Podcasts about muslim advocates

Saema Somalya is EVP for Legal and Risk, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Remitly Global, Inc., where she leads the Legal, Compliance Risk and Privacy teams. Prior to joining Remitly, she was senior vice president, deputy general counsel (corporate) and assistant secretary at Fifth Third Bancorp and Fifth Third Bank, N.A. and senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Warren Resources, Inc.Previously, she served as senior legal director and corporate counsel to PepsiCo, Inc. Ms. Somelya began her career as an associate in Davis Polk's Capital Markets group. Ms. Somalya is also active in industry, community and civil rights forums and serves as the Board Chairman for Muslim Advocates, a national civil rights advocacy organization. She earned a B.A. in international relations and affairs from Yale University and a J.D. from Yale Law School. She is British born, American raised and lives in the Seattle area with her husband and daughter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the next State of Belief Radio, The new Supreme Court session begins. Attorney and activist Rabbi Jay Michaelson will weigh in on what we need to watch for. Also, marking National Coming Out Day with Interfaith Alliance and the #FaithfullyLGBT campaign. I'll talk to the Alliance's Maureen O'Leary. And a victory in court for a nonprofit Muslim cemetery long blocked by a Virginia county. Muslim Advocates' attorney Stephanie Correa will be here. Be sure to visit us at stateofbelief.com - and be sure to tune in, for religion and radio done differently!

The proliferation of hate speech has fanned the flames of anti-Asian sentiment with messages associating China with the COVID-19 pandemic, all while downplaying the real and present threat of domestic terrorism fueled by white nationalism. And as we have seen over and over, speech has consequences with blood on the hands of murderers — not only in recent shootings but for the consistent escalation of violence against Asian Americans and others.  A disturbing combination of widespread prejudicial sentiment and easy access to guns makes tragedies like this far too common. Messages of misogyny, xenophobia, and white supremacy fill the air we breathe, masquerading as conservative sentiment as they infect the minds of those who could be spurred to act violently. In recent years, we have seen targeted attacks against people of color, religious minorities, the LGBTQ community, and other vulnerable populations, and we have failed to address the patterns of who commits these atrocities and what inspires and allows them to do so.  On this episode, we’ll be talking about nonprofit advocacy against hate, bigotry, and discrimination.      Attorney Co-hosts   Jen  Quyen  Shyaam    Introduction  Nonprofits have an essential role to play in fighting hate in all its forms, by educating the public, pressuring elected officials and candidates, and organizing community members to raise awareness about identity-based violence and discrimination. We’re going to highlight a few nonprofit advocacy efforts today, and talk about how you can stand up to hate as a nonprofit organization.   We have to acknowledge what’s happening now and our collective past history   Attacks against people based on their race or ethnicity  Rise in hate incidents and hate crimes against APA community because of Trump’s insistence on blaming China for the coronavirus  Between March 2020 and Feb 2021, almost 3,800 incidents reported to Stop AAPI Hate. Fraction of the real number.  Attacks against Middle Eastern, Arab, or Muslim Americans after 9/11  LGBTQIA+, violence against trans-people  We want to be clear that we know there’s so many ways hate is spreading right now, but we chose to lift up a few examples to affirm for public charities that Combating Hate is always on mission.    This episode isn’t heavy on rules.  If you’ve been listening, you know that public charities can’t be partisan and that to determine partisanship, the IRS will apply the facts and circumstances test to campaigns and communications.   For 501(c)(3) organizations, the important analysis will be to understand an organization’s risk and the continuity of its messages.   Example 1: Briefly Review the Facts and Circumstances Test for Public Charities. What about anti-hate messaging when connected to voting – e.g., vote for love not hate!    The IRS will apply a facts and circumstances test and while we don’t know everything the IRS would look at, here’s examples of how we would walk through the analysis.   Does the communication or ad or website reference a candidate or election? (that’s a no-no)   Is there some other external factor influencing the campaign like a bill up at the state house?   Is this part of the on-going mission of the public charity? And is this messaging similar to or in connection with other forms of communications on the topic (i.e., part of an on-going long-standing campaign).  If it’s a wedge issue, or looks like a campaign slogan, a nonprofit public charity should proceed with caution.     Example 2: NAKASEC.  The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium has an affiliated—or connected—501(c)(4) known as the NAKASEC Action Fund.  In 2020, NAKASEC AF wanted to forcefully push back against a Virginia Congressional Candidate selling a mask that suggested the coronavirus was “Made in China.”  This phrase was on the mask. They ended up releasing statements and a letter, and organized with partners. They explained that blaming China for the COVID-19 crisis has led to a sharp increase in racially motivated attacks against people of Chinese descent and others perceived to be of Chinese descent. In fact, in March of 2020, the FBI warned that hate crimes against Asian Americans were likely to rise because of perceptions that people of Asian descent were spreading the virus. Their advocacy was picked up by major media outlets. You can find stories on NAKASEC AF’s advocacy against these masks in the Washington Post, Fox News, NBC News, and numerous local outlets in Virginia. After a few days with public pressure, the candidate pulled the masks!  As far as the rules go, 501(c)(3)s may not support or oppose candidates for public office, but c4s can, to a limited extent. there is room to even suggest candidates should be held accountable for actions like these in the election.   Anti-hate is always on mission. Even though a 501(c)(4) took the action above, through our analysis, we think a 501(c)(3) likely could have as well.    Example 3: Ahmaud Arbery “Finish the Run” event. Runner’s World is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit but utilized its platform to call in various ways to run against hate.  It even created a separate foundation to Finish the Run.   https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a35521521/ahmaud-arbery-virtual-run-finish-the-run   This is a great example of using your platform to fight discrimination even when the core of your mission is based on something else (here supporting and promoting running).    Example 4: Muslim Advocates. Muslim Advocates is a 501(c)(3) often calls out elected officials and other leaders for bigoted language against Muslims - for example, inventing threats posed by Muslims to the country, misinformation about what Islam requires of followers, or advocating for policies that would be a violation of basic constitutional rights of Muslims. Muslim Advocates has even done a report on campaigns in the past that have featured anti-Muslim rhetoric.    There are a number of important points about these efforts, even though some were around elections. Where MA spotlighted or went into detail - it was around campaigns in elections that had already passed. They included disclaimers in their report, and they tried to summarize and describe the nature of comments rather than advocate for the election or defeat of any particular candidate or candidates. If you're talking about campaigns and elections that have already passed, it’s important to not take credit for an outcome. It’s going to be risky to discuss campaigns still pending or upcoming elections – however, you could discuss comments in the aggregate.   It’s still possible to be forceful, clear, and strong against hate as a 501(c)(3).      Bolder Advocacy Resources    Commenting on Candidates and Campaigns: https://www.bolderadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Commenting_on_Candidates_and_Campaigns.pdf   Commenting on Candidates’ Statements about Immigrants: https://www.bolderadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Commenting-on-Candidates-Statements-about-Immigrants.pdf  LGBTQ Toolkit: https://bolderadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LGBTQ-toolkit-2019-Final.pdf   Press Statement on Atlanta Attacks:  https://www.afj.org/article/afj-condemns-hateful-attack-on-asian-americans/      Other resources:  Department of Justice: https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes, has link to state specific information  LCCR Stop Hate: https://lawyerscommittee.org/project/stop-hate-project/   Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/  Muslim Advocates: https://muslimadvocates.org/advocacy/addressing-anti-muslim-political-rhetoric/  NAKASEC Action Fund’s letter: https://nakasecactionfund.org/11546  Bob Jones University v. United States:  https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/461/574 

We stumbled across a radical group called Muslim Advocates. It turns out that Biden has spoken to them, Pelosi has met with them, and Facebook and Twitter have been and continue to be advised by them--and Muslim Advocates has a record of urging FB and Twitter to ban President Trump. They also posted a list of demands in the wake of the George Floyd killing, including redirecting funds for police to community centers, because "Black lives matter." We discuss all of this on today's show. #RadicalIslam #MuslimAdvocates #911 #PatriotAct #EqualityAct #BlackLivesMatter #MuslimBan #1stAmendment #Biden #NancyPelosi #GeorgeFloyd #Riots #Terrorism #Judges #Congress #IlhanOmar #RashidaTlaib #Facebook #Twitter #MarkZuckerberg #JackDorsey #Obama #Marxism Follow Will Anderson Twitter: @will_show2020 Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewillandersonshow www.thewillandersonshow.com

In this episode I speak with Juvaria Khan, the founder and director of the Appellate Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering law students of color to thrive in the appellate field. In our conversation we discuss what it is like to found and run a non-profit, her path to becoming a non-profit founder including stints at Big Law firms, a district court clerkship, and several years as an impact litigator at Muslim Advocates. We also discuss the goals of the Appellate Project and the importance and potential impact of better representation in the field of appellate advocacy. Sign up for alerts about future episodes at howilawyer.com or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (pod.link/howilawyer).

Gone are the days where local politics amount to reelecting erstwhile high school classmates to fill potholes and grow schools. Policy attorney by day and public servant by night, Mehreen Butt, sister to our host, is a Pakistani American town councilor in Wakefield, MA. She joins us to speak about her unique experience as the first American Muslim woman elected to a select board in the state. Believing steadfastly that government is good and public service is a way to give back, she decided to run in 2016 to fulfill a duty “to be the voice for people that don't have a seat at the table.” As there's no handbook on how to be a town councilor, we find out how she acquired support from apolitical aunties and uncles, invaluable coaching from Emerge, and an unsolicited declaration from her father that Obama and Abe Lincoln had both been defeated before. She lost that election. However, she reran in 2017 and was recently reelected for her second three-year term. To her surprise, she liked it a lot more than she thought she would. If you're wondering how town officials can make a difference, consider small but meaningful actions like liaising with the police department regarding implicit bias training, installing a Pride flag, and dedicating funds to protect lakes. So why, we ask, is representation in local politics important? She believes diversity makes for the strongest policy. Case in point: the iconic 2017 photo of exclusively white, right, long-in-the-tooth congressmen considering the future of women's healthcare. It's noted, again, how minorities in power don't just lead but pull others up with them, so that they're not the lone woman or POC in the room where it happens. We learn that it takes an average of seven asks for a woman to agree to run for office; thus, every time Mehreen crosses paths with a potential advocate, you'd better believe she's making that ask. This interview with Mehreen Butt was recorded in November 2020. See what Mehreen is up to as Town Councilor, or fangirl over fellow inspirational female leaders of color such as Sumbul Siddiqui (the first Muslim mayor in Massachusetts) or the Squad. Also check out two organizations she adores, Muslim Advocates, a civil rights organization, and Emgage, a civic nonprofit that encourages American Muslims to be more involved in their communities. American Muslim Project is a production of Rifelion, LLC. Writer and Researcher: Lindsy Gamble Show Edited by Mark Annotto and Asad Butt Music by Simon Hutchinson Hosted by Asad Butt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. At the hearing, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Dick Durbin, and Chris Coons all asked Zuckerberg about Facebook’s anti-Muslim problem. Previously, Sen. Coons and 14 other senators also sent Zuckerberg a letter asking him to address anti-Muslim hate on Facebook. Muslim Advocates supported the senators on the letter. At the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Coons also specifically asked Zuckerberg about Facebook’s failure to enforce a call to arms policy regarding a local militia’s Facebook event page in Kenosha, WI—as reported by BuzzFeed News. In response to Sen. Coons, Zuckerberg indicated that the Kenosha Guard event page did not violate the call to arms policy. He also said some calls to arms on Facebook are “context-specific” and require a higher level of expertise and said not all reviewers have that expertise. The following is a response from Muslim Advocates Executive Director Farhana Khera: “Mark Zuckerberg was evasive and misleading at best when responding to Sen. Coons’s question about Facebook’s failure to enforce its call to arms policy in Kenosha. Facebook’s call to arms policy requires content reviewers to escalate complaints about a call to arms to experts. Zuckerberg himself said to Coons that ‘some of these [calls to arms] are context-specific and just require a higher level of context and expertise in the area to enforce.’ The problem in Kenosha, and what Zuckerberg did not address at the hearing, was that the reviewers never escalated complaints about the call to arms there because they were never instructed to do so. This possibly helped contribute to violence and a loss of life. Zuckerberg’s non-answer is more proof that there is no mechanism at Facebook to ensure that the call to arms policy can actually function as he says it should. Even more importantly, Zuckerberg has now suddenly indicated that the Kenosha Guard event page did not violate the call to arms policy. This is a direct contradiction of what Facebook has communicated to civil rights advocates and of a fair reading of the policy itself. Facebook’s constantly changing explanations of why the policy failed and how it even works adds further evidence that the company isn’t serious about creating policies that will actually protect our safety and security.” For more than half a decade, Muslim Advocates has worked to hold Facebook accountable for the anti-Muslim hate and violence enabled by the platform. This work includes helping lead the call for the company to undergo an independent civil rights audit and releasing a report documenting Facebook’s global anti-Muslim problem. Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power, and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination. More about Irish Tech News and Business Showcase here. FYI the ROI for you is => Irish Tech News now gets over 1.5 million monthly views, and up to 900k monthly unique visitors, from over 160 countries. We have over 860,000 relevant followers on Twitter on our various accounts & were recently described as Ireland’s leading online tech news site and Ireland’s answer to TechCrunch, so we can offer you a good audience! Since introducing desktop notifications a short time ago, which notify readers directly in their browser of new articles being published, over 50,000 people have now signed up to receive them ensuring they are instantly kept up to date on all our latest content. Desktop notifications offer a unique method of serving content directly to verified readers and bypass the issue of content getting lost in people’s crowded news feeds. Drop us a line if you want to be featured, guest post, suggest a possible interview or just let us know what you would l...

This week, Phill starts by discussing Jerry Falwell Jr’s resignation from the evangelical Liberty University amidst news of an alleged sex scandal. Joining Phill is the Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber, who helps to unpack the pitfalls of purity culture. Then, Phill takes a deep dive into a story that made headlines last week:  an ICE facility in Miami is currently serving rotten halal meals to its Muslim detainees, with their only other choice being pork, a meat that’s considered haram. Phill talks to Nimra Azmi of Muslim Advocates to better understand the cruelty Muslim detainees in ICE detention are subjected to when trying to practice their faith. Then we hear from Aura Bogado, an investigative reporter at Reveal, who talks Phill through what’s at stake for immigration reform and the people at our borders, come November and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The doctrine of qualified immunity protects government officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations, and thus poses a significant challenge for individuals seeking compensation for abuses of public power in the US. In light of continuing police brutality against Black Lives Matter protesters, many are calling for the doctrine to be reformed or abolished. In this episode, Dr Haim Abraham is joined by Nimra Azmi, Prof. Joanna Schwartz and Dr Jennifer Page to discuss how qualified immunity shields police officers from personal liability for wrongful use of force, and how other avenues of justice and reparations might be explored. Nimra Azmi is a staff attorney at Muslim Advocates, where she she uses litigation and other tools of legal advocacy to protect American Muslim individuals and communities from discrimination and bigotry. Joanna Schwartz is Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law. She teaches Civil Procedure and a variety of courses on police accountability and public interest lawyering. Professor Schwartz is a leading expert on police misconduct litigation in the US. Professor Schwartz additionally studies the dynamics of modern civil litigation. She is co-author, with Stephen Yeazell, of a leading casebook, Civil Procedure (10th Edition). Dr Jennifer Page is a postdoctoral fellow at University of Zurich’s Department of Philosophy, where her research focuses on reparations and state accountability. Dr. Haim Abraham is a Lecturer at the University of Essex School of Law. His research focuses on the liability of public bodies and officials and private law theory, and he teaches Tort Law, The Law of Obligations, and Contract Law. Dr. Abraham holds a Doctor of Juridical Science degree from the University of Toronto, a Master of Law degree from the University of Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Law degree combined with the Interdisciplinary Honours Program in the Humanities from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he was on the editorial board of the Israel Law Review.

Episode 5 features a story from Abdul Jabar, Rohyngan refugee; an Interview with Madihha Ahussain, Muslim Advocates; and a conversation with Jihad Turk and Dr. Rachel Mikva, Chicago Theological Seminary. Hosted by Kim Schultz. Find out more including full show notes at www.our7neighbors.com

How is it possible for laws that determine the fate of Muslim Americans to be decided without them having a seat at the decision-making table? That is the power imbalance that motivated the launch of Muslim Advocates by Farhana Khera in 2005. Muslim Advocates works “in communities, the courts and in Congress”, to expose and address discriminatory public policies and corporate practices impacting the lives of our nation’s over 400 Muslim Americans. The challenges faced by Muslim Americans require more than legal and legislative solutions. Our news media needs to tell the stories of who Muslim Americans are and how their lives have been impacted by misguided policy actions. Those include Mayor Bloomberg’s surveillance of community members simply for being Muslim and President Trump’s recently expanded Muslim Travel Ban. As Scott Simpson, Muslim Advocates Director of Policy Advocacy, explains to Power Station, working in partnership with other civil rights champions is critical to raising the profile of Muslim Americans and the hateful policies and rhetoric that harm them. Muslim Americans are standing up for themselves, their families and communities and all of us need to stand with them.    

Civil rights attorney and interim legal director of Muslim Advocates, Sirine Shebaya joins. Sirine shares her work on Muslim ban litigation, family separation her experiences at the border, as well as the rights that immigration detainees hold. Recent data shows, that there has been an 84 percent decrease in permanent resident visas issued to Muslim immigrants over the last year, Sirine speaks to this matter and how her group is working to protect the religious rights of citizens in this country.

By Brigitte Gabriel The Hyatt Hotels Corporation issued a statement declaring that their company would no longer be hosting “hate groups” after a well-coordinated, Soros-funded smear campaign was launched by groups such as the Muslim Advocates, MoveOn.org, the Council on American - Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), targeting their hotel chain for hosting ACT for America’s national conference at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel. By taking this stance, the Hyatt Hotels Corporation has become complicit with the radical left’s attack on freedom of expression. By accepting the SPLC’s definition of a “hate group,” Hyatt is telling millions of Americans they are no longer welcome in their hotels. [more...]

Where were you on the night of June 22nd? Your cellular provider knows. And until that date just a few weeks ago, if law enforcement wanted that info, all they had to do was ask. But we’re not just talking about one night… they know every place you’ve been, throughout the day, every day, going back months or even years. Thankfully, the Supreme Court ruled that law enforcement must now get a warrant to obtain this highly sensitive information and show probable cause. In our interview today, I have a truly thought-provoking discussion around the landmark Carpenter vs United States ruling with Shahid Buttar, a lawyer and grassroots organizer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). We delve into the history behind cell phone data access in the United States and why a basic right to privacy is fundamental to any democracy.  Shahid Buttar leads EFF's grassroots and student outreach efforts. He's a constitutional lawyer focused on the intersection of community organizing and policy reform as a lever to shift legal norms, with roots in communities across the country resisting mass surveillance. From 2009 to 2015, he led the Bill of Rights Defense Committee as Executive Director. After graduating from Stanford Law School in 2003, where he grew immersed in the movement to stop the war in Iraq, Shahid worked for a decade in Washington, D.C. He first worked in private practice for a California-based law firm, with public interest litigation projects advancing campaign finance reform and marriage equality for same-sex couples (as early as 2004, when LGBT rights remained politically marginal). From 2005 to 2008, he helped build a national progressive legal network and managed the communications team at the American Constitution Society for Law & Policy, before founding the program to combat racial & religious profiling at Muslim Advocates. For Further Insight: Website: https://eff.org/efa  Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/Sheeyahshee / https://twitter.com/EFF Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/EFF Become part of the Electronic Frontier Alliance: organizing@eff.org Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons

Today, John Krull talks with some of those close to a controversial zoning issue in Carmel. A group of Muslims living in Hamilton County proposed a new mosque at a site in a residential suburb. Residents oppose the project, citing traffic and property value concerns. Mosque organizers have met the objections with scaled back building plans and say the site is ideal for their worship needs. Both parties made their case at a recent well-attended city council meeting (http://bit.ly/2DNkHvP), and a decision could come this month. Our guests will be Adam Aasen, a reporter in Carmel, Ron Carter, a Carmel Councilman, Juvaria Khan, an attorney with Muslim Advocates and Wafa Safi a teacher.

Edition #1071 Today we take a look at the threats to Muslim Americans and, frankly, Muslims around the world in the age of Trump Be part of the show! Leave a message at 202-999-3991 Show Notes Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill Ch. 2: Act 1: Trump's Muslim Registry Should Remind Us of Japanese Internment Camps - @DavidPakmanShow - Air Date: 12-24-16 Ch. 3: Song 1: Kenji - Fort Minor Ch. 4: Act 2: The specter of Korematsu - Amicus from @Slate - Air Date 11-30-16 Ch. 5: Song 2: Don't Fence Me In - Ella Fitzgerald, Buddy Bregman & Buddy Bregman and His Orchestra Ch. 6: Act 3: Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn Is Pathologically Fixated On 'Radical Islamic Terror' - Majority Report (@MajorityFM) - Air Date: 11-19-16 Ch. 7: Song 3: Pity the Nation/First They Came/I Don't Fight for Conquerors - Dave Lippman & Wild Bill Bailout Ch. 8: Act 4: Fight religious and cultural ignorance - Popaganda from @BitchMedia - Air Date 11-24-16 Ch. 9: Song 4: N/A Ch. 10: Act 5: Why Won’t This President Say Radical Islam? - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 11-17-15 Ch. 11: Song 5: Islamophobia - Genocide Ch. 12: Act 6: Learn How to Support Your Muslim American Neighbors via @MuslimAdvocates - Best of the Left Activism Act 6A: Going through the traumatic experience of Trump’s election - #GoodMuslimBadMuslim - Air Date 12-25-16 Ch. 15: Song: Right to Complain - Trombone Shorty & Marc Broussard Ch. 16: Act 7: Suzanne Barakat: Islamophobia killed my brother. Let's end the hate - @TEDTalks - Air Date 11-7-16 Voicemails Ch. 17: How to reign in people who have started to go too far - Jennifer from Columbus, OH Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics Ch. 23: Final comments Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone Activism: TAKE ACTION Educate yourself and learn how to be a teammate at MuslimAdvocates.org Learn how to report a hate crime in your state via MuslimAdvocates.org “Click Here to End Hate” - Tips to Respond to Anti-Muslim Bigotry Online via Muslim Advocates.org Download a “Hate Has No Business Here” poster EDUCATE YOURSELF Ten Days After: Harassment and Intimidation in the Aftermath of the Election (via The Southern Poverty Law Center) Day 1 in Trump's America (via Twitter) Trump continues to sow confusion over his plan for Muslims entering the country (via The Washington Post) Gingrich's Outrageous Call to Deport All Practicing U.S. Muslims (via The Atlantic) Newt Gingrich Suggests Reforming House Un-American Committee In Wake Of Orlando Shooting (via The Huffington Post) Donald Trump’s Plan for a Muslim Database Draws Comparison to Nazi Germany (via NBC News) At South Carolina Rally, Donald Trump Defiant on Muslim Ban (via NBC News) Japanese American internment is ‘precedent’ for national Muslim registry, prominent Trump backer says (via The Washington Post) Written by BOTL Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Thanks for listening! Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores! Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

What comes to mind when you think of Islam? Current headlines often focus on ISIS and Islamic fundamentalism, or power struggles between Sunni and Shia. But perpetrators of violence make up only a tiny minority of the world’s over 1.5 billion Muslims. Why do some see Islam as a religion that promotes violence or oppression? How can we change this narrative and better understand the peaceful faith of the majority? If current trends continue, Islam will catch up to and then eclipse Christianity in the coming half century. As the world’s Muslim population continues to grow, will we move towards greater understanding and acceptance? Join us for a conversation about this widespread and multifaceted religion. Speakers Karima Bennoune, Professor of International Law at the UC Davis School of Law, and Farhana Khera, President and Executive Director of Muslim Advocates, are in discussion. Sara Abbasi, Founding Board Member of Developments in Literacy, moderates the discussion. For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/events/event/1576

Oberlin College professor and poet Kazim Ali reads his poems and talks about his work an a poet with BNAziz; In Syria BNAziz interviews Damascus-based radio host Nidaa Hussein about her work in Syrian radio (starting @ 39:32) in Arabic with English translation; Women in Islam president Sarah Sayeed and Farhana Kheria of Muslim Advocates announce the forthcoming Dr. Betty Shabazz award sponsored by WII in NYC.