Rafa was born in Damascus, Syria and migrated with her family to Australia as a young child. As the daughter of a Wafa Zaim, a leading Muslim female pioneer in Australia, she grew up with the vision and determination that the sky is the limit.
Rafa’s first engagement with ICNSW was in 1994 when she appeared on SBS Community radio during the regular Ramadan night time programs.
In 2014, she founded ‘Australian Muslim Faces’, a Facebook page that aims to challenge stereotypes, humanise Muslims and build community cohesion. The initiative attracted over 20,000 likes and over 100,000 engagements through the many Muslim faces exhibited.
With numerous bachelors and postgraduate degrees, her professional background is in teaching, migration law and community work. She currently coordinates Zero Barriers, a disability access and inclusion project, with The Multicultural Network.
Rafa is a member of the Department of Home Affair’s Women’s Reference Group and is a board member of Dar Al-Wafa Australian Association Inc (DAWAA). She is a newly appointed board member of The Islamic Council of NSW.
