Hanif Qadir

Projects and Programme Director

Hanif is the Projects and Programme Director of the Active Change Foundation (ACF), a registered charity set up to tackle a range of issues such as gang, gun, knife and street crime and, more specifically, recruitment into violent extremism. Hanif is recognised as one of the UK’s leading specialists in positively transforming violent extremists. He is actively involved in advising and assisting senior policy makers in reforming key aspects of the Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) agenda. He works closely with a wide range of Governmental institutions, most of the UK’s Police authorities including the Met Police, and research academics across the globe, with a view to applying a more sensitive and sensible approach in counter terrorism strategies.

As a direct result of his own recruitment into violent extremism and working closely with a number of individuals previously involved in terrorist activities, Hanif has developed a unique understanding of the modus operandi of violent extremist groups, the environments that they work in and the individuals inspired by these groups. For the past six years he has focused his attention on engaging with ‘hard to reach’ vulnerable young Muslims. Hanif remains at the cutting edge of preventing violent extremism, in his own words: “my aim is to help change the mindsets of the many young people who are experiencing similar strong feelings of anger, which confuse them into reacting negatively in the name of Islam, often resulting in recruitment to violent extremist networks and terrorism.”

Hanif was born in 1965 into the predominately Christian community of Thornaby, Cleveland. The Qadir family later moved to the culturally diverse area of Walthamstow while Hanif was still a child. Hanif went into business with his brothers Imtiaz and Abad before they founded the Active Change Foundation in 2003.

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