Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim Experience

Happy New Year! Diffused Congruence celebrates 2020 by taking a look at the latest film in the storied Star Wars saga with special guest Omar Ansari for a deep dive into the close of this latest trilogy. Listen as Zaki, Parvez, and Omar discuss what they liked, what they didn't, and just generally geek out over their shared love for this beloved franchise. Plus: An announcement about the future of the show! Check it all out 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.

Our guest this episode is Kalia Abiade, Managing Director for Strategy and Partnerships at the Pillars Fund. Ms. Abiade joins us for an engrossing discussion about the nature of her work and why it serves an important function within and without the Muslim community. Listen via the embed below (or via iTunes or Stitcher), and as always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.

We're joined this episode by renowned photographer Peter Sanders for a fascinating dive into his personal journey to Islam and what he's learned during his five decades capturing indelible and iconic images. Listen via the embed below (or at iTunes or Stitcher), and as always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.

We're joined this episode by filmmaker Justin Mashouf, who discusses his engrossing new documentary The Honest Struggle, as well as the path he followed to pursue a career in filmmaking. It's a conversation we're confident you'll find educational and insightful, and you can check it out 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.

We're joined this episode by author Asma T. Uddin to discuss her new book When Islam is Not a Religion, as well as her reflections on the rise of the Muslim community in her native Florida, and much more. It's a fascinating and insightful conversation about a topic that's extremely important and relevant. You can listen via the embed below (or via iTunes or Stitcher), and as always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.

We're joined this month by special guest Youssef Ismail, sharing his expertise with the science of moon sighting as we prepare to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha. In addition, he also tells the story of his time in the Bay Area during the early days of what would become Zaytuna College, and being "present at the birth," so to speak. Listen via the embed below (or at iTunes or Stitcher), and as always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.

Our special guest this month is famed chef and restaurateur Lisa Ahmad, who shares her heartfelt and inspiring story of coming to Islam, and how she founded Fremont, California's renowned Mirchi Cafe. It's a veritable feast for the senses in this episode, and you hear it via the embed below (or via iTunes or Stitcher), and as always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.

For this episode of the show we're joined by poet Amir Sulaiman, who shares his story, spanning his journey from growing up in Rochester, New York to his time on the stage for HBO's Def Poetry Jam. He also closes the show with a reading of some of his incredible work. It's an engrossing and lively hour of conversation, and you can listen via the embed below (or via iTunes or Stitcher), and as always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Evelyn Alsultany, a leading expert on the history of representations of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. media and on forms of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism, and an Associate Professor in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Dr. Alsultany joins us for a wide-ranging and very engaging conversation about the nature of representation for Middle Eastern and Muslim characters in television and film, with special focus on the recent release of Disney's live action remake of their animated Aladdin. Listen via the embed below (or via iTunes or Stitcher), and as always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.

This month we’re joined by world renowned fitness expert Zainab Ismail, who tells us the remarkable story of her journey to Islam, as well as the best nutrition practices to get the most out of fasting in Ramadan! Listen via the embed below (or via iTunes or Stitcher), and as always, please hit "like" on our Facebook page, and send any comments or questions to DiffusedCongruence@gmail.com.