Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim Experience

Parvez and Omar are joined by Tarek El-Messidi, founder of CelebrateMercy.  They look back to the inspiration behind the organization, discuss its genesis and initial launch, and touch on some of the team's current initiatives. About CelebrateMercy CelebrateMercy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that teaches about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ’s life and character – to Muslims and the general public. They do this through short films, online campaigns, traveling conferences, and webinars that feature world-renowned speakers and scholars on Islam. In 10 years, CelebrateMercy has:  • Reached 300 million people through national media coverage • Held 25 events for 200,000 participants in 115 countries • Produced 200+ videos with 7 million views on YouTube & Facebook • Generated social media posts leading to 700,000 subscribers   About Tarek El-Messidi Tarek El-Messidi is a Muslim-American speaker, activist, and social entrepreneur. In 2012, he was listed by Georgetown University in the Muslim500 as one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims worldwide. He has pursued Islamic studies in the United States, Morocco, and Jordan and served for 10 years on the boards of multiple mosques, including as President and Vice-President of two Islamic centers.   In 2001, while serving as President of the Muslim Student Association at his university, Tarek co-founded Fast-a-thon: an event that raises money to feed the hungry when non-Muslims try fasting with their Muslim peers for one day. Fast-a-thons at 300 universities have raised over $2 million total to feed the hungry across America. In 2010, after earning an MBA and working as a supply chain manager at Procter & Gamble, Tarek founded CelebrateMercy.  

Parvez and Omar welcome Sadia Jalali, LMFT to start a conversation on marriage and divorce in the American Muslim community.  They discuss the importance of premarital counseling, of nurturing marriages from day one, and of getting help before it's too late to save a marriage. About Sadia Jalali  Sadia Jalali is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Sadia holds a BA in Psychology from U of Houston and MA in Psychology/Family Therapy from U of H-Clear Lake. In her over 14 years as a counselor, she has worked with hundreds of clients specializing in relationships, parenting, anger management, divorce care, self care, and being Muslims in America. Active in the Houston Muslim Community for over twenty years, she has held workshops and speaking engagements for many local and national Muslim organizations. She founded Muslim Bliss, which is  dedicated to bringing issues of mental health and relationships to the forefront in the Muslim community. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Islamic Studies from Bayan Claremont to better serve the community.

Parvez joins Mahin Islam on Episode 036 of the Sultans and Sneakers podcast to talk about "Podcasting, Platforming, and Politics". The Sultans and Sneakers podcast, based out of Chicago, is a podcast, according to Mahin, which asks "WHY do we believe the things we do?"  Mahin regularly interviews "interesting people to understand the WHY behind their beliefs."  He has interviewed athletes, entrepreneurs, professors, and artists to discuss belief systems around sports fandom, politics, religion and personal development.    

With only days left until the pivotal 2020 U.S. election, Parvez and Omar are joined by Democratic strategist Mustafa Tameez, to discuss how we got here and possible outcomes for election night and thereafter. About Mustafa Tameez Mustafa Tameez is Outreach Strategists’ Founder and President. Mustafa began his career in New York advertising for corporate clients, but after moving to Texas he shifted to advising successful campaigns for state legislators, mayors, members of Congress and public institutions. Mustafa is a national opinion leader with over 600 appearances on CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, and CBSN. The Atlantic names him as a top Democratic consultant in Texas and Texas Monthly refers to him as one of the top Democrats to watch. Mustafa is the Chairman of the Transportation Advocacy Group board, a Director of the Texas Lyceum, and a member of the Unity National Bank board, among other civic and business affiliations. He has also provided extensive consulting services for the Department of Homeland Security.  

Parvez and Omar are joined by screenwriter and director Kamran Pasha, to discuss The Exorcist (1973).  In addition to being a favorite film of both Parvez's and Kamran's, The Exorcist has had a significant influence on popular culture and has received critical acclaim, with several publications having regarded it as one of the greatest horror films of all time. We hope you enjoy this discussion, part of a recurring series of recordings focused on movies and film. About Kamran Pasha Kamran Pasha was one of the first Muslim filmmakers to succeed in Hollywood.  He recently worked as writer-producer on Showtime Network’s drama series set in the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay, directed by Oliver Stone.  Previously, Kamran served as a writer and co-producer of Showtime’s Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated series “Sleeper Cell,” about a Muslim FBI agent who infiltrates a terrorist group.  Kamran has also served as a writer and producer on television shows such as “Reign,” “Nikita” and “Roswell, New Mexico” on the CW, and “Kings” and “Bionic Woman” on NBC. He also served as head writer for the “Tron: Uprising” animated series on Disney XD. Kamran’s movie career launched when he sold his first feature script to Warner Brothers Pictures, an historical epic on the love story behind the building of the Taj Mahal.  He is currently developing a movie on the famed Sufi poet Rumi, as well as a feature film about Ibn Battuta, which follows the adventures of an Arab traveler who journeyed from Morocco to China in the 14th century. Kamran is a published novelist as well.  In 2009, Simon & Schuster published “Mother of the Believers,” a novel showing the rise of Islam from the eyes of Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aisha.  His second novel, “Shadow of the Swords,” follows the conflict between Richard the Lionheart and the Muslim leader Saladin for control of Jerusalem during the Crusades. Kamran holds a BA and an MBA from Dartmouth College, a JD from Cornell Law School, and is an alumnus of the MFA Producers Program at UCLA Film School.

Parvez and Omar are joined by Zaki Hasan, co-founder and former co-host of the Diffused Congruence podcast.  In this episode, commemorating seven years since the launch of the podcast, we catch up and discuss all the craziness of 2020.  This episode was recorded on Friday, October 9th, only a few weeks before the upcoming U.S. election. Zaki Hasan has been a media scholar and critic for more than twenty years. His film reviews and analyses have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, HuffPost, and The Philadelphia Weekly, and in 2015 he was inducted into the prestigious San Francisco Film Critics Circle. He also co-wrote Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture, contributed to books on the Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, and Blade Runner franchises, and has appeared as an expert panelist on HuffPost Live and Al Jazeera America's The Stream.    

Parvez and Omar are joined by Dr. Ali Ataie (professor of Arabic, Qur'an, and Comparative Theologies at Zaytuna College) for a discussion covering early Muslim history,  Ahl-al-Bayt, and sectarianism in Islam. This episode is the last in a series we are doing in the month of Muharram.  In the previous three episodes, we covered a believer's journey from Sunnism to Shi'ism and Shi'ite theology, history and practices. About Dr. Ali Ataie Dr. Ali Ataie is a perennial student and researcher who has been involved in interfaith activities for over two decades. He holds a Masters in biblical studies with a focus on New Testament and biblical languages. He also holds a PhD in cultural and historical studies in religion from the Graduate Theological Union. His doctoral work focused on Muslim hermeneutics of biblical texts, especially the Gospel of John. He lives in San Ramon, CA with his wife Roya and three daughters.

Parvez and Omar welcome Imam Hadi Qazwini (a Shi’i scholar and current Ph.D student at USC) as we partake in PART TWO of a deep dive into Shi’i history, theology and common practices.  This discussion is the 2nd in a series of conversations on the topic of Shi’ism in this Islamic month of Muharram.  Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is held to be the second holiest month, after Ramaḍān. The Tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura. Sometimes, as part of the Mourning of Muharram, Shia Muslims practice partial fasting, and Sunni Muslims practice fasting on Ashura. About Imam Hadi Qazwini Imam Syed Hadi Qazwini is an educator, public speaker, and lecturer in Islamic studies. He is a graduate of the Shiʿi Islamic Seminary of Qum and also has a Master’s from Bayan Claremont.  Imam Hadi and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Religion and Islamic Studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. His areas of academic interest and research include: Islamic intellectual history, with a focus on theology, law, and Imami-Shiʿism.  

Parvez and Omar welcome Imam Hadi Qazwini (a Shi’i scholar and current Ph.D student at USC) as we partake in a deep dive into Shi’i history, theology and common practices.  The two part discussion is the 2nd in a series of conversations on the topic of Shi’ism in this Islamic month of Muharram.  Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is held to be the second holiest month, after Ramaḍān. The Tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura. Sometimes, as part of the Mourning of Muharram, Shia Muslims practice partial fasting, and Sunni Muslims practice fasting on Ashura. Imam Syed Hadi Qazwini is an educator, public speaker, and lecturer in Islamic studies. He is a graduate of the Shiʿi Islamic Seminary of Qum and also has a Master’s from Bayan Claremont.  Imam Hadi and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Religion and Islamic Studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. His areas of academic interest and research include: Islamic intellectual history, with a focus on theology, law, and Imami-Shiʿism.

Parvez and Omar welcome R. David Coolidge (former Muslim chaplain at Dartmouth College and Brown University, and current PhD student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA) to discuss his journey into and within Islam, which has taken him through the Sunni and Shia traditions.  The discussion was especially timely considering we’re in the month of Muharram. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is held to be the second holiest month, after Ramaḍān. The Tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura. Sometimes, as part of the Mourning of Muharram, Shia Muslims practice partial fasting, and Sunni Muslims practice fasting on Ashura. About David Coolidge David Coolidge was born in Chicago, and raised in Kenilworth, IL. He has a BA from Brown University and an MA from Princeton University. He converted to Islam in 1998.  From 2008-2013 he worked as a Muslim chaplain, first at Dartmouth College and then again at Brown. From 2014-2017 he taught an undergraduate course on Islamic law and ethics at New York University. He is currently a PhD student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA.