She was born to Mehmet İslam and his wife Cahide on 16 January 1958 in Üsküdar, Istanbul. She studied Turkish literature at Ankara University and earned a master's degree at the same university. She received her PhD from Gazi University.[1][2][3]
In 2005, she became an associate professor. İslam worked as a lecturer at Ankara University, Kırıkkale University, and Başkent University.[1][3] She is author of ten books and around 40 publications.[2]
She is the daughter-in-law of Nadir Latif İslam, a former deputy from the Justice Party (AP), who is also the father-in-law of Merve Kavakçı. Her husband Bahadır İslam is a physician, who volunteers in relief organizations. He was on board the MV Mavi Marmara, which was involved in the Gaza flotilla raid in 2010.[4]
It was reported that President Abdullah Gül played also a role for her entry into the cabinet. During her civil servant time, she had worked together with the President's secretary general Mustafa İsen. She is a capacity in social policies.[6]
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