Serving the Greater Houston Muslim Community
William White
Director
William White serves as the Director of CAIR-Houston.
Born in London, William moved to his mother’s home state of Texas as an infant, where he grew up on the Westside of Houston. He converted to Islam at 20 while studying at Houston Community College.
William began his career at CAIR as an intern in the Houston chapter during his final year of college. After graduating from the University of Houston with a degree in political science, William went to work as a contractor on-site at Google in North Austin, where he analyzed legal cases. During the Coronavirus pandemic, William was allowed to work for CAIR Austin as the Government Affairs Manager.
During his time at CAIR Austin, William organized several advocacy days in Austin and Washington, both in-person and virtual.
After 16 months at CAIR Austin, William was afforded another opportunity to work in his hometown, at his home CAIR office, in the heart of his home neighborhood.
In addition to his goals for the Houston chapter, William plans to pursue graduate studies in policy, law, and nonprofit management. In his free time, William enjoys watching his favorite football (soccer) team, Arsenal, or practicing martial arts, for which he holds a black belt in Karate and Japanese Jujitsu.
Bilqees Adeyemi
Development and Administrative Coordinator
Bilqees Adeyemi serves as CAIR-Houston’s Development Coordinator.
Bilqees Adeyemi is a Business Student at the University of Houston. She was born in Lagos State, Nigeria, and raised in Houston, Texas. In her free time, Bilqees enjoys the fine arts and enjoys drawing, painting, sewing, and graphic design. Bilqees aspires to establish her own business in the future. She has experience with managing social media platforms and assisted with leading several care package distributions for refugees living on Houston’s southwest side. She joined CAIR Houston as the Development Coordinator in September of 2022. She looks forward to serving CAIR Houston in this capacity and furthering its mission to serve the Muslim community.
Bilqees is active in the University of Houston’s Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship. She volunteers to assist aspiring students with business proposals and plans several large-scale events for the center.
Unaiza Punjwani
Advocacy Coordinator
Unaiza is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where she majored in Islamic Studies. She is currently preparing for the LSAT as she aims to pursue a career in Immigration Law and Family Law. Outside of her academic pursuits, Unaiza enjoys crafting unique ice cream flavors. She also has a keen interest in food history and anthropology, which she explores through her reading and writing endeavors.Moreover, Unaiza is a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor who actively advocates for mental health awareness in her local community and beyond. Her commitment to making a positive impact led her to join CAIR Houston as an Advocacy Coordinator in the summer of 2023. In this role, she collaborates with other organizations, groups, and individuals to build coalitions and alliances that amplify the impact of advocacy efforts, plan advocacy campaigns, and track and evaluate the progress and impact of these initiatives. This ensures that CAIR Houston’s advocacy work is effective and impactful.Unaiza’s multifaceted skills and dedication to social causes make her a valuable asset in her role as an Advocacy Coordinator, contributing to the development of local legal resources and conducting legal research to further CAIR Houston’s mission.Aliyan Hashmani
Outreach Coordinator
Aliyan Hashmani serves as CAIR-Houston’s Outreach Coordinator.
Aliyan was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and is pursuing a Health Care Communications major at the University of Houston. He one day aspires to pursue a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, followed by further studies in Islamic theology.
For the last seven years, Aliyan has been dedicated to serving his community to cultivate a setting for our youth to be engaged through faith-based projects. Also, Aliyan has had the privilege of holding the position of programs director and previously serving as the outreach coordinator for the Muslim InterScholastic Tournament-Houston since 2020.
During Aliyan’s free time, he enjoys cooking, reading books, and engaging in personal development.
