Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim Experience

This month we're honored to be joined by Dr. Sherman Jackson, professor of Religion and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California, for our lengthiest conversation yet as he shares his personal story, going deep and wide into the amazing journey he's been on throughout his life. Listen to the show via the embed below, or via iTunes or Stitcher. As always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.

For this month's show we're joined by self-proclaimed "serial entrepreneur" Shahed Amanullah, founder of AltMuslim.com, Zabihah.com, Halalfire.com, and many others, for an in-depth chat on the role of Muslims in engaging with new media. With extensive experience in both the activist and policy spaces, having worked for the State Department under Secretaries Clinton and Kerry and also serving as one of the architects of the recent Haqqathon conference in Abu Dhabi, Shahed is uniquely equipped to answer some of the big questions pertaining to American Muslims taking a larger role in shaping their own narrative, and we're excited to be able to pick his brain on the subject. You can listen to the show via the embed below, or download at the link. As always, make sure to hit us up at our Facebook page to let us know how we're doing!

For this month's show we're joined by Marvel Comics' Sana Amanat. In addition to overseeing multiple fan favorite titles, Sana is also director of content and character development for the American's biggest comic book publisher, helping to spearhead the 2014 creation of Kamala Khan, a.k.a Ms. Marvel, the first female Muslim superhero to headline her own monthly title. This conversation offered us a chance to let our fanboy flags fly, and whether a fan of Marvel's comics, movies, or merchandise, we're sure you'll find a lot to glom onto on this breezy chat. Listen to it via the embed below, or download/stream at iTunes and Stitcher Radio. As always, send any comments or questions to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, and make sure you hit "like" on our Facebook page!

We're very excited to be joined by renowned scholar Imam Zaid Shakir for this month's episode. As a founding member of Zaytuna College, the first accredited Islamic college in the United States, Imam Zaid discuss the school's history and its mission, and then shares the amazing story of his own journey to Islam, in the process helping to add yet more layers to the ongoing tapestry of the American Muslim experience that we've been weaving together ever since our very first show. It's a fascinating conversation with one of the most prominent and preeminent Muslim minds in the world, and you can listen via the embed below, or download via iTunes and Stitcher Radio. Feel free to send any comments or questions our way at diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, and make sure you hit "like" on our Facebook page!

This month we're joined by award-winning playwright, journalist, and humorist Wajahat Ali for a far-ranging conversation that starts with a lengthy discussion about the recent tragic shooting of three Muslim college students in Chapel Hill, NC. After that, we tackle Wajahat's work on Fear, Inc., a report uncovering the Islamophobia network, as well as how his other recent projects are helping to positively shape the American Muslim narrative today. There's plenty of deep thoughts and big laughs, and you can listen to via the embed below, or you can download at the link. As always, make sure to hit us up at our Facebook page to let us know how we're doing!

For the first episode of 2015, Parvez and Zaki are joined by stand-up comedian Azhar Usman -- "America's Funniest Muslim" -- for a wide-ranging, free-form conversation that's as incisive and introspective as it is hilarious. Azhar covers everything from the role of satire and humor in Islam to the recent tragic terror attacks in Paris -- and that's just scratching the surface. You can listen in via the embed below, or download at the link. Also, be sure to hit us up at our Facebook page to let us know how we're doing!

This month Parvez and Zaki are pleased to be joined by actor, comedian, and writer Aasif Mandvi as he talks about his journey as a working actor to becoming The Daily Show's "Senior Foreign Looking Correspondent." He talks about how his time with Jon Stewart has made him more "Muslim-ish," what he's learned during a lifetime occupying many different cultures, and how that all led to his new book, No Land's Man. Listen via the embed below, or download at the link. Also, be sure to hit us up at our Facebook page to let us know how we're doing!

Since its launch last October, the Serial podcast has taken the country by storm. Reporter Sarah Koenig's gripping investigation into the 1999 murder of high schooler Hae Min Lee, and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed for the killing -- a crime for which he maintains his innocence to this day -- has set records and spurred conversation with how it combines the intrigue of a weekly procedural with broader questions about cultural assimilation and the peculiarities of the legal system. For this episode, Parvez and Zaki are joined by Rabia Chaudry, an attorney and civil rights activist who is a family friend of Syed's, who first brought this case to Koenig's attention. Listen to our conversation to hear Rabia discuss her history with Adnan, her thoughts on what she's heard on the show thus far, as well as the other work she's engaged in. Listen via the embed below, or download at the link. Also, be sure to hit us up at our Facebook page to let us know how we're doing!

We start off episode thirteen with highlights from Zaki's roundtable interview with Daily Show host Jon Stewart on his feature directing debut, the based-on-true-events Iranian prison drama Rosewater. After that, listen to Parvez and Zaki's lunchtime conversation with comedian and political commentator Dean Obeidallah as we cover a whole host of topics, including his time at Saturday Night Live, what drew him to comedy, and the portrayal of Muslims in media post-9/11. You can download or stream the show below, or listen at iTunes (don't forget to leave us a review!) and Stitcher Radio. As always, feel free to send any comments or questions our way at diffusedcongruence@gmail.com or via our Facebook page!

After last week's debate about Islam and Muslims between Bill Maher and Ben Affleck (which conspicuously had no Muslims actually involved in the conversation), Parvez and Zaki use the twelfth episode of Diffused Congruence to chat with each other about the rise of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic invective from mainstream media figures, and why this podcast is meant at least partially as a response to that. In addition, they also delve into the secret origins of the show, and and what they hope to achieve going forward. Download or stream the show below, or listen at iTunes (don't forget to leave us a review!) and Stitcher Radio. Feel free to send any comments or questions our way at diffusedcongruence@gmail.com or via our Facebook page!