediums, including drawing, installation, sculpture, video, and performance. Her work addresses complex issues of belonging, identity, and displacement within a socio-political context, emphasizing empathy and compassion as a counterforce to aggression and conflict.

Qayyum’s artwork has been exhibited globally at prestigious galleries, museums, international art biennials and festivals, including the Karachi Biennial 2017, the Bangkok Art Biennial 2022, the Edinburgh International Festival 2025 and the Hong Kong International Festivals 2026. In 2013, she was commissioned to create site-responsive work at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Her works are part of esteemed collections such as the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada; the Art Mill Museum in Qatar; the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa; the TD Canada Trust Permanent Collection in Toronto; the Welt Museum in Vienna; the Doris McCarthy Gallery at the University of Toronto; the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pengzhou, China; the National Gallery of Amman in Jordan; and the National Art Gallery in Nepal.

In addition to her artistic practice, Qayyum co-founded Art Address, an interactive space dedicated to fostering artistic discourse, community building, and mentoring young, emerging, and newcomer artists in the Greater Toronto Area. She has served on the Board of Directors for Oakville Galleries and on the Advisory Board of the Blackwood Gallery at the University of Toronto, as well as the Arts Council at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.

Qayyum earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1996. She currently lives and works in Oakville, Canada.