Anse Shaimaa Zayan serves as a Tajwīd instructor with the Ribaat Academic Institute. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and taught for 3 semesters at Cairo University. She moved to Texas in 2007, where she earned her masters in Special Education and Diversity from UT Austin and taught Math to middle/high school students. Anse Shaimaa holds a tajwīd ijāza and completed her thesis on teaching Arabic Early Literacy for non-Arabic speakers.
Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, as a child, Anse Shaimaa was blessed with an exceptionally loving and caring Islamic environment where she memorized the Quran, learned basic Islamic studies, and developed her love and appreciation for the Arabic language.
During the pandemic, Anse Shaimaa discovered her passion for community work and social justice serving unprivileged families through humanitarian assistance programs at the local Islamic center. Currently working as the Operations Manager for the Council on American-Islamic Relations for Texas (CAIR-Texas), Shaimaa enjoys building bridges and enhancing the understanding of Islam through outreach and educational programs.
She feels honored to be part of the Ribaat community. Outside of work, Shaimaa enjoys the company of her three children, walking in nature, painting, and writing Arabic poetry.
She joined Ribaat in 2023.