Geeking out at SXSW Interactive - There is no better place to mingle with other geeks than at South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive, one of the largest Internet-focused conferences in the country, where we presented a panel discussion on "Online Extremism - And The Muslims Who Fight It"  (March 20, 2008)
Like “Groundhog Day” - What happens when you get 200 academics, activists, policy wonks, politicians, and journalists - all with opinions across the spectrum - into a room to try to determine the best course of action to improve the relationship between the US and the Muslim world? Unfortunately, not much. (February 24, 2008)
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altmuslim review 027 - This month, we have a special report from the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar. Also, an interview with Dalia Mogahed, co-author of the forthcoming book "What a Billion Muslims Really Think" (March 7, 2008)
altmuslim review 026 - The US presidential race is in full swing, and we discuss Muslim involvement in the campaigns and our attempts at a block vote. Also, a perspective from recently elected San Carlos city councilmember Omar Ahmad. (January 29, 2008)
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Recent and upcoming talks and offsite articles by altmuslim contributors
Shahed will be participating in a panel discussion, Sourcing Islam, at the Religion Newswriters Association conference in Washington, DC (September 20, 2008)
Zahed will be a guest on BBC Radio 4's " Sunday" programme speaking about religious podcasting (May 4, 2008)
Rafia and Shahed will be guests on South Africa's Channel Islam, speaking about interpreting Islam in the modern world (March 28 & April 4, 2008)
Shahed will be speaking at the CAMP International Leadership Summit in Princeton, NJ (March 29, 2008)
Shahed will be a guest on Radio Tahrir, airing on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York, speaking about the Muslim block vote (April 1, 2008)
Shahed will be appearing on The Agenda with Steve Paikin for a recap of altmuslim's SXSW panel "Online Extremism" (March 26, 2008)
altmuslim is hosting a panel discussion at 2008 SXSW Interactive, "Online Extremism (And The Muslims Who Fight It)" (March 9, 2008)
Count blessings, then tally taxes - Hesham Hassaballa, Chicago Tribune (February 24, 2008)
'Busharraf' gets the people's message - Irfan Yusuf, New Zealand Herald (February 22, 2008)
Shahed will be participating in the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar (February 17-19, 2008)
Sharia an unlikely threat - Irfan Yusuf, stuff.co.nz (February 13, 2008)
Converts' dangerous pull towards extremism - Irfan Yusuf, Sydney Morning Herald (February 7, 2008)
Safiyyah will be appearing on The Agenda with Steve Paikin for a debate on "Today's Young Muslim Women" (February 1, 2008)
Sidelining the loud-mouthed cultural warriors - Irfan Yusuf, Canberra Times (January 10, 2008)
Safiyyah will be guest writing at the TVO website offering commentary on the two-part TV series Britz (February 2008)
Fault lines of a nation - Irfan Yusuf, The Age (December 31, 2007)
Is there room at the inn for a Muslim holiday in America? - Shahed Amanullah, Chicago Tribune (December 23, 2007)
Can Pakistan's non-violent past save its future? - Shahed Amanullah, Beliefnet.com (December 28, 2007)
Not your father's hajj - Shahed Amanullah, Beliefnet.com (December 17, 2007)
Shahed will be speaking at the MPAC Annual Convention in Long Beach, CA about Muslims and new media (December 15, 2007)
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Media appearances and analysis featuring altmuslim editors
Why the silence? - "Both reactionary religion and militant secularism are on the rise, with both displaying a rigid certainty and a desire for power that will do nothing to benefit society. In this context, it is vital that people with open-minded faith speak up and demonstrate alternatives. [altmuslim.com has] set many good examples in this regard." (January 8, 2008)
Does the US tolerate anti-Muslim speech? - "You see more hostility towards Muslims now than you did the year after 9/11," says Shahed Amanullah, editor of a Muslim web-zine, AltMuslim.com. He and other observers point to America's failure to capture Osama bin Laden, the continuing difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and news of terrorist plots overseas as reasons why many Americans feel hostile towards Muslims. (December 7, 2007)
In the great Berkeley free speech tradition - [Amanullah] claims no personal agenda other than concerned dad. “I want my children to grow up in a country where they, as Muslims, feel valued,” he says, “and where their religion doesn’t contradict their nationality.” (November 9, 2007)
Shaping the debate on Muslims - The publication [altmuslim.com] promotes critical analysis, discussion, and debate within the Muslim community in the West while also showcasing commentary for non-Muslims who want a sense of the dialogue going on among Western Muslims. (October 19, 2007)
Blogging Where Speech Isn’t Free (.mp3) - Many nations have no tradition of free speech, and in those contexts, blogging can be extremely dangerous. How can those bloggers protect themselves, and how can we help them? (Panel discussion at SXSW Interactive, Austin, Texas, March 11, 2007) Audio available here. (July 9, 2007)
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Wajahat Ali
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ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Wajahat Ali
San Francisco, California USA
Wajahat Ali is a Muslim American playwright, essayist, and humorist of Pakistani descent whose first play, " The Domestic Crusaders" is the first major production about Muslim Americans and premiered to wide acclaim in 2005 at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and San Jose University Theatre. Ali has been referred to by art critics as a "major new voice in American literature" whose work mirrors the style of groundbreaking African-American theater productions.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, he has been writing, producing and directing plays, films, and sketches since he was a child, enlisting his friends to be actors and crew. He performed stand-up comedy while attending the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to just completing law at the University of California, Davis, he is currently working on his second play, "UnWholly Warriors," a comedic political satire that will premiere in Summer 2008.
Wajahat's work has been featured on BBC World, the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, KGO Radio, Malaysian Television, and Geo Television. In addition to altmuslim, his writings have appeared in Counterpunch, Islamica Magazine, Konch Magazine, The Daily Times (Pakistan), Naseeb Vibes, and DesiLit magazine. | |
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Journalist Robert Fisk
“We should be partial on the side of justice”
By Wajahat Ali, April 25, 2008 Wajahat Ali interviews renowned journalist Robert Fisk on his 32 years of experience in Lebanon, along with his thoughts on Iran, Bin Laden, and the media's influence on the drive to war in the Middle East ( 1 comments) |
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Director Morgan Spurlock
“There is a vast majority you don’t hear from”
By Wajahat Ali, April 17, 2008 "Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock sits down with altmuslim associate editor Wajahat Ali to discuss his experiences filming his latest movie, "Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?" ( 2 comments) |
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Journalist Steve Kinzer
The folly of attacking Iran
By Wajahat Ali, April 10, 2008 Associate Editor Wajahat Ali interviews journalist Steve Kinzer, author of the best-selling book All the Shah's Men, on America's creeping military response to Iran. ( 1 comments) |
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Movie "Stop Loss"
Men do cry
By Wajahat Ali, March 30, 2008 Movies like "Stop-Loss," although not perfect by any means, can at least show a society that indeed boys - and even men - do cry, especially those serving our nation in Iraq. ( 2 comments) |
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Journalist Philip Shenon
Omissions of the commission
By Wajahat Ali, March 13, 2008 Four years after its release, the 9-11 Commission report still leaves some unanswered questions. We speak with New York Times investigative journalist Phillip Shenon, whose latest book finds flaws with the report. ( 2 comments) |
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Professor John Esposito
One billion Muslim voices
By Wajahat Ali, March 01, 2008 So what do a billion Muslims around the world really think? Georgetown professor John Esposito analyzed the data from a wide spectrum of Muslims from over 35 countries to find the answer. ( 0 comments) |
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Journalist Steve Coll
“Pakistan will realize its own potential”
By Wajahat Ali, February 21, 2008 Associate editor Wajahat Ali speaks to Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Steve Coll on the recent Pakistan elections, the future for President Musharraf, and life in the Northwest Frontier Province. ( 4 comments) |
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Authors Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer
“We are not talking about a conspiracy”
By Wajahat Ali, February 14, 2008 Correspondent Wajahat Ali speaks with Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, authors of the book "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," about how their groundbreaking book and ideas have been received. ( 2 comments) |
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Imam Zaid Shakir
“Radicalism is the realization of marginalization”
By Wajahat Ali, February 02, 2008 Imam Zaid Shakir might seem like a rock star, but he is one of America's most influential Muslim scholars. He speaks to us at length about politics, extremism, and an emerging Muslim American identity. ( 4 comments) |
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Journalist Seymour Hersh
“We did more for Osama than he could do for himself”
By Wajahat Ali, January 17, 2008 The New Yorker's Seymour Hersh is a busy man. But he has some convincing opinions about Iraq, Iran, and the "Re-direction." Correspondent Wajahat Ali tracks Hersh down, corners him, and drags out an interview. ( 21 comments) |
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Author Adrian Levy
“We have to honor the wishes of the Pakistani people”
By Wajahat Ali, December 31, 2007 Is Pakistan's nuclear arsenal really able to fall into the hands of al-Qaida? To find out, we speak to Adrian Levy, author of "Deception: Pakistan, the United States, and the Secret Trade in Nuclear Weapons." ( 3 comments) |
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Bhutto assassination
Requiem for a “daughter of destiny”
By Wajahat Ali, December 27, 2007 Having witnessed the ghost of Hamlet's father, Marcellus, a minor character from Shakespeare's tragedy, remarks, "Something is rotten in the State of Denmark." Sadly, observers of modern day Pakistan echo a similar sentiment. ( 3 comments) |
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"Aliens in America" co-creator David Guarascio
“It was more important he was Muslim than where he was from”
By Wajahat Ali, November 06, 2007 "Mad About You" co-creator David Guarascio has successfully brought a Muslim lead character to US television - in a comedy, no less. Wajahat Ali sits down with the "Aliens in America" co-creator to find out how it happened. ( 9 comments) |
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"Allah made me funny" comedy tour
“We’re trying to bring an expression about us, to us, from us”
By Wajahat Ali, October 25, 2007 The successful "Allah Made Me Funny" comedy tour has made people see the world a little differently (after fits of laughter). Founders Preacher Moss and Azhar Usman sit with Wajahat Ali to help explain the punch lines. ( 6 comments) |
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Analyst PW Singer
Privatizing terror, outsourcing diplomacy
By Wajahat Ali, October 10, 2007 Wajahat Ali interviews Peter Warren Singer of the Brookings Institute on the turmoil caused by Blackwater and other private military contractors functioning in Iraq ( 5 comments) |
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TV Drama "Sleeper Cell"
Sleeping cell
By Wajahat Ali, January 16, 2006 Perhaps if we know our enemy, we will know ourselves and become the "good Muslim" and the "good American." Too bad most of us are sleeping. ( 1 comments) |
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Speaking for Muslims
And will the real Muhammad please stand up?
By Wajahat Ali, June 22, 2005 With a sigh of resignation, a fist pumped in rage, and both hands brought together in hopeful supplication, I humbly ask, "Will the Real Muhammad please stand up?" ( 24 comments) |
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