Ray Kelly to DHS? Here’s Why Not

This was originally posted on AAI's newsblog on July 19, 2013 under the title, "Why Commissioner Kelly is the Wrong Choice to Lead Homeland Security." Recent press reports have suggested that President Obama may be considering Ray Kelly, Commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD), for the recently vacated position of Secretary of the Department … Continue reading Ray Kelly to DHS? Here’s Why Not

Remembering Andrew Pochter, مصلح

"Every act of violence is a betrayal of language." -Naomi Shihab Nye "I detest any form of violence." -Andrew Pochter Pochter wrote that in an e-mail to a group of Kenyon students which included myself following violence in Gaza and Israel last November. A month and a half after losing him, I still don't have … Continue reading Remembering Andrew Pochter, مصلح

Interview With Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad

I had the honor and pleasure of tag-teaming an interview of Jad Abumrad with Matt Haugen for AAI. The published interview appears below, and was originally posted on July 26, 2013 on AAI's newsblog.  Jad Abumrad is a musician, producer, and host and creator of WNYC’s wildly popular radio show and podcast, Radiolab.The show won the … Continue reading Interview With Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad

Mourning Anthony Shadid

The New York Times has reported that two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Anthony Shadid, 43, died on Thursday of an asthma attack while on assignment in Syria. Shadid's writing advanced the causes dearest to my heart by deepening the public understanding of the people, languages, politics, cultures, and religions of the Middle East.  His knowledge of Arabic, … Continue reading Mourning Anthony Shadid

The Third Jihad and the NYPD

My latest blog post for the Yalla Change campaign, called, "The Third Jihad: Dangerous NYPD Training Materials on American Muslims" can also be read here.“This is not a film about Islam. This is about the threat of radical Islam. Only a small percentage of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims are radical.” So begins The Third Jihad: … Continue reading The Third Jihad and the NYPD

Is Ignorance Politically Convenient?

My latest published post at the Arab American Institute, written in response to the first GOP Presidential debate in NH: The GOP 2012 Presidential field is beginning to take shape, and as it does a common theme is echoing among the candidates: Islam is presented as a doctrine incompatible with American values. This discourse is … Continue reading Is Ignorance Politically Convenient?