Wednesday 28 January 3.30pm – 4.30pm
For Sharia Councils
Register here
A webinar for those involved in Sharia Councils, covering what family mediation is, how it supports separating couples, how it works alongside Sharia Council processes and how to support separating couples to access mediation.
This one-hour session explains how family mediation works from a legal perspective after separation. It covers families who have married under UK law, as well as couples who are Islamically married. The aim is to help organisations understand when mediation is appropriate, how to signpost families, and what happens when cases move into the family court. We will also touch briefly on training options for those who may want to build skills within their organisation.
This session will help give you an understanding of family mediation, including:
- What family mediation is and how it supports separating couples
- How mediation works alongside Sharia Council processes
- Key differences for UK legal marriages and Islamic-only marriages
- How child arrangements and financial issues are handled in mediation
- What happens when mediation works and what happens when it fails
- How and when cases move into the family court
- How to signpost families to the right service
- Brief information for organisations interested in future mediation training or skills development
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Your speakers 
Tawhid ar-Rahman
Tawhid ar-Rahman is a practising family mediator and the founder of Salam Mediation, with over five years’ experience working with separating and divorcing families. Before moving into family mediation, he spent much of his professional life in the creative industry, working as an art director in advertising and later as a documentary photographer. He holds a BA in Visual Communication and a Master’s degree in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography, and has worked across a range of communities through his international work. Through Salam Mediation, Tawhid supports families from diverse backgrounds, offering a multicultural approach and working bilingually and, where appropriate, trilingually. His practice focuses on early engagement, constructive communication, and helping families address conflict in a way that keeps children at the centre.
Shazan Begum
Shazan Begum is an Approved Driving Instructor and a newly trained family mediator, preparing to enter mediation practice. She has a background in NHS and primary care services, including work supporting school nursing and health visiting teams, as well as experience as an interpreter. Shazan represents the pathway into mediation. Her interest in the field comes from navigating the family justice system without legal representation. As a British Muslim with experience working across multicultural communities, she brings lived insight into access, training, and the value of new mediators entering the profession.
Mohammed Ali Islam
Mohammed Ali Islam is a practising family mediator and the founder of Mutual Mediation, with over five years’ experience working with families in conflict. He established his mediation practice after completing his training in 2018 and works across a range of family disputes. Mohammed supports families through pre- and post-separation matters, including court-related cases, with experience in child-inclusive and intergenerational mediation, family group conferencing, and conflict coaching. His work focuses on managing high emotion, supporting informed decision-making, and helping families develop workable, child-focused plans.
