Azzad creates opportunities by cutting through red tape

Opening up new markets to investors isn’t easy. If you don’t believe me, just ask Jamal Elbarmil. “No one is willing to cut through all the red tape to invest in Islamic banks,” says the longtime Azzad Wise Capital Fund portfolio manager. “No one except Azzad.” Elbarmil starts his Tuesday with a cup of coffee in one hand and a manila folder in the other. Two computer monitors glow behind him. He’ll turn his attention to those shortly. (As usual, he’s got a long day ahead of him.) Right now, what’s holding his attention is a notarized copy of Azzad Asset Management’s articles of incorporation, not the usual analyst reports, balance sheets, and income statements that take up a lot of his time. But this diversion is a necessary evil, an additional responsibility for the unconventional money manager. He’s making sure everything is in order before the folder is sent to Turkey. Its contents represent one of the many hurdles in a miles-long race to get a piece of the growing Islamic banking market for his fund, which turned three-years old in April. For Elbarmil to invest in an Islamic bank deposit or note, “there’s a lot of red tape,”