Podcast appearances and mentions of akbar ahmed

Ali Velshi is joined by Sen. Tim Kaine, former U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, former U.S. State Dept. senior adviser Vali Nasr, Senior Fellow at American University of Beirut Rami Khouri, Director of Research at The Soufan Group Colin Clarke, Huff Post's Akbar Ahmed, NBC's Dan De Luce, NBC's Antonia Hylton, NBC's Trymaine Lee, NBC's Keir Simmons, President & CEO of “Visit Philadelphia” Angela Val

Ali Velshi is joined by Ana Marie Cox, Political Columnist at The New Republic, Jeffrey Rosen, President & CEO at the National Constitution Center, Akbar Ahmed, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent at HuffPost, Oona Hathaway, Professor of International Law at Yale Law School, Michael Shure, Political Journalist, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D) Washington, and Jesmyn Ward,  Author of ‘Salvage The Bones'

Together, Pakistan and India account for nearly a quarter of the world's population. The two nations and their peoples also have made innumerable contributions to the world's great religions, history, and culture. In this episode of Big World, SIS professor Akbar Ahmed joins us to talk about the interfaith dynamics within and between India and Pakistan; their global roles and influence; and his own influential career as a diplomat, scholar, and author. Ambassador Ahmed briefly explains the origins of his career, including how an experience as a child influenced both his life and his future commitment to interfaith dialogue (3:25). He discusses his three decades of experience in the Pakistani civil service and the impact of that time on his views about peace (7:10). Ahmed gives his thoughts on the state of Pakistan's democracy and his hopes for the nation's future (9:41). Reflecting on his arrival in the US and Washington, DC, the week before September 11, 2001, Ahmed talks about how and why the tragic events of that day impressed upon him the importance of interfaith dialogue (11:56). He also answers the question: was there ever a moment, post-9/11, in which he was afraid to be a Muslim living in America (18:35)? What kind of productive interfaith dialogues are happening within India (21:33)? Can interfaith dialogue help ease tensions between India and Pakistan (24:41)? Is Hindu nationalism, at its core, divorced from the actual tenets of Hinduism (26:36)—and are extremist versions of religions always similarly out of step with their own foundational beliefs? Ambassador Ahmed answers these questions while also explaining how he got his students heavily involved in the various projects he's produced over the years (31:29). Finally, what does he think will be his legacy (34:54)? During our “Take Five” segment, Ambassador Ahmed shares the five things he believes people and nations can do to improve interfaith relations inside and outside of their borders (29:05).

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Akbar Ahmed, Wilson Center Global Fellow and the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, and Michael Kugelman, Director of the Wilson Center's South Asia Institute.  They discuss the ongoing political crisis in Pakistan in the wake of the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Are we in danger of weaponising Christianity as a bulwark against Islam? Would it be more fruitful to pay more attention to the period in medieval Spain when the three Abrahamic faiths collaborated and prospered? Akbar Ahmed and Seherish Abrar take a long view... Like this podcast? Please help us by writing a review

On this edition of Parallax Views, Ambassador Akbar S. Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, D.C., joined Parallax Views for an enlightening and uplifting conversation about how the golden age of Islamic philosophy can show us a bridge that exists between East and West, Muslim and non-Muslim. Amb. Ahmed's latest book deal with this specific subject and is entitled The Flying Man, Aristotle, and the Philosophies of the Golden Age of Islam: Their Relevance Today. Amb. Ahmed has written a number of books, including The Thistle and the Drone: How America's War on Terror Became a Global War on Tribal Islam and Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization among others, have attempted to deal with questions related to Islamic in modernity, relations between the Western and Islamic worlds, and attempting to foster understand between cultures and interfaith dialogues. His latest book is no exception and discusses a number of philosophers, poets, and intellectuals including the physician Avicenna and his "Flying Man" thought experiment among others. Amb. explains how these figures from Islamic culture cross-pollinated with Western thought and how their ideas were often in line with those of the Enlightenment and the humanist tradition. He also notes how "New Atheists" like Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry have a blind-spot in regards to their dismissal of the Islamic world's contributions to culture, from philosophy to art. In addition to disccussing all of this, Amb. Ahmed and I also discuss his attempt to chronicle the life and significance of the Pakistani statesman Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who could be considered the George Washington of modern Pakistan. In this regard, Amb. Ahmed tells us a little about the origins and troubles with the cinematic biopic of the statesmen, simply known as Jinnah, which starred the late world-renowned British actor Christopher Lee (Sarumon the White in the Lords of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies; Count Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones; the title character in a number of the Hammer Studios Dracula films) in the lead role. Amb. Akbar talks about the negative portrayal of Jinnah in the Ben Kingsley-starring Gandhi, misconceptions he sees many as having about Jinnah, and his thoughts about Pakistan, India, and Muslim-Hindu unity. Along with all of this, Amb. Ahmed briefly comments on the situation of Afghanistan as someone who extensively studies the Pashtun people there. *CORRECTION: In this episode I neglected to mention that Ambassador Ahmed was co-scriptwriter with Jamil Dehlavi for Jinnah rather than the sole writer. Then in the second segment of our show, Chuck Collins of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. and its Inequality.Org joins us to discuss his decades-spanning work investigating the problem of global wealth inequality and how that inequality has skyrocketed during the pandemic. Chuck describes how he was "born on third base" to a wealthy family (the Oscar-Mayer meatpacking family to be exact) and how it gave him a "front row seat" to the problem of wealth inequality. We discuss what the ultra-wealthy are and aren't, wealth taxes, common arguments against taxing the ultra-wealthy, the World Economic Forum and Davos, wealth inequality as a cause of political polarization and social destabilization, the problem with charity as a fix for global wealth inequality, and much, much more! "‘This gift list is completely disconnected from the reality of our society': Here are the most charitable billionaires in America" by Leslie Albrecht - MarketWatch -2/8/22 "REPORT: Gilded Giving 2020: How Wealth Inequality Distorts Philanthropy and Imperils Democracy" by Chuck Collins and Helen Flannery - 7/28/20 "Updates: Billionaire Wealth, U.S. Job Losses and Pandemic Profiteers" by Chuck Collins - 10/18/21 "Taxing extreme wealth could lift 2.3 billion people out of poverty" by Chuck Collins - CNN - 1/19/22

In his first significant foreign policy announcement since taking office, President Biden broke with both former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama and declared an end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. But it will take more than U.S. withdrawal to end the violence there. Rep. Ro Khanna, activist Shireen Al-Adeimi, and reporter Akbar Ahmed join Ryan Grim to discuss. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW we are joined by Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, and Alex Thurston, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Cincinnati. They discuss the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the Muslim world during the holy month of Ramadan.

Akbar Ahmed is an academic, poet, former diplomat, and all-around renaissance man. In Tell Them, I Am’s final story of the season, Ahmed recounts how a single train ride when he was 4 years old changed his life’s direction forever. Hosted by Misha Euceph. Written by Misha Euceph. Edited by Arwen Nicks. Produced by Misha Euceph and Mary Knauf. Sound designed by Misha Euceph and Arwen Nicks. Music by David Linard. Engineering by Shawn Corey Campbell and Valentino Rivera. Illustration by Emmen Ahmed. Graphic Design by Stephanie Kraft. Want a Tell Them, I Am t-shirt? We got you. 

Ahmed was the Pakistani High Commissioner and is a leading authority on Islam.

A longer version of our conversation with Akbar Ahmed on his book 'Journey into Europe' about Islam's role in the continent. twitter.com/EuropeansPod facebook.com/europeanspodcast instagram.com/europeanspodcast

In Europe our clocks may be slow (see our March 13 episode) but our politics moves fast. Two new governments in a week! Katy and Dominic get you up to speed on what's been happening in Spain and Italy. Our guest this week is Akbar Ahmed, one of the world's leading experts on Islam, who has just published a major new study on Europe's Muslims. We enjoyed our conversation so much that we'll be releasing it in full as a bonus episode, so look out for that later in the week. Plus: how Spain's trashiest 1990s dance hit could save your life. Muchas gracias for listening! Please leave us a review if you liked the show, it helps new listeners find us: apple.co/2Ez2KN8 We're supported by Stackry, the global leader in parcel forwarding from the US. Use our special link & coupon EUROPEANS: bit.ly/European3 twitter.com/EuropeansPod facebook.com/europeanspodcast instagram.com/europeanspodcast

March 26, 2018 | Since 9/11, repeated episodes of terrorism, together with the refugee crisis, have dramatically increased the divide between the Muslim communities and the majority non-Muslim populations in Europe. Meanwhile, the parallel rise of right-wing, nationalist political parties throughout the continent—often espousing anti-Muslim rhetoric—has shaken the foundation of the European Union to its very core. Akbar Ahmed and his team of researchers traveled across Europe for four years and interviewed Muslims and non-Muslims from all walks of life to investigate questions of Islam, immigration, and identity. Their findings reveal a complex story of the place of Islam in European history and civilization and expose both the misunderstandings and the opportunities for European countries and populations to improve their relationship with minority Muslim communities. Along with an analysis of what has gone wrong and why, Ahmed offered recommendations for promoting integration and pluralism in the twenty-first century in a conversation with Professor Jocelyne Cesari.

Democrats crushed Republicans in off-year elections on Tuesday, delivering a resounding rebuke to President Donald Trump. Daniel Marans and Elise Foley join the show to talk about whether this is the beginning of the end of Trumpism.The crown prince of Saudi Arabia rounded up his political opponents -- Akbar Ahmed and Jessica Schulberg explain what it means for regional stability and what Jared Kushner might have had to do with it.And the latest mass shooting gave way to the latest frenzy of conspiracy theories -- Dana Liebelson and Paul Blumenthal break down the lies. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

April 15, 2009 | What role should the promotion of international religious freedom play in American foreign policy? This event convened a panel of three experts -- Akbar Ahmed, Allen Hertzke, and Andrew Natsios -- for a conversation with Thomas Farr about his new book, World of Faith and Freedom: Why Religious Liberty is Vital to American National Security (2008). The book argues that the advancement of religious freedom should be a central component of US foreign policy, but that it has been neglected over the past decade, despite the passage of the International Religious Freedom Act by Congress in 1998. The conversation touched on several related issues, including relations with the Islamic world, links to international development policy, and the emerging stance of the Obama administration. The event was co-sponsored by the Tocqueville Forum on the Roots of American Democracy.

In Episode 5 of Series 2 Todd talks to Islamic expert and former Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Professor Akbar Ahmed from the American University in Washington DC. They discuss the post 9/11 myths that have built up around Islam, the growing tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric in politics and society and the implications for people's religious freedoms and human rights. 0.00-8.20 Myth-busting - Todd asks Akbar about the myth that has grown post 9/11 that Islam as a faith is somehow more inherently violent than other religions Akbar says he understands where the idea has come from but how, as a Muslim, he is baffled by it because the themes of mercy and compassion are so central to Islam. He mentions the term Ilm, a key Islamic term that denotes the inclusiveness of the religion Akbar goes on to talk more about Ilm - explaining that it is the place where Islam interacts with other religions. He reflects on his studies as a young man of poets such as Tennyson and quotes lines from Ulysses and the shared quest for knowledge shared by different cultures and religions. He stresses that knowledge is key and his belief that knowledge is being replaced by fake news and how it creates misperceptions and misrepresentations of individuals and groups of individuals and leads to violence. Akbar mentions the case of a Hindu shot dead in the US apparently the victim of a hate crime. Todd mentions the rise in anti-semitism in the US including a recent attack in his home town of Harrisburg Akbar explains how these attacks have extended to Muslims and reflects on the dangers of moving towards what he describes as a Hobbesian society 8.20-14.45 Todd asks Akbar about the idea that Islam is somehow incompatible with democracy reflecting on his own experiences of travelling to Islamic countries where democracy functions well. Akbar talks about his work, Jinnah Quartet in which he sets out to illustrate the compatibility of Islam and democracy within the context of a modern state Akbar acknowledges that he can see why the current leadership of the Muslim world may lead the West and others to be doubt that Islam promotes democracy but says this does not mean that the majority of Muslims do not want democracy not that Islam rejects it. Akbar mentions the annual Muslim Haj pilgrimage where people from all backgrounds are treated the same, thus showing how egalitarian and democratic Islam is. The discussion moves to human rights and how Islam deals with individual versus group/collective rights Akbar says human rights, especially caring for the vulnerable, is at the heart of Islam - he gives a number of examples of how this works in practice and says that historically this was extended to people of other religions too. 14.45-end The discussion moves to Akbar's book, The Thistle and the Drone, which received high profile endorsements both from famous intellectuals such as Noam Chomsky and also the CIA The importance of tribal groups in tensions within and outside the Islamic world. Akbar exlpains how he uses the metaphor of the Thistle for the tribe and how it comes from Tolstoy's Hadji Murad Violence and Islam and the language around terrorism under a Trump presidency compared with an Obama presidency Discussion of Trump's pledge to “wipe radical Islam from the face of the earth” Akbar makes the point that the majority of ISIS victims are in fact Muslims themselves and says that the Trump administration is alienating and humiliating those who are his potential allies in tackling ISIS Todd mentions his own work in this area before moving on to ask about the implications of the US travel ban Akbar says the travel ban detracts from the need to tackle ISIS and not the way to go about it. He believes there is a need for the rhetoric to stop so that the younger generation are not adversely influenced by it and that the focus needs to be on “healing a fractured world” /// Other useful links Akbar Ahmed's latest film Journey into Europe Journey into Europe website /// From our partners at the OpenGlobalRights blog Islamic ideals of peace and justice: are we overlooking something? Islamic and UN Bills of Rights: same difference What do Muslim women want? Finding women's rights in Islam Trump, the other and human rights in society

http://www.FAILocracy.comAmericans are divided on whether or not we should allow the building of the mosque at ground zero, and, of course, by, "mosque at ground zero," I mean, "building that is not a mosque and is also not at ground zero." (It's actually an Islamic community center two blocks away from Ground Zero, and if I can get fired for including work as an artist on South Park on my resume when I really only worked as a graphic designer at a sign company on South Park Street, which shouldn't have happened because I wasn't even technically lying, then there's no way I should get away with calling this a mosque at ground zero.) But here are the details:Now, first, the space was designated with the name, "Cordoba House," which its organizers claim was invokes 8-11th century Cordoba, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews are said to have co-existed peacefully. But critics say the name is in honor of the Muslim conquest over the Christian city in Spain. But the stubborn organizers wouldn't have any of it! They gave a proverbial finger to critics and said, "We're keeping the name whether--" Oh wait, no, they changed it. Organizers changed the name of the space to Park51 to avoid association with conquest while subtly hinting that they're hiding UFOs there.But what is in a name? That which we call a Cordoba House, if by any other name, would it smell as subversive? Newt Gingrich knows what I'm smelling. He said, "It is a test to see if we have the resolve to face down an ideology that aims to destroy religious liberty in America..." Exactly! If we don't act now by taking away religious freedom in this country, then this country might lose its religious freedom.And don't try to argue equality under the law because that's not the issue here. As the constitution says, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Wait a minute, this isn't the constitution. This is George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM!Okay, the Bill of Rights actually says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances," which pretty much means that it would be unconstitutional to legally interfere unless it could be demonstrated conclusively that it's a terrorist group.But as New York Daily News writer S.E. Cupp points out, the argument for the constitutional right is a straw man. She wrote, "No one in serious circles who oppose the mosque at Ground Zero is suggesting it should be made illegal to build a Muslim house of worship near the site of the 9/11 attacks."Exactly. No one is actually suggesting that we actually take legal action to prevent them from building-- oh, okay, well there's that. And that. And, okay a lot of people are. ;But what about the people who recognize the legal right to build the community center, but feel they should voluntarily avoid doing it. The man heading up the project said that he wants the location near ground zero to "push back against the extremists," demonstrating the ability of peaceful Muslims to thrive in a community of mutual tolerance, a spirit opposite of that which was behind the 911 attack.Many prominent Muslims, including Akbar Ahmed and others with names that are even-more difficult to pronounce have publicly opposed the building of the mosque saying that it has the appearance of "fitna," or "mischief-making" that is forbidden by the Koran. Some peaceful Muslims worry that violent extremists would point to it as a symbol of victory despite the intent of those behind the project.For those reasons, I honestly don't know whether the project is a good idea or not. Those of you who have been following FAILocracy for a while may remember when I received death threats a few months ago for criticizing violent Muslims while displaying images of Muhamad created by Persian Muslims. (Of course, I did literally draw a target on my forehead.) The video has been removed from YouTube, not because I was afraid of radical Muslims; I knew what I was getting in to when I drew the target, but because YouTube rejected my revenue-sharing application because of it. It's okay to be a broke martyr, but if I'm going to stay alive, I've got to make some scratch.

SAJA presents a discussion with the team of "Journey Into America" - A Muslim professor at American University discovers the U.S. with his students. We'll be talking to the professor, Ambassador Akbar Ahmed (a former Pakistan envoy to the UK and "the world's leading authority on contemporary Islam," according to the BBC). Students Madeeha Hameed, Jonathan Hayden and Hailey Woldt will join us, too. More on the project at http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/10/webcast-ambassa.html

Rabbi James Rudin, senior inter-religious adviser at the American Jewish Committee, and Professor Akbar S. Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C. discuss Judaism and Islam. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 9088]

Rabbi James Rudin, senior inter-religious adviser at the American Jewish Committee, and Professor Akbar S. Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C. discuss Judaism and Islam. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 9088]

Rabbi James Rudin, senior inter-religious adviser at the American Jewish Committee, and Professor Akbar S. Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies and professor of International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C. discuss Judaism and Islam. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 9088]