Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim Experience

Episode 57: Omer Mozaffar

For this episode we are joined by Omer Mozaffar, thought leader, film critic, and educator in the Chicagoland area, to discuss the alarming instances of sexual and spiritual abuse perpetrated by leaders within the Muslim community. He discusses his difficult role in mediating some of the high profile cases he has been involved with which we then used to delve deeper into defining terms like predatory behavior, spiritual abuse, secret marriages, etc. that often come up as the community grapples with these issues. Join us for a riveting and timely discussion, as more and more cases of sexual abuse and predatory behavior seem to be emerging more and more frequently both within the Muslim community and the broader society at large. Listen 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.

Episode 56: A.David Lewis / Muslim Superheroes

On our latest episode we're very excited to speak with our special guest A. David Lewis, graphic novelist, scholar, and author of the new book Muslim Superheroes: Comics, Islam, and Representation. We had a great time geeking out about the history of the medium and its traditionally thorny depictions of Muslims and Islam, as well as how/if that trend has changed in recent years. We know you'll really enjoy this one, and you can check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.

Episode 54: Dawood Yasin

On our latest episode, we're joined by Imam Dawood Yasin, Dean of Student Life & Experiential Learning at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, CA. Listen as he shares the fascinating story of his own journey, going from the modeling on the catwalk to studying and teaching Islam all over the world. It's a fun and wide-ranging discussion we're confident you'll enjoy. Check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.

Episode 53: John O'Brien / Keeping it Halal

For this episode we're joined by special guest John O'Brien, Assistant Professor of Sociology at New York University Abu Dhabi and author of the new book Keeping It Halal: The Everyday Lives of Muslim American Teenage Boys. for a rousing discussion on the background, methodology, and results documented in this ethnographic study, as well as its broader implications on the discussion of Muslims in the American sphere. Check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.

Episode 51: Hakim Archuletta

As we get ready to close out Ramadan, we're joined by special guest Hakim Archuletta on the latest show for a lengthy and engaging discussion about his journey to Islam, as well some counsel from the 30 years he's spent working in the healing arts profession. Check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.

Episode 50: Celebrating the Big Five-Oh!

Parvez and Zaki take a break in the middle of Ramadan to celebrate fifty episodes of the podcast! Listen in for a fun and free-ranging conversation about a whole host of current events, including the tragic terror attacks in London last week, the Capitol Hill testimony of ex-FBI director James Comey, and what lies ahead for the increasingly scandal-engulfed Trump administration. Check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.

Episode 49: Wajahat Ali

We're joined once again by journalist, playwright, and raconteur Wajahat Ali for our latest episode. You've probably seen Wajahat all over cable news for the past few months, offering his cogent analyses and humorous insights as he discusses the unfolding Trump administration, and we've got him for a full hour in a far-reaching discussion about President Trump's first 100 days in office, and what lessons we can take from his successes and failures, and we close out the show with a poignant discussion about the state of Muslim activism and the challenges and pitfalls for Muslim activists. Check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.

Episode 48: Dr. Ihsan Bagby

For this month's show, we're joined by Dr. Ihsan Bagby, professor of Islamic Law at the University of Kentucky. Listen as he shares the story of his own journey to Islam, as well as his experience working for social equality over the last several decades. Check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.

Episode 46: Azhar Usman Returns!

For this month's show, we're joined once more by world renowned comedian and true force of nature Azhar Usman. With his previous appearance on our show remaining an audience favorite even two years later, we've been hoping for a return engagement, and Azhar didn't disappoint, having built up quite a backlog of things to discuss and comment on, including some thoughts on our current politics and how language is the key to the future. He also offers a window into some of the exciting projects he has coming up in the near future (including the all-new Amazon Prime series Patriot), and much more. Check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.

Episode 45: Zaki Barzinji

For this month's show, we're joined by Zaki Barzinji, the White House's Muslim American Community Liaison during the Barack Obama era. With last week's inauguration of President Donald J. Trump marking the end of Zaki's tenure in that position, he takes a look back at the beginnings of his interest in politics, how the Obama Administration tried to increase engagement with the American Muslim community, and what it felt like to be working in the White House on Election Night last year as the realization slowly dawned that we were looking at a Trump presidency. Check out the show at the embed below or at this link. As always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook page.