On Human Belonging with Shireen Qudosi: Recent Episodes
On Human Belonging
Shireen Qudosi is a writer, speaker, and the founder of The Foundation for Human Belonging. She covers faith, identity and belonging in a changing world. "We’re going to move beyond faith in an ideology... and toward faith in the promise of humanity. That’s the future. A future beyond splintered little identities dwarfing the vastness of human belonging." - Shireen Qudosi
This podcast is a project of The Foundation for Human Belonging
Founders of Toke for Tolerance, a cannabis-based interfaith festival founded by Elliot Friend (Jewish) and Shireen Qudosi (Muslim), dive into a raw un-cut conversation on the Hamas-Israel war launched on October 7, 2023. See full post: https://open.substack.com/pub/qudosi/p/dangerous-fantasies-talking-israelAbout Shireen QudosiStorytelling on seismic cultural issues through the lens of the sacred, Shireen Qudosi looks at the space between things or within the Dark to map a new understanding of the human experience. Through that journey, she found a lost Islam. Shireen Qudosi is the author of The Song of the Human Heart: Dawn of the Dark Feminine in Islam, which speaks to the theologically-sound parallel reality of the world’s second-largest religion.“The world we live in is growing more complex with newer challenges. These times are an invitation for us to step into our gifts. To do that, we need to remember the song of our hearts and the stories that are our own. My gift is in alchemizing chaos and confusion into song. I inspire others to believe it is possible to go within and below the surface layer of their identity to find the mystery, a wonderful complex constellation that is beautiful and uniquely their own.” — Shireen Qudosi Shireen is devoted to mapping figurative landscapes and inviting others to go into unknown places not as a tourist, but as a child exploring the world for the first time filled with wonder and curiosity. As a daughter of refugees across three continents, as a mother to a son with Autism, and as an explorer in the wilderness of the heart, she believes that the mystery of being is often nested within the composite of our entire life experience, that we can find the sacred in the mundane nestled like a jewel in the rock. Learn more: https://www.shireenqudosi.comRead my Substack: https://qudosi.substack.comFollow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShireenQudosiFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shireenqudosiFollow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shireen.qudosiOffer a Gift: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/shireenqudosi
The Song of the Human Heart: Dawn of the Dark Feminine in Islam is a collection of field notes, reflections, and revelations on what becomes possible in us when we awaken our potential. Reading the introduction, author Shireen Qudosi explores how one unanswered question about Islam after 9/11 became a loose thread. When curiosity tugged at that thread, it unraveled the illusion of faith and our place in the realm of creation. Author Shireen Qudosi plays on the idea of Islam as a "dark" faith. After 22 years of studying faith and religious extremism, she arrived upon the finding that Islam is a seed faith and our task is to bury it in the Dark. Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Song-Human-Heart-Feminine-Islam/dp/B0BW2GWJ13Available as a PDF: https://www.shireenqudosi.com/shop/p/the-song-of-the-human-heart-dawn-of-the-dark-feminine-in-islamAbout Shireen QudosiStorytelling on seismic cultural issues through the lens of the sacred, Shireen Qudosi looks at the space between things or within the Dark to map a new understanding of the human experience. Through that journey, she found a lost Islam. Shireen Qudosi is the author of The Song of the Human Heart: Dawn of the Dark Feminine in Islam, which speaks to the theologically-sound parallel reality of the world’s second-largest religion.“The world we live in is growing more complex with newer challenges. These times are an invitation for us to step into our gifts. To do that, we need to remember the song of our hearts and the stories that are our own. My gift is in alchemizing chaos and confusion into song. I inspire others to believe it is possible to go within and below the surface layer of their identity to find the mystery, a wonderful complex constellation that is beautiful and uniquely their own.” — Shireen Qudosi Shireen is devoted to mapping figurative landscapes and inviting others to go into unknown places not as a tourist, but as a child exploring the world for the first time filled with wonder and curiosity. As a daughter of refugees across three continents, as a mother to a son with Autism, and as an explorer in the wilderness of the heart, she believes that the mystery of being is often nested within the composite of our entire life experience, that we can find the sacred in the mundane nestled like a jewel in the rock. Learn more: https://www.shireenqudosi.com
Mapping a feminine Islam that is fluid and interplays with all elements of life, especially the vibrational reality of sound.The following podcast is an excerpt reading from The Song of the Human Heart: Dawn of the Dark Feminine in Islam paired with audio recording from the Aniwa Gathering 2022, recorded and shared with permission from the Yawanawa tribe. Aniwa is an annual gathering of 40 indigenous leaders from around the world. [Book] The Song of the Human Heart: Dawn of the Dark Feminine in Islam Buy : https://www.amazon.com/Song-Human-Heart-Feminine-Islam/dp/B0BW2GWJ13About This Podcast:Mapping a feminine Islam that is fluid and interplays with all elements of life, especially the vibrational reality of sound.“We are slowed down sound and light waves, a walking bundle of frequencies tuned into the cosmos. We are souls dressed up in sacred biochemical garments and our bodies are the instruments through which our souls play their music.” — Albert EinsteinAbout Shireen Qudosi: I write on faith, identity and belonging. I look at issues from radicalization to childhood to the feminine through the lens of the sacred, through the heart field. My story is a winding 42-year journey across literal and figurative landscapes, as a daughter of refugees across three continents, and as an explorer in the wilderness of the heart. As an immigrant over and over again across three continents, I lived the themes coloring our cultural landscape today: migration, radicalization, and adaptation across seismic cultural shifts. But my most important journey — our most important journey — is the journey within. In 2022, I took off the last of the mask of all my identities and embraced my gift as an intuitive in this space. Today, I practice moving beyond polarity and offer a new model of conscious leadership rooted in the sacred feminine, in dignity and the interdependence of all life on earth. For more, visit https://www.shireenqudosi.comSong Credits: 1. Yawanawa Song Workshop, Aniwa Gathering 2022 2. Common Loon (Copyright 2017 John Neville / Bird Songs of Canada's West Coast) 3. Forest Birds (Copyright 2021 AA Gentil / Morning Birds Singing) 4. Dawn Has Broken by Mitsch Kohn 6. Islamic Call to Prayer - Amazing Azan by Idris Aslami
Listen to the harrowing story of an Afghan interpreter who fled hours before the Taliban came to kill him. Hamidullah Khyber was one of the few U.S. allies who made it out during the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. With the help of Ret. Army Colonel Sean Seibert, Khyber and his family made it out and is now settling in London. Part of the new generation of Afghans, 32-year-old Khyber eyes the East and hopes to one day return to fight for the only home he has ever known.
The Foundation for Human Belonging is a 501(c)(3) that looks at the arc of human belonging. Welcome to the chorus of voices as we move beyond faith in an ideology, and toward faith in the promise of humanity. That's the future. A future beyond splintered identities dwarfing the vastness of human belonging.
The Foundation for Human Belonging uses storytelling to educate on extremism and advocate for our shared humanity. Stories are the human thing about us and if we can understand our crisis at this point using a framework of stories, then we can perhaps endeavor to understand our world today and our place in it — as well as learn the skills to build the world we want .....so that we don’t have to go the route of other groups of people who have felt that in times of extreme stress and duress the only way to survive was to become more extreme.
Show your support: www.paypal.com/paypalme/shireenqudosi Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Hosted by Shireen Qudosi: Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud. Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams.
Ret. Army Colonel Sean Seibert is part of the digital Dunkirk. He reflects on his time in Afghanistan and the crisis of another failed war.
Seibert is a retired Army Colonel, and one of the hundreds of veterans launching a “digital Dunkirk” — a remote humanitarian evacuation of thousands of Afghans ranging who share our values and are at risk under a Taliban regime.
Over the next hour, we discuss what a digital Dunkirk looks like and what it takes to get people out. We cover why there is no federal exit plan in place for Afghans and how its churned the thoughts and beliefs of the veteran community. Along the way, he shares what it takes to cultivate belonging in a foreign culture, what the next generation of military and civilian leadership needs to look like, and how we can find our commonality as a human tribe.
“It’s like a gut punch. It’s not just like we lost a war. We ran away. And we don’t run away from a fight. We don’t surrender….who in the world is ever going to trust us again?” — Ret. Army Colonel Sean Seibert
This is the inaugural podcast transitioning from a solo platform to The Foundation for Human Belonging, a 501(c)(3) that looks at the arc of human belonging. Welcome to the chorus of voices as we move beyond faith in an ideology, and toward faith in the promise of humanity. That's the future. A future beyond splintered identities dwarfing the vastness of human belonging.
The Foundation for Human Belonging uses storytelling to educate on extremism and advocate for our shared humanity. Stories are the human thing about us and if we can understand our crisis at this point using a framework of stories, then we can perhaps endeavor to understand our world today and our place in it — as well as learn the skills to build the world we want .....so that we don’t have to go the route of other groups of people who have felt that in times of extreme stress and duress the only way to survive was to become more extreme.
Show your support: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/shireenqudosi Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Jeff Schoep is the former commander of the largest Nazi party in the United States. In a one hour conversation, Schoep and Qudosi cover the rise of the Proud Boys and delve into the culture of violence that supports extreme polarity pivoting groups of people against each other. What can heal the polarity and how can the media better approach these issues.
About Shireen Qudosi: Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud.
Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Stay connected: http://eepurl.com/tXi9
Read Shireen’s autobiographical essay here: https://medium.com/@shireenqudosi/how-i-became-a-muslim-reformer-7d0041712979
"In the war of ideas, people become the terrain."
Psychological operations (PSYOP) are operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals.
In episode 10, I speak with Derek Goeriz, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier trained in insurgency, and intelligence community professional. We cover the psyop against American identity. Why are we seeing a spike in antagonism against the law enforcement community and the American rule of law with such orchestrated precision? Where is it coming from and how do we counter it?
About Derek Goeriz:
Derek holds a BA in Political Science from Yale University and an MA in International Affairs from UCSD’s School of Global Policy & Strategy. Derek is active in helping transitioning veterans and military families through participation in various charitable organizations and resides in San Diego with his daughter enjoying politics, philosophy, & the arts. Currently works in the defense tech sector.
About Shireen Qudosi:
Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud.
In Episode 9, I speak with former extremist Arno Michaelis on how fatherhood and Buddhism shaped his newfound perspective on life. The preventing/countering violent extremism sector on occasion looks at the role of gender in extremism, but only through the lens of motherhood. When it discusses masculinity, the focus is on how toxic masculinity concepts pull men in, but rarely is the a conversation on how authentic masculinity pulls men out of the ideology and into their power as men. Our conversation hopes to help bridge that gap.
About Arno Michaelis: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Arno Michaelis was a leader of a worldwide racist skinhead organization, a reverend of a self-declared Racial Holy War, and lead singer of the hate-metal band Centurion, which sold 20,000 CDs by the mid-nineties and is still popular with racists today. Single parenthood, love for his daughter, and the forgiveness shown by people he once hated all helped to turn Arno's life around, bringing him to embrace diversity and practice gratitude for all life. After spending over a decade as a successful information technology consultant and entrepreneur, Arno is now a speaker, author of My Life After Hate, co-author of The Gift of Our Wounds, and very fortunate to be able to share his ongoing process of character development as an educator working with Serve 2 Unite. Founded as an ongoing peaceful response to the August 5th 2012 Sikh Temple shooting in Oak Creek, WI, S2U engages students creatively with a global network of peacemakers and mentors in partnership with Against Violent Extremism, The Forgiveness Project, Search For Common Ground, and Parents for Peace.
Visit: https://www.parents4peace.org https://www.lifeafterhate.org
About Shireen Qudosi:
Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
A clip of Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) educator Shireen Qudosi on Hill TV, speaking to the issue of childhood/youth extremism, and how to help parents understand the challenges their children might be facing.
About Shireen Qudosi: Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud. Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams. Stay connected: eepurl.com/tXi9 Read Shireen’s autobiographical essay here: medium.com/@shireenqudosi/how-…former-7d0041712979
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
The Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) sectors long abandoned the conveyor belt theory -- that there is a straight pathway on which an individual becomes radicalized. However, when that story was discarded it wasn't replaced with anything that captured the communities we need fighting on the frontlines. In an episode on the power of storytelling in PVE, Shireen Qudosi shares the story she created for workshop trainings to help communities understand the allure of extremists recruiters.
Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud. Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams. Stay connected: eepurl.com/tXi9 Read Shireen’s autobiographical essay here: medium.com/@shireenqudosi/how-…former-7d0041712979
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
It's not everyday you get a person in counter-terrorism speaking up in support of Muslim Reformers. The two niches rarely every intersect, which is why I was delighted to connect with Liam Duffy in an hour-long conversation on jihadis and Islamists.
We covered:
- ISIS hopscotching from China and it’s abuse of Muslim population, Iran for being Shia, and the West for its imperialism. How do you counter a strategy that adapts to the events of the ground so rapidly?
- Is blaming Western adventurism for jihad essentially an anglocentric view?
- How abuse against Muslim Reformers gave Liam the courage to speak openly against the ideology of violent jihad.
- The fetishizing of minority communities is an obstacle to overcoming some of the issues revolving around Islamism and jihadism.
- How are people who’ve grown up in in democratic ideals adopting an 8th century ideology?
- The romanticization of 9/11 by Islamists.
- Beyond identity politics: A look at what bonds people in a secular state.
- How to counter public denial and naivety about Islamist extremism?
- Is it possible to fight for PVE without fighting Islamism?
- The problem with pigeon-holing radicalization as a vulnerability problem.
- Managing expectations in deradicalization.
- Tell the better story: Storytelling as a response to the ideological challenge of Islamism and other challenges posed by Islamist groups to liberal democracy. Counter narratives and counter messaging
About Liam:
Liam Duffy is an independent researcher, trainer and adviser on extremism and counterterrorism. Liam designs and delivers extensive professional training programs for law enforcement, government and civil society in both the UK and overseas. He previously worked in the prevention strand of the UK government's counterterrorism strategy _____________________
About Shireen Qudosi:
Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud.
Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams.
Stay connected: http://eepurl.com/tXi9 If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Episode 5 in a conversation with former NY Assemblyman Dov Hikind on the types of anti-semitism we're seeing during the coronavirus pandemic _________________
About Shireen Qudosi: Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud. Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams.
Stay connected: eepurl.com/tXi9
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
As Ramadan 2020 kicks off, so has the first controversy of the season. In Minneapolis Minnesota, CAIR backed a recently passed public ordinance allowing a 5 daily Muslim calls to prayer which start from sunrise and continue through sunset.
Catch my conversation with Dalia Al-Aqidi, the woman challenging Ilhan Omar's congressional seat for Minnesota's 5th district. Dalia breaks down CAIR's agenda and unveils the problematic past of the mosque behind this call to prayer.
About Shireen Qudosi: Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud. Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams.
Stay connected: eepurl.com/tXi9
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Set to the backdrop of a warm Georgia summer night, we bring you an intimate conversation with forensic psychologist Rachel Bell. We cover:
- Rachael's experience working in Rotterdam, offering therapy to Muslims extremists classified as "honor killers." What did she do to "test" them?
- Genetic predispositions to psychosis, exploring the evergreen question of nature vs. nurture.
- How do we use science to dissuade people from joining extremist organizations? A look at tangible solutions that lead with psychology.
- What are the red flags for parents, teachers and counselors should watch out for?
- How can you treat people with extremist behavior? Does that change if it's a cult or gang?
- Acculturation vs. Assimilation: programs that can create pathways for belonging.
- Why the West needs to educate itself on what's coming in from vulnerable migrant communities just as much as they might expect those communities to understand Western law and culture.
- Why did a popular liberal media outlet look the other way on female militants and child militants?
- How do we build programs to empower youth and deal with some of these issues from the bottom up?
The evening was generously hosted by Georgene Brazer.
Rachael Bell has worked as a forensic psychologist for over 25 years. She owns a private counseling practice and a podcast series called True Crimes Podcast. She's taught in the U.S. and in two universities in the Netherlands, covering a range of subjects from forensic psychology, personality theories, research, and criminal psychology. Rachael has a double Masters in health psychology and clinical psychology, with a focus in forensics.
About Shireen Qudosi: Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud. Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams. Stay connected: http://eepurl.com/tXi9 Read Shireen’s autobiographical essay here: https://medium.com/@shireenqudosi/how-i-became-a-muslim-reformer-7d0041712979
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Jeff Schoep, former commander of the largest Nazi party in the United States, joins us for an hour-long conversation on his experience, deradicalization, and the parallels he sees between Islamists and neo-Nazis, along with the alarming trend toward extremism in American politics right now in a post-coronavirus world.
We also cover: - Conspiracy theories in the time of a virus pandemic. Will the coronavirus bring on the "boogaloo"? - Is America headed toward the climactic war that extremists want? Are we becoming radicalized and cult-minded? - I question whether psychological violence is the connective tissue between radicalization and violent extremism. And on that note, is the coronavirus stimulus package a form of economic violence? - Are extremists prophets of social breakdowns? - How propagandists find marketing opportunities in crisis and violence - What needs to change within our culture and society in order to dissolve the lure of extremist ideologies? - How the "grey space" between black and white is an opportunity to create something new. - Identity markers prime us for extremism. - A desire for glory and remembering what it means to be a hero. - How legacy got Jeff into...and out of...the Nazi movement. - Fascination as a gateway to hate? - The alarming behavior parallels between Nazis and Islamists. - What is made up of the wall that extremists put up to block out human dignity and empathy? - The skepticism and challenges of renouncing Nazism. - The Silent Audience. - What does peace mean to Jeff?
About Shireen Qudosi: Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud.
Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams.
Stay connected: http://eepurl.com/tXi9 Read Shireen’s autobiographical essay here: https://medium.com/@shireenqudosi/how-i-became-a-muslim-reformer-7d0041712979
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Shireen Qudosi speaks with former Al-Qaeda propagandist Jesse Morton on: - The Jihadi response to America's panic over coronavirus - Divergent narratives between the East and the West - How extremists will use a global pandemic to demonize the enemy, and how this ties in with conspiracy theories and end-times rhetoric. - Why secularism is broken and whether it can be salvaged. - Every crisis is an opportunity. In the West that means breaking away from broken models of polarized leadership, and why safe centrism doesn't work either.
Qudosi: "America is a story and this is a time to reconnect with that story."
Morton: "If you walk 19 years into a forest, it'll take 19 years to talk back out. This is the long hard haul of redefining who we are as a people."
About Jesse: Jesse Morton is founder and head of Parallel Networks, an organization combating hate and extremism, and research coordinator for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue’s Against Violent Extremism Network in North America. Once a prominent radicalizer in the West, Morton co-founded and was chief propagandist of Revolution Muslim, a New York City-based group active in the 2000s, where he helped insert the narrative of Al-Qaeda and Salafi-jihadist ideology into the American ambit. He has lectured at Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University (Saudi Arabia) and Sunderland University (Morocco), and worked at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism, focused on issues such as jihadist propaganda. Morton was named one of Foreign Policy’s 2017 Global Thinkers.
About Shireen Qudosi: Shireen Qudosi is a writer and speaker on faith, identity, and belonging. She’s one of the leading North American Muslim Reformers. Her work has been published in The Federalist, Women in the World, Clarion Project, The Middle East Forum, and more. Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, Shireen testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story. “Original Islam” is a theme that runs through the veins of her work, and is central to the book project she is pursuing. In 2017, Shireen launched a petition against Davis hate imam Ammar Shahin, which broadened into a small movement in 2018. She carried her message on hate imams in Never Again is Now, a documentary by filmmaker Evelyn Markus, on the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and the United States. In 2019, she bridged her experience in reform to ally with former extremists and develop a training series on preventing violent extremism. In 2020, she launched two simultaneous podcasts, Belonging and Endeavor Against Extremism, available on SoundCloud. Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. She is also deeply interested in personal narratives as instruments for change. As a former refugee raised across three continents, she has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community. In 2011, Shireen was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers by journalist Christine Williams. Stay connected: http://eepurl.com/tXi9 Read Shireen’s autobiographical essay here: https://medium.com/@shireenqudosi/how-i-became-a-muslim-reformer-7d0041712979
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving your support: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Dov Hikind, former Democratic New York State Assemblyman, discusses his presence at Rutger's University, where he stood up in a room of 600 people and challenged Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib's blood libel against the Jewish people. Hikind founded Americans Against Anti-Semitism to challenge the out of control hate against Jews in America. He speaks of the rise of open assaults against Jews in New York.
"You're walking in a very heavily Jewish area, and someone comes up to you and just belts you in the head...for no other reason than you're a Jew. There's no one looking to take your phone or wallet or anything else. It is literally raw hatred toward a Jew."
Dov Hikind discuss his presence at Rutger's University Muslims 4 Peace event featuring Rashida Tlaib. Hikind decided to go to the event peacefully, where he sat through three hours of speakers before asking Tlaib why she retweeted a blood libel tweet pushing fake news of a child's death to her one million followers -- and then never apologized for it when it was discovered the child had accidentally drowned through no fault of anyone.
Hikind urges people to challenge hatred. It's not enough to send a press release or simply condemn the hate.
"This is the worst thing of all, I have to tell you. It's not what Rashida Tlaib did, which is terrible. It is the silence of democratic leaders. Not one, not one single person -- not Schumer, not Nadler, not Schiff, not Pelosi -- no one said one single world. Imagine if a Republican had said the same thing. Can you imagine? They'd be debating it on MSNBC and CNN. They'd be writing about it in the Washington Post and New York Times.
Silence is dangerous. My mother went to Auschwitz in 1944. My grandparents went straight to the gas chambers -- all because of hate, hate toward the Jewish people. My grandparents didn't do anything to anybody. But they were murdered by those who hated Jews."
Listen to Dov Hikind's full testimony.
Support my work: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/shireenqudosi Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShireenQudosi
I speak with Carl Jack, a former CAIR board member and a Black American convert to Islam. We cover his journey to Islam, the myth vs the reality, how we was treated by the Muslim community. Carl discusses his frustration with CAIR and their disregard for the legacy of African American civil rights, and at large their own racism toward Black Muslim issues. And finally, we delve into the frustration of older generations of Black Americans and what is triggering the underlying racism in our country.
This one hour podcast is my inaugural attempt to bring you radically honest conversations on a consistent basis -- but I can only do it with your support. One one-hour podcast takes an average of 6-8 hours from start to finish. Your donations makes future episodes possible. Thank you for listening and for giving.
https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Richmond Hill Police Chief Mitch Shores explores "What's the number one skill someone teaching other needs to have?"
The most important characteristic someone has to have if they're going to teach or train someone else is: A desire for the other person to learn.
If they don't have a desire for the other person to learn or grow, any other characteristic is a mute point.
Our conversation on a necessary qualifications to build a bridge of understanding from one thing to another or one community to another came during my time in Richmond Hill this past week, where I gave a conversation to community leaders on what makes youth vulnerable to extremism.
One of my absolute favorite conversations is with Mark Judd, a brilliant scholar on self-imposed exile from academia after experiencing first hand the pro-Islamist bias academia holds.
Our two hour conversation comes on the heels of my interview with him and is a look into one of the many pro-reformist American Muslims that you don't see. To be frank, his interview with me was far more interesting than mine -- and it speaks to the many voices out there who are either not interested in doing the grunt work of building a platform, not interested in a public persona, or for whatever reason cannot build a platform. Whatever the reason, the fact stands that "reform" or whatever we want to call it is much bigger than the handful of stars you see. There are people out there who are better and stronger than someone like myself and it is my pleasure and honor to connect with them in these dialogues, to learn from them, and to bring them to you.
For more on Mark: His master's thesis was on "What Kind of Modern Islam: Muhammad Iqbal, Ahmad Wahib, and Religious Nationhood," a comparative intellectual history of Muhammad Iqbal of British India and Ahmad Wahib of Indonesia.
Click here to support future podcasts: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/ShireenQudosi
During a House hearing on President Trump’s "Muslim Ban," Congresswoman Ilhan Omar commented that, “She’s a woman, she’s an immigrant and she’s a Muslim — and that ‘intersectionality’ of identities has President Trump ‘terrified.’"
But what’s really terrifying is the revisionist facts.
First of all, there’s no such thing as a Muslim Ban. It’s a temporary travel ban. A temporary turning off of the faucet until we figure out what’s going on…and even that has been adjusted since 2017 to allow for more leniency for people like translators and aides on our side.
Second: Your value has a person doesn’t come from how many labels you can stick on yourself like it’s flair at a C grade restaurant. Your value comes from your character and what ideas you have, if any.
In Ilhan Omar’s case, as many Muslims who once supported her have admitted, she’s disappointing.
She has a questionable understanding of her Muslim identity, which is demonstrated by her changing hijab styles on a day to day basis. She also violates the most basic tenants of every monotheistic faith, including Islam: don’t commit adultery. We all know she’s had an affair with her married political advisor, who has since divorced his wife and is now dating Ilhan.
As much as she violates Islam’s most basic principles, she doesn’t have a problem putting regressive cultures and alliances with dictators such as Erdogan ahead of allegiance to the country that welcomed her in from war torn Somalia and a Kenyan refugee camp where she spent five years of her childhood.
But lets get back to intersectionality… I don’t care if you’re a woman….That doesn’t make you anymore special than anyone else. I don’t care if you’re a woman of color. I don’t care what faith you belong to.
What matters here is your ethics, and your ideas… What are you bringing to the table when it comes to developing ideas and solutions?
What we’ve seen in Ilhan Omars year and a half in office is a tendency to lean into rage and anti-Semitism. What we’ve seen in the last few months is a lot of soft show pony interviews, some PR efforts to better groom her…all in an effort to reinforce her candidacy in 2020.
Support this podcast: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShireenQudosi
Supporting links: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ilhan-omar-trump-hates-me-because-hes-is-terrified-of-my-intersectionality-as-a-woman-immigrant-muslim
One of the questions I always get asked during a live talk is, "Why aren't more Muslims speaking out?"
In this short podcast, I pull from my own experience on factors that hold Muslims back from being more expressive and open about their secular beliefs.
"We're going to have a hard time speaking out if we've never been taught to speak out, if we've never been rewarded for it...if every time we've speak out, we've been punished for it.
Everything is regulated and deeply controlled. When you have an entire population of people told how to think, what to believe, it's going to be really difficult for those Muslims to grow up and be able to express themselves."
The podcast moves through some of what I had to go through -- and what I forced myself to go through -- in order to move into reform.
Support this podcast: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
I speak with long-time civil rights activist Jeffrey Imm, founder of R.E.A.L. on how to win local campaigns against hate.
This week, grassroots efforts led to a win against deplatforming CAIR-Minnesota's partnership with law enforcement, along with having the Women's March to remove CAIR-San Francisco's Zahra Billoo from their board.
Riding this momentum, we need to shift our focus to Champaign, Illinois, where the local mayor appointed Ahmed Taha to an anti-racism task force.
Here's why Ahmed Taha's appointment is a big problem....
Ahmed Taha has promoted calls for the killing of Jews, republishing text that stated: "There is a Jew behind me, come kill him."
In 2013, Taha spreads anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about everyone from Egypt's President Sisi to Joe Biden.
Taha is an advocate for the Muslim Brotherhood, one of the most dangerous theocratic movements the uses religion as a cover for it's theo-political ambitions.
Taha is involved with an Islamist supremacist organization: the Muslim American Society (MAS).
Taha is also involved with the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). ICNA is a proxy group for Jamaat-e-Islami, a violent South Asian extremist movement.
TAKE ACTION:
Contact the Human Relations Commission https://champaignil.gov/boards_inside/human-relations-commission/
Contact the Mayor https://champaignil.gov/councilmember/deborah-frank-feinen/
Contact Illinois Legislators https://app.govpredict.com/portal/grassroots/campaigns/6qhgyout/take_action
MORE:
On Ahmed Taha's history of hate and dehumanization...
https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/59331/tell-the-city-of-champaign-to-fire-its-anti
https://www.dailywire.com/news/49790/westrop-city-champaign-illinois-appoints-anti-sam-westrop
On Sept. 18, 2019, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights is holding a panel called “Dismantling Human Rights.” CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein will be there, sharing the panel with FBI Supervisory Special Agent Michael Melcher and St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson.
CAIR-Minnesota Executive Director Jaylani Hussein was recorded in 2017 refusing to condemn the terrorist organization Hamas. Hussein operates a CAIR chapter which includes members who have openly lamented that Hitler wasn’t alive to “add more casualties” to the Holocaust.
What can the average citizen do? They can write letters, make calls… The duty really falls on our law enforcement to be:
- Well versed in the landscape of oppression. What does oppression look like, and against whom. Just because a group is brown doesn’t mean they’re not doing the oppressing as well. It doesn’t mean they’re not engaging in psychologically violent hate campaigns against members of their own community…because they are, and they do.
The other question law enforcement needs to ask is:
- What is the full profile and intent of the individuals and groups they’re partnering with.
When we have a crisis of trust in law enforcement, it becomes that much more imperative for departments and agents to be fully briefed on who they're allying with.
Related links:
https://dailycaller.com/2013/09/23/somali-american-leader-i-tried-to-warn-america-about-homegrown-radicalization
https://www.patreon.com/posts/this-is-what-is-29627311
Support more content like this: www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ShireenQudosi
This morning, I spoke with veteran journalist Dalia Al-Aqidi who is shadow-banned by Twitter for challenging Ilhan Omar to an interview. In the hour long chat, we get into:
- Islamist vs. Muslim
- American Values vs. Islamist Values
- Islamohobia and Identity Wars
- What is the Muslim Brotherhood
- What global terror organizations have in common with Islamist organizations
- How grassroots drives Muslim Reform
- What an interview with Ilhan Omar would have looked like
- Why this has nothing to do with politics
Support more content like this: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Honorable Mentions: The Muslim Reform Movement, Clarion Project, Middle East Forum Islamism in Politics Project, Quilliam US, Sarah Idhan, Dr. Tawfik Hamid, Ani Zonneveld, and John Rossomondo.
Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ShireenQudosi Support more content like this: https://www.paypal.me/shireenqudosi
Muslim Reformer Shireen Qudosi speaks with Democratic activist and female imam Rabi'a Keeble on Ilhan Omar's latest Muslim Caucus Day controversy. Why did Ilhan Omar deflect from answering a straightforward question on a human rights issues in her district?
Support my work: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/shireenqudosi
2 minutes: The "magical" appeal of Ilhan Omar 4:40 minutes: Somali support for FGM 5:40 minutes: Ilhan Omar's "disgusting" response to a Muslim question on FGM during Muslim Caucus Day 10 minutes: Is Ilhan Omar deflecting because she had FGM done to her? 14 minutes: Ayaan Hirsi Ali vs. Ilhan Omar 14:40 minutes: Trump vs. Ilhan Omar 16:10 minutes: Is Omar influenced by the Hamza Yusuf? 18:05 minutes: Why Rabi'a and I get attacked by the Somali community 28:34 minutes: Fresh thoughts on Islamophobia 29:30 minutes: Why activists in Africa are doing a better job of ending FGM 30:20 minutes: Why Muslim scholars can't the cure for FGM Closing: Regressive community pressure kills genuine reform initiatives against FGM.
Reference Links: http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-bill-against-female-mutilation-raises-opposition/423070383/?refresh=true
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCcd-HaIWd4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3Wf0PKtBM
Qudosi's Articles on FGM: FGM Silences A Woman's Most Primal Voice Zuhdi Jasser and Shireen Qudosi discuss FGM In the Era of #MeToo, FGM Must be Seen as Sexual Violence Why Freedom of Religion is an Illegitimate Defense of FGM After Detroit, American Muslims Target Female Genital Mutilation
Support my work: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/shireenqudosi
About Rabi'a Keeble:
For over 20 years, Rab’ia Keeble (RK) has personally seen issues affecting the Muslim community/women up close, including victims of FGM and forced marriage. This in part initiated her activism work including opening a woman’s mosque, one that openly spoke out against FGM and anti-Semitism.
Rabi'a started the Qal'bu Maryam Women's Mosque in Berkeley, a registered non-profit (not yet a 501c3), that meets every Friday. Attendance at the mosque ranges from 5-15 women. Other motivations for opening the mosque grew out of frustration with pro-segregation attitudes by mosque leaders that also denied Muslim women equal access to the facility and events, thereby also lessening the impact of their voice.
Rabi'a has also tried to reach out and speak with the imam in Virginia who advocated for FGM. Requests to speak were not returned. I recommended RK consider producing an open letter video in order to still be heard and possibly reach a wider audience. In other words, don’t accept a denied request; instead, reach for a bigger platform. FGM has become one of the most important topics right now for RK as a Muslim woman. She is a Democratic delegate for her district in California, where one of the perks is access to speak w/ assembly leaders (Rob Bonta) who asks for legislation ideas. Rabi'a wrote the Muslim Woman's Bill of Rights, which includes the right to refuse FGM, the right to make decisions about her own body. It is in Sacramento now at the state capital, and Rabi'a is hoping to represent it if it is put into legislation. She has told Bonta that they need to include in this bill stipulated in high schools, mosques, city hall, and via literature, television, etc.
How activists and leaders extend the shelf life of terror attacks. A conversation on the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka on April 21, 2019.
For more, visit https://www.patreon.com/ShireenQudosi
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shireenqudosi
To offer a gift to make more of these conversations possible: https://www.paypal.me/ShireenQudosi
About Me: I'm a writer and speaker exploring faith, identity and belonging in an evolving world. My work has been published with The Federalist, The Hill, On Being, Women in the World, The Middle East Forum, and more. A keynote writing includes a two-hour exclusive interview with imam Abu Taubah (audio below), who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. It was a vivid portrait on the complexities of interlocking identities in the war against extremism. In 2016, I testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam’s origin story and painting Islam as a code that can be reworked. In the years since, I've been working on human rights issues from anti-FGM campaigns to preventing violent extremism across a broad spectrum of ideologies. I'm currently writing my first book, Islam's Origin Story.
"People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster." - James Baldwin
Conversation with Shireen Qudosi, David Slater and Adam Ahmed.
David Slater is a journalist for Pontiac Tribune and The Fifth Column. He frequently writes about security issues and the police state.
Adam Ahmed is a blogger and Muslim subculture analyst.
Shireen Qudosi is a writer exploring themes of faith, identity, and belonging.
Reference Links:
https://www.academia.edu/7487749/Religion_as_Phantasmagoria_Islam_in_The_End_of_Faith
https://beautifulrising.org/tool/the-ngo-ization-of-resistance
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/iran-frightens-me-harper-says-1.1141390
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-closes-embassy-in-iran-expels-iranian-Diplomats-1.1166509
Muslim subculture analyst Adam Ahmed and I talk about how Muslims went from being a "minority" pre 9/11 to being "outsiders" seventeen years later. We have a candid conversation on what subtle racism and bigotry looks like, and what to look out for.
In the article published with The Nation, we learn that boys are often kidnapped from families too poor to do anything about it. They’re traded, sold and used as sex slaves. And as these boys grow into men, they’re at the fringe of society, with no education or training to fall back on. No family to go home to in a culture where shame and honor are in many ways the primary religion.
"If we're there to tackle extremism, well raping a child is pretty extreme."
"What do you do when local authorities become the predators?"
"It becomes this huge political game where even our commanders, whether they wanted to do something about it or not, were unable to due to the politics. We have the issue of insider attacks and going out to kill one of these pedophiles from the local police units would have caused ripples in the alliance and possible lead to retaliatory attacks on US servicemembers. It's a fine line that lower level commanders had to walk; do the truly right thing, or try to bring home as many of their men alive as possible. There were a few times where I was standing face to face with someone who I was certain was guilty, but I was unable to do anything about it, and it hurts me to this day."
Resources: http://nation.com.pk/international/26-Jun-2017/stolen-boys-life-after-sexual-slavery-in-afghanistan
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/20/army-kicking-out-decorated-green-beret-who-stood-up-for-afghan-rape-victim.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/world/asia/us-soldiers-told-to-ignore-afghan-allies-abuse-of-boys.html
Documentary: Dancing Boys of Afghanistan.
I sit down with 17-year-old Zeeshan, a politically independent high school senior who didn't understand premise behind the Women's March -- all while his sister, a fierce feminist took to the March in full force.
"Ideas don't have to be respected. Ideology doesn't have to be respected. Religion doesn't have to be respected. I respect people"
"The point of being politically correct is to tell the truth, not to be an asshole."
"We're all Americans. We all want the same thing, but through different methods."
"A lot of people don't know how to argue. A lot of people don't know how to talk to people in general."
"You think you know people, until you challenge what they believe in."
Plus, what advice does a young Ex-Muslims offer others looking to leave religion.
Read more: India's Ex-Muslims by Tufail Ahmad http://www.firstpost.com/long-reads/indias-ex-muslims-3274246.html
Shireen Qudosi chats with LUBPak Editor Ali Abbas Taj on the most recent abduction and persecution of four Pakistani activists and bloggers.
Follow Shireen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShireenQudosi Follow Ali on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliAbbasTaj
Check out Ali Abbas' Book: https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Based-Violence-Deobandi-Militancy-Pakistan/dp/1349949655
About Between Two Muslims
Between Two Muslims is a project by Muslim Reformer Shireen Qudosi, created in the interest of hosting meaningful and intimate dialogues on Islam in the 21st century.
About Shireen Qudosi
Shireen Qudosi is an American writer and strategist. She specializes in analyzing the leadership and ideology of transnational and U.S. based Muslim organizations. She was named one of the top ten North American Muslim Reformers in 2011. She is also a Senior Contributor at CounterJihad.com.
Her writing has been featured in The Federalist, The Middle East Forum, The Times of Israel, The Clarion Project, and Fox News. She’s appeared on Fox Business’ Varney and Company to discuss free speech violations against Muslim Reformers and critical thinkers, and has been interviewed by The Hill, BBC World, and The Times of India as a Muslim Reformer.
Her keynote writings also include an in-depth assessment on the War on Terror through the lens of WWII and a two-hour exclusive interview with radical Imam Abu Taubah, who was linked to Orlando Shooter Omar Mateen. In 2016, testified before the House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on radical Islam, offering a powerful testimony that tied the current crisis to Islam's origin story.
For over a decade, Shireen has furthered the cause of progressive Islam both through her blog, The Qudosi Chronicles and by working with a diverse network of activists within the global Muslim community.
Shireen’s experience has given her insight in forecasting where the conversation among the world’s leading secular and religious Islamic leaders is heading. As a former refugee raised across three continents, Shireen has a unique perspective of the issues facing the U.S. and global Muslim community.
Shireen’s family was smuggled out of Afghanistan in the 1970s due to political turmoil involving King Zahir Shah and the subsequent Soviet coup in 1978. In Pakistan, they faced cultural complications before traveling to first to Iran, then seeking asylum in Germany in 1985, and finally settling in California in 1988. Because of the challenges she faced growing up, Shireen has a heightened understanding of the issues facing Europe and grasps American frustrations with immigration and assimilation of refugees from the combined regional conflicts.
Shireen recognizes that Islam is at a crossroads and that the crisis within the global Muslim community requires unwavering focus, not only on the kinetic war but on the deeper conflict within both the ideology and theology of radical Islam.
Previously, Shireen’s career spanned across education and marketing. She’s worked as teacher, developing new education models and she founded and led Qudosi Creative Partners where she has pushed new leadership paradigms through targeted messaging in the areas of education and behavioral health.
Shireen is an advisor for Women’s Voices Now and is on the board of The La Habra Boxing Foundation. Shireen attended the University of California, Irvine, graduating with a B.A. in English and a B.A. in Political Science. She also attended California Western School of Law before leaving to build a foundation for her work as a Muslim Reformer. She is an ongoing student and researcher of theology and Islamic philosophy, studying independently and alongside one of the top North American sheikhs trained in both the traditional and academic tradition.
For more, visit http://muslimreformers.com
