Shows
Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 157: David Coolidge Returns to Discuss His Study of HinduismParvez and Omar finally return after the longest hiatus in the show's history! They bring us up to speed with all the going-ons in their lives from new jobs, moves, kids graduating to new kids being born!
As the show returns so does the show's guest! David Coolidge returns to discuss his groundbreaking new book, Hindu Bhakti Through Muslim Eyes. The book places the Caitanya Vaiṣṇava tradition—devotion to Krishna—into conversation with Islam, tracing a rich millennium-long trajectory of Muslim reflection on Hindu theology and spirituality. The discussion balances between diving deep into the book while at t...
2025-08-292h 43Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 156: Understanding the Challenges Young Muslims Face in High School with Mental Health Clinician Ali BishopParvez and Omar kick-off 2025 by finally dedicating an entire episode to a recurring and perennial conversation on the podcast: parenting challenges in today's climate. To help navigate this conversation, they are joined by Ali Bishop, an experienced mental health professional who works as a Mental Health Clinician at a local Bay Area public high school. Topics include the general challenges facing teens in high school today (e.g., mental health, academic and peer pressures, social media, etc.), how these challenges might uniquely affect Muslim youth, and what can parents do to better support their children in navigating these challenges...
2025-01-231h 55Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 155: Syrian-American Perspectives on the Syrian Revolution, Overthrowing Assad, and the Future of the Region
To close out 2024 Parvez and Omar are joined by two Syrian-American guests to share their perspectives on the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, the potential implications and challenges facing post-Assad Syria, and how the Syrian-American community is responding to these events.
Along the way the show's guests candidly (and humorously!) discuss their experiences growing up as children of Syrian immigrants in the United States.
To change things up a bit, the show begins dropping listeners in the midst of a "pre-podcast" conversation about the present challenges of professional life and grind culture in Silicon Valley. Interestingly a...
2024-12-292h 02Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 154: Election 2024 and the Muslim Vote with Zahra BillooMere days aways from Election Day 2024, Parvez and Omar are rejoined by Civil Rights Attorney and Activist Zahra Billoo to discuss the Muslim vote and the 2024 Presidential Election. Are Muslims simply approaching who to vote for with the "lesser of two evils" calculus? Is there a long game and what are the short term consequences of playing the long game? All this and more for the show's special Election 2024 episode!
About Zahra Billoo
Zahra Billoo serves as the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA) office, the old...
2024-11-0359 minDiffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 153: Instilling Righteous Masculinity in Today's Young Men and the Al Qawwamun Retreat with Imam Jihad MustafaAfter a bit of a hiatus due to busy schedules, Parvez and Omar are honored to be joined by Imam Jihad Mustafa, Founder of the Qawwamun Retreat. This was a wide-ranging conversation with Imam Jihad discussing how socially conscious Hip-hop brought him to Islam, how today's Zeitgest and pop culture has engendered a crisis of defining and exemplifying masculinity to young men, and how the Qawwamun Retreat for young men seeks to address these challenges.
About Imam Jihad Mustafa
Jihad Mustafa was born JC Wren and converted to Islam shortly after returning home from serving in...
2024-10-032h 03Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 152: Muharram and Āshūrā within the Shīʿī Tradition with Ahmad Rashid SalimClosing out the blessed month of Muharram, Parvez and Omar are back for a timely and important discussion about Muharram, the Day of Āshūrā, and the events of Karbala from a Shīʿī perspective. This is a deep dive into Shīʿī readings of early Muslim history and the centrality of the Ahl-al Bayt (The Household/Progeny of the Prophet Muhammedﷺ) and specifically how the events of Karbala and the venerative rites and traditions of Muharram inform Shīʿī devotional life.
About Ahmad Rashid Salim
Ahmad Rashid Salim (احمد راشد سليم) is a doctoral candidate and instructor at the Department of Middle Eastern...
2024-08-043h 02Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 151: Prophet Abraham, Sacrifice, God's Covenant and the Land of Israel with Dr. Ali AtaieA special discussion for the Haj and Eid-ul Adha season, Parvez and Omar are joined by returning guest Dr. Ali Ataie. The show dives deep into the Prophet Abraham(as) in the monotheistic scriptures/traditions, including Abraham's service of sacrifice, the innumerable blessings bestowed to Abraham and his covenant with God. The conversation then examines how the Biblical and Tanakhic traditions has been co-opted and distorted by Jewish and Christian Zionists alike as it relates to the modern state of Israel.
The goal was to release the show a couple of days after Eid so we are s...
2024-06-261h 41Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 150: Protests, Encampments, and the BDS Movement with Zahra BillooFor the show's 150th episode Parvez & Omar are joined by the second guest ever to appear on the podcast, Zahra Billoo , Civil rights Attorney and Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA). Zahra brings her years of tireless Civil Rights work and activism to bear as she discusses the recent protests and encampments taking place across college campuses placing them within the broader Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and discussing their overall goals and objectives. The conversation also tackles the criticisms that such protests and encampments have garnered from voices outside of and w...
2024-05-211h 56Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 149: A Physician's Medical Mission to the Gaza Strip with Dr. Mohammad SubehParvez and Omar are truly honored to host Dr. Mohammad Subeh who just returned from a five week medical mission to the Gaza Strip, specifically the Rafah Crossing to the south. Dr. Subeh shares his background born to a Palestinian refugee family living in Kuwait and then forced to flee overnight at the start of the First Persian Gulf War and invasion of Kuwait. Dr. Subeh shares in harrowing detail what he witnessed first-hand during his time in the Gaza Strip.
It is a sobering listen as he recounts the unprecedented devastation and humanitarian crisis unfolding before...
2024-04-021h 56Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 147: Imam Tahir Anwar, His Silicon Valley Roots, Religious Education, and Advice for RamadanIt's not too often that you come across a Silicon Valley raised and Dar-ul-Uloom trained Imam but that's exactly who joins Parvez and Omar to kick-off the blessed month of Ramadan. Imam Tahir Anwar, Imam of the South Bay Islamic Association and Lecturer at Zaytuna College returns to the show! This time around the discussion includes a deep dive into his background, his religious education and training, in addition to having him impart precious gems of wisdom and advice for Ramadan. As always it's a far ranging discussion that we hope you enjoy and benefit from! Ramadan Mubarak!
2024-03-121h 22Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 146: From SoCal to Al-Azhar and Back with Shaykh Jamaal DiwanParvez and Omar are honored to be joined by Shaykh Jamaal Diwan, co-founder and Resident Scholar at The Majlis. This was a wide-ranging conversation with Shaykh Jamaal discussing his personal journey connecting with his faith, his studies at Al-Azhar University, and the principles underlying The Majlis. Beyond his personal journey the conversation touches on parenting, the challenges of nurturing a sense of community in the United States, a "cultural topography" of Southern California, and much more.
This is an excellent companion episode to Episode 131 with his wife Shaykha Muslema Purmul, co-founder and Religious Director at The Majlis.
2024-02-132h 04Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 140: Diffused Congruence Celebrates 10 Years!10/3/2013 - 10/3/2023
Parvez gets on mic to ruminate on 10 years of the podcast, its genesis, mission, accomplishments, pitfalls avoided, and future plans. We are immensely proud and grateful for these past 10 years but we could not have done it without you, our listeners! Thank you for your continued support, feedback, and for sharing the show. We pray that Allah blesses us with 10 more years and beyond by His Fadl and Tawfiq.
2023-10-0624 minDiffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 139: What is Palliative Care and Its Implications? In discussion with Dr. Aziz Ansari and Omer MozaffarWe continue making our way through our Chicago recordings with a very special conversation about Palliative Care, a topic that is hardly discussed in the Muslim communities but can impact the lives of young and old alike within the community. Palliative care specifically deals with relieving serious health-related suffering, be it physical, psychological, social, or spiritual for patients with serious illness like cardiovascular disease, cancer, major organ failure, end-stage chronic illness, acute trauma, or extreme frailty related to old age. It includes pastoral considerations, and more broadly can have profound implications on legal matters such as Living wills and...
2023-09-231h 43Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 138: Habeeb Quadri, Educator Extraordinaire
Next stop in Chicagoland takes us to Skokie where Parvez and Omar had the honor of sitting with author, educator and school administrator, Habeeb Quadri. We had an in-depth conversation about his experiences growing up in Chicago, what inspired him to become an educator, and his journey from teaching inner city schools in Detroit and Chicago to serving as Principal and Superintendent of a renowned Islamic school.
It was also a great opportunity for Parvez and Habeeb, who have known each other for over 30 years to reconnect, reminisce about cutting their teeth as youth activist in the 90...
2023-09-052h 02Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 137: Ahmed Rehab and ”the Chicago Way”Next stop on Parvez & Omar's Chicago sojourn is the beautiful CAIR offices on historic State Street in downtown where they had the privilege of sitting with Ahmed Rehab. Ahmed's ability to articulate a clear and convincing analysis of contemporary social and political issues while maintaining a fidelity to Islam's normative teachings and practices made for a wide ranging and thought-provoking interview.
About Ahmed Rehab
Ahmed is Executive Director of the Chicago Office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations as well as CAIR's National Strategic Communications Director. CAIR is the nation's largest Muslim civil liber...
2023-08-221h 58Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 136: Shaykh Mohammed Amin KholwadiaParvez and Omar have the opportunity to sit with Shaykh Amin Kholwadia and learn about his lifelong journey towards Islamic scholarship, from childhood, schooling, coming to America, and ultimately, the establishment of Darul Qasim, an institute of traditional Islamic higher learning headquartered in the Glendale Heights suburb of Chicago.
About Shaykh Mohammed Amin Kholwadia
Shaykh Amin is continually engaged with a diverse following of mentees. His deep knowledge in the Islamic tradition and his aggressive engagement with contemporary issues facing everyday Muslims in the West has endeared him to young Islamic scholars and professionals all...
2023-08-061h 47Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 133: Shaykh Jabir Tarin on Islamic Scholarship, Muslim Mental Health, HFSAA and more!Parvez and Omar return from a short post-Ramadan hiatus and meet with Shaykh Jabir Tarin to discuss his path as a young man to scholarship, his work in the growing and important field of Muslim mental health and counseling, as well his involvement with the Halal Food Standards Alliance of America (HFSAA).
About Shaykh Jabir Tarin
Shaykh Jabir Tarin is a registered associate marriage and family therapist. He has served as a teacher at several Islamic institutions, including Dua Seminary, where he teaches the Islamic Sciences, and Nur Institute. Shaykh Jabir has previously served as...
2023-06-101h 46Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 132: Raising Muslim Children: Challenges and Insights with Ustadha Hosai MojaddidiParvez and Omar are joined by Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi, as they discuss the challenges (and joys) of raising Muslim children. She shares some of her own experiences growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area and also offers insights about how to instill a love of the Deen and a strong Muslim identity in our children.
About Ustadha Hosai Mojaddidi
Hosai Mojaddidi has been serving the Muslim community for over 25 years as a teacher, public speaker, author/writer, spiritual counselor, and mental health advocate. She began her Islamic studies over 20 years ago at Zaytuna Institute in th...
2023-04-042h 17Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 131: Shaykha Muslema Purmul’s Journey to Religious ScholarshipParvez and Omar are joined by Shaykha Muslema Purmul, co-founder and Religious Director at The Majlis. They discuss her family’s journey from Afghanistan to Southern California, as well as her motivations to pursue her religious studies at Al-Azhar University, and the work she is doing today as Religious Director at The Majlis.
About Muslema Pumul
Muslema Purmul was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and raised in San Diego, California. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a double major in Religious Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. During these years she served a n...
2023-03-211h 38Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 130: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege of Washington, DC, with Shahan MuftiParvez and Omar are joined by Shahan Mufti, author of American Caliph, The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege of Washington, DC.The new book is the first full account of the largest ever hostage taking on American soil and of the tormented man who masterminded it. Informed by extensive archival research and access to hundreds of declassified FBI files, American Caliph is a riveting true-crime story that sheds new light on the disarray of the 1970s and its ongoing reverberations.
About Shahan Mufti
Shahan Mufti is the chair of...
2023-03-101h 56Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 129: Spiritual Manipulation, Charismatic Leadership, and the Dangers of Cults, with Yousuf AzharParvez and Omar sit down with Yousuf Azhar who shares his personal experiences joining and then leaving a Muslim cult, the corrosive spiritual manipulation and abuse he suffered, and the patterns to look out for.
About Yousuf Azhar
Yousuf Azhar was born in India and migrated to the USA at the age of two. He studied Arabic at the University of Damascus for one year and has studied general Islamic sciences with various scholars throughout his life. He now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children. Yousuf is a softw...
2023-02-142h 49
Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 129: The Danger of Cult Mentality, with Yousuf AzharParvez and Omar sit down with Yousuf Azhar to hear about the danger of cult mentality, based on his own experiences.
About Yousuf Azhar
Yousuf Azhar was born in India and migrated to the USA at the age of two. He studied Arabic at the University of Damascus for one year and has studied general Islamic sciences with various scholars throughout his life. Yousuf now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children and works as a software testing lead at a Silicon Valley tech company. He is also the hos...
2023-02-132h 52Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 128: Muslims in the Media, with Sue Obeidi and Dr. Eveylyn AlsultanyParvez and Omar take a visit to Souther California to sit down in person with Sue Obeidi and Evelyn Alsultany to discuss the state of Muslims in the media.
About Our Guests
Sue Obeidi is the Director of the Hollywood Bureau for the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). Obeidi ensures that MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau is a partner with the entertainment industry.
Evelyn Alsultany is 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. Alsultany is an Associa...
2023-01-171h 20Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 127: The Power of Storytelling, with Ahmed Khan, from the Creative Minority PodcastParvez and Omar are joined by a fellow podcaster, Ahmed Khan. They sit down at Zaytuna College in Berkeley to discuss the power of storytelling, and the inspiration behind some of their respective work in the world of podcasts.
About The Creative Minority Podcast
The Creative Minority seeks to engage with contemporary intellectual issues ranging from but not included to politics, philosophy, theology, sociology, metaphysics, ethics, history, medicine and others. Our speakers include world class academics, theologians, scientists, professors, and celebrities who are at the forefront of shaping academia and culture.
The Creative M...
2022-12-241h 40Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 126: The Midterm Elections & The Problem of Democracy, with Shadi HamidParvez and Omar sit down with returning guest Shadi Hamid to discuss the midterm elections and his new book, The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea.
In The Problem of Democracy, Shadi Hamid reimagines the ongoing debate on democracy’s merits and proposes an ambitious agenda for reviving the lost art of democracy promotion in the world’s most undemocratic regions. What happens when democracy produces "bad" outcomes? Is democracy good because of its outcomes or despite them?
About Shadi Hamid
Shadi Hamid is a senior...
2022-11-091h 05Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 125: Zaki Returns to Discuss Polarization in Social Media, Muslim Twitter and More!Zaki Hasan, co-founder of the show, returns to catch up with Omar and Parvez. They discuss the impacts of social media on the polarized state of politics, Muslim Twitter and much more!
About Zaki Hasan
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, S...
2022-10-211h 12Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 124: A Discussion with a Pioneer in the American Muslim Experience, Dr. Muzammil SiddiqiParvez and Omar make a trek down to Orange County to sit with a pioneer in the American Muslim experience, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi and learn about his life's journey from India to Madinah to United States and to discuss his legacy and impact on the American Muslim community.
About Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi
Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi is the imam and religious director of the Islamic Society of Orange County, Garden Grove; he also chairs the Fiqh Council of North America and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California. Siddiqi has previously led the...
2022-09-042h 28Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 123: The Journey of Michael WolfeParvez and Omar sit down with Michael Wolfe to discuss his journey to Islam, his pilgrimages to Mecca, and his work with Unity Productions Foundation (UPF).
About Michael Wolfe
Michael B. Wolfe is an American poet, author, and the President and Co-Executive Producer of Unity Productions Foundation. A secular American born in Cincinnati, Ohio to a Christian mother and a Jewish father, Wolfe converted to Islam at 40 and has been a frequent lecturer on Islamic issues at universities across the United States including Harvard, Georgetown, Stanford, SUNY Buffalo, and Princeton. He holds a degree in Classi...
2022-08-042h 12Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 122: The Great Muslim American Road Trip (And Everything That Came Before It) with Mona Haydar and Sebastian RobinsParvez and Omar are joined by Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins to discuss their upcoming PBS Documentary, "The Great Muslim American Road Trip".
About "The Great Muslim American Road Trip"
Follow a millennial Muslim American couple on a cross-country journey along historic Route 66. As they meet new friends and explore more than a dozen stops, Mona and Sebastian weave a colorful story about what it means to be Muslim in America today.
About Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins
Mona Haydar is a Syrian American Muslim born in Flint, Michigan. Her husband...
2022-06-301h 39Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 121: Ramadan Health and Wellness, with Dr. Sofia GhaniParvez and Omar are joined by Dr. Sofia Ghani to discuss health and wellness in this holy month of Ramadan.
About Dr. Sofia Ghani
Dr. Sofia Ghani started her career as a clinical pharmacist managing patients' drug therapy at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. Being around very sick people on a laundry list of medications was an everyday norm for her. It never failed to surprise her how many medications one human can be on at the same time. In 2010 something shifted. It started with an idea of her doing a weight loss challenge with...
2022-04-131h 23Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 120: A Look Behind the Camera, with Aaron Sellers (Part 2 of 2)Parvez and Omar are joined again by Aaron Sellers and dive deep into his path as a Muslim convert, his move from the east coast to the west, to work at Zaytuna Institute, and Zaytuna's transition into a college. This is the second episode of a 2 part conversation.
This is a continuation from episode 119, where we talked to Aaron about his early years, his conversion and his early experiences as a Muslim.
About Aaron “Haroon” Sellers
Aaron “Haroon” Sellars was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where he majored in graphic...
2022-03-222h 22Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 119: A Look Behind the Camera with Aaron Sellers, Part 1 of 2Parvez and Omar are joined by Aaron "Haroon" Sellers and dive deep into his early years, his conversion and his early experiences as a Muslim, in part 1 of a 2 part conversation.
About Aaron “Haroon” Sellers
Aaron “Haroon” Sellars was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where he majored in graphic arts and developed a special interest in film, photography and music. After converting to Islam in 1994, he sought out ways to serve the Muslim community with his multi-media knowledge and interests. This drive inspired his move with his wife and daughters to the C...
2022-03-121h 50Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 117: The DR34MParvez and Omar check one off the bucket list, with NBA superstar Hakeem Olajuwon joining them for an in-depth conversation covering his entire career and more.
About Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon, nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and eventually the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2016, he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. He is wi...
2021-10-202h 32Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 115: The Crisis in Afghanistan, with Hamid KhanParvez and Omar are joined by Hamid Khan to discuss the end of the Afghan war and the crisis that followed.
About Hamid Khan
Mr. Hamid Khan is an accomplished legal professional with 20 years’ experience advancing the rule of law through public policy, global program development, and legal education.
Mr. Khan is also an expert in Islamic constitutionalism, issues of Islamic law in armed conflict and post-conflict justice, gender issues under Islamic law, and trends in modern Islamic political thought share his insights on the current crisis in Afghanistan, evacuation and resettlement efforts, an...
2021-09-061h 24Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceCure4Aasim: Help Save a LifeCo-host Omar A. Ansari's brother-in-law, Aasim Syed, was just diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which impacts the bone marrow. He has already received an initial round of intense chemotherapy and the doctors have now said a blood (stem cell) transplant is required ASAP.
We also learned that there is NOT A SINGLE MATCH in the entire registry for him right now. Unfortunately South Asians (which have the highest chance of matching with him) are overwhelmingly underrepresented in the registry.
If you can register to see if you're a match, you could save a life.
2021-07-0717 minDiffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 112: Women & Gender in the Qur’an, with Dr. Celene IbrahimParvez and Omar discuss Dr. Celene Ibrahim's works on women and gender in the Qur'an
About Dr. Celene Ibrahim
Dr. Celene Ibrahim is the author of Women and Gender in the Qur'an from Oxford University Press (2020) and the editor of One Nation, Indivisible: Seeking Liberty and Justice from the Pulpit to the Streets from Wipf & Stock Publishers (2019). Her current book project on the concept of monotheism in the Qur'an and Islamic intellectual history is forthcoming from Cambridge University Press.
Ibrahim holds a doctorate in Arabic and Islamic Civilizations and a master's degree in...
2021-06-081h 46Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 111: Immigrant Stories, with Habibe & Ishrat Husain, from the Rahima FoundationParvez and Omar are joined by Habibe and Ishrat Husain, from the Rahima Foundation. They tell the story of their immigration to the United States, their (inter-cultural) marriage, their migration out West, and the forming of Rahima Foundation.
About Habibe
Habibe came to the United States in 1962, as a high school foreign exchange student from Turkey. After completing high school, she went on to earn a degree in Pharmacy from Temple University in Philadelphia. In Pennsylvania, she met and married Ishrat Husain and, in 1973, they moved to the Bay Area. While being a mother and wife, she started and ran th...
2021-05-041h 54Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 110: Disney Film Director, Lena KhanParvez and Omar are joined by Lena Khan, to discuss her latest achievements in directing films.
About Lena Khan
Lena is a Canadian American writer and director. Her first feature film, THE TIGER HUNTER, released in over 60 cities nationwide and garnered effusively positive reviews from The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and more. Fresh off of her first film, Disney tapped Lena to direct FLORA AND ULYSSES, a live action family comedy.
With a background from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and experience at noted production companies such as...
2021-04-201h 04Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 109: Fifty Years of Community Work in Chicago’s Far South Side, with Imam S. T. IbrahimParvez and Omar welcome Imam Ibrahim to talk about his youth, his transition to Sunni Islam, and his nearly 50 years of needs based community work in the Chicago area for the past 50 years.
About Imam S. T. Ibrahim
Imam Ibrahim served as the founding Imam of the Mosque of 'Umar, Inc. on Chicago's Far South Side in the Roseland community from 1973 to 2009. He led prayers and all related services, coordinated needs based programs (food panty, youth, voter registration, job training, etc.) and partnered with Muslim merchants to establish a sense of brotherhood in the inner cit...
2021-02-161h 31Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 108: Politics, Religion and Culture, with Sana Saeed from AJ+Parvez and Omar are joined by Sana Saeed from AJ+ to discuss, among other things, social media culture, holding Muslims leaders to a standard, the "akh-right" and the transition to the Biden administration. It was an engaging, no holds barred conversation that we hope you'll join us for.
About Sana Saeed
Sana Saeed is a Host and Senior Producer who has been with AJ+ since 2014, helping launch the channel. A Canadian who has spent most of her life in the United States, she’s interested in politics, religion, culture and working very hard to stay out...
2021-01-272h 06Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 107: CelebrateMercy, with Tarek El-MessidiParvez 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 par...
2021-01-041h 38Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 106: Premarital Preparation, Healthy Marriages, and Divorce in the Muslim Community, with Sadia Jalali, LMFTParvez 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 ma...
2020-12-011h 43Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 105: Parvez joins "Sultans and Sneakers" to discuss "Podcasting, Platforming, and Politics".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.
2020-11-242h 15Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 104: The 2020 Election, a Discussion with Democratic Strategist Mustafa TameezWith 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...
2020-10-241h 16Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 103: The Exorcist, a Conversation with Kamran PashaParvez 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 Hollywoo...
2020-10-201h 41Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 102: Celebrating the 7th Anniversary of the Podcast, with co-founder and former co-host, Zaki HasanParvez 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 Crit...
2020-10-121h 19Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 101: Understanding Early Muslim History and Sectarianism, with Dr. Ali AtaieParvez 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 M...
2020-09-151h 22Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 100: Shi’ism, a Deep Dive (Part 2), with Imam Hadi QazwiniParvez 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 pra...
2020-09-111h 28Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 99: Shi’ism, a Deep Dive (Part 1), with Imam Hadi QazwiniParvez 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...
2020-09-081h 53Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 98: A Journey Within Islam, with R. David CoolidgeParvez 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, ...
2020-08-311h 52Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 97: Addiction in the Age of Covid, with Dr. Amer Raheemullah, M.D.Parvez and Omar welcome Dr. Amer Raheemullah (M.D.) to put a light on the increasingly important (and sometimes taboo) subject of addiction, a topic perhaps more important than ever in the "Age of Covid". Dr. Raheemullah specializes in opioid and benzodiazepine tapers, and treating substance use disorders in residential and outpatient programs, as well as inpatient and office-based settings.
About Dr. Amer Raheemullah
Dr. Amer Raheemullah is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine and Director of the Addiction Medicine Consult Service at Stanford Hospital. He is board-certified in Addiction Medicine and...
2020-08-241h 46Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 96: Professor Mohammad Fadel Returns to Discuss the Current Political Climate, SCOTUS, the Election, and more!Parvez and Omar welcome Professor Mohammad Fadel to discuss the current political climate in light of COVID-19, the recent Supreme Court decisions involving various hot button issues, and the upcoming election, which is less than four months away.
Mohammad Fadel is a Professor and Toronto Research Chair for the Law and Economics of Islamic Law at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
2020-07-281h 35Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 95: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Joins Us to Talk Basketball, the National Anthem, BLM and moreCo-hosts Parvez Ahmed and Omar Ansari are joined by a very special guest, former NBA player, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, for an in-depth conversation covering his early days as a youth in Mississippi to his ascension to the NBA, his acceptance of Islam, the national anthem controversy, current events, and his future plans. Join us for this long-awaited conversation!
2020-07-081h 53Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 94: Bringing in (a very unique) Ramadan, with Shaykh Faraz RabbaniCo-hosts Parvez Ahmed and Omar Ansari are joined by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, founder of SeekersGuidance. They dive deep into what Ramadan will look like this year, given the stay at home orders, and Shaykh Faraz shares his thoughts on, among many things, how to take advantage of the month's blessing despite the disruption.
2020-04-251h 52Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 93: The Public Health Impact of COVID-19, Panel DiscussionCo-hosts Parvez Ahmed and Omar Ansari are joined by Dr. Umair Shah and Dr. Mir Alikhan in a discussion covering the public health impact of the coronavirus crisis.
Dr. Shah is Executive Director and Local Health Authority for Harris County Public Health (HCPH) – a nationally recognized $100 million agency serving the nation’s 3rd largest county (4.7 million).
Dr. Alikhan is a private practice pulmonary & critical care physician on staff at Houston Methodist West Hospital and Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital, where he also serves as Medical Director of the Respiratory Care Department.
2020-04-131h 09Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 92: Immigrant Stories, featuring Ahsan SyedJoin hosts Parvez Ahmed and Omar Ansari as they sit down with Ahsan Syed to hear about his journey from India to the United States half a century ago, and all the ups and downs that came with being an immigrant in America. This is the first in a series of episodes where we'll hear the stories of Muslim immigrants to the United States. Please note that this episode was recorded prior to the COVID-19 crisis.
2020-04-091h 17Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 91: The Coronavirus CrisisJoin Parvez Ahmed and Omar Ansari as they catch up (virtually) from their homes in the bay area to discuss their experiences self-isolating and socially distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020-03-311h 22
Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 90: New Year, New Co-Host!Diffused Congruence begins 2020 with a new co-host! 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.
2020-03-0549 min
Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 89: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ConversationHappy 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 Di...
2020-01-011h 49Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 88: Kalia AbiadeOur 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.
2019-12-031h 13Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 87: Peter SandersWe'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.
2019-10-3152 min
Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 86: Justin MashoufWe'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.
2019-10-091h 12Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 85: Asma T. UddinWe'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.
2019-09-271h 26Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 84: Youssef IsmailWe'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.
2019-08-101h 26Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 83: Lisa AhmadOur 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.
2019-07-201h 29Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 82: Amir SulaimanFor 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.
2019-07-011h 17Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 81: Dr. Evelyn AlsultanyOur 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 th...
2019-06-051h 25Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 80: Zainab IsmailThis 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.
2019-05-1357 minDiffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 79: Michigan RoundtableFor the second of our two live episodes recorded during Diffused Congruence's Michigan tour, we were honored to be joined by a roundtable of MI luminaries -- Najah Bazzy of Zaman International, Mark Crain of DREAM of Detroit, and Imam Dawud Walid, Executive Director CAIR Michigan -- for a rousing and informative conversation about the role of sacred activism in the American 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.
2019-04-291h 19Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 78: Dr. Su’ad Abdul KhabeerOur guest this month joined us for our special live show from the University of Michigan campus: Dr. Su’ad Abdul Khabeer discussing her fascinating story as well as her book Muslim Cool, documenting the linkage between Islam and hip-hop music. 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.
2019-04-101h 03Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 77: Danish QasimThis month we're joined by special guest Danish Qasim, founder of the website In Shaykh's Clothing and a counselor to victims of spiritual abuse. We tackle a lot of heavy topics in this discussion, but it's necessary and important, and we hope you'll give it a listen. You can hear it through 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.
2019-03-191h 20Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 76: Sundiata Al RashidFor this episode we're joined by special guest Sundiata Al Rashid, Emir of the Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland, CA, for a wide-ranging discussion about his journey to Islam, and how the face of Islam in the Bay Area has changed over the last three decades. 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.
2019-02-191h 27Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 75: Movies That Matter - The Godfather TrilogyWe inaugurate a new series-within-a-series with this episode: Movies That Matter! On occasion we will take some time to look back at the long history of cinema and examine films worthy of deeper examination from a variety of perspectives. For our first such foray, we look at a mutual favorite, The Godfather and its two sequels, and examine the films' thematic impact, sociopolitical commentary, and much more. We hope you enjoy this digression from our usual interviews, and please let us know what you think and what you'd like to hear us discuss next! You can listen via the e...
2019-01-301h 12Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 74: Dr. Ali Ataie ReturnsWe close out this year's crop of episodes with a return visit from Dr. Ali Ataie, who joined us the morning after Christmas for an expansive and engrossing conversation about Jesus in Islam, and how Muslims view him and the nature of the crucifixion. It's the kind of discussion we look forward to on this show, and we hope you'll enjoy giving it a 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.
2019-01-011h 29Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 73: Zachary MarkwithFor our latest episode we're excited to be recording from Hub925 in Pleasanton, CA, with special guest Zachary Markwith a doctoral student at the Graduate Theological Union specializing in early Islamic spirituality and comparative religious studies. Listen in for a fun and far-ranging conversation spanning the gamut of topics, including his journey to Islam and his continued interfaith work and even a brief digression on what prophetic stories have in common with superhero myths. 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 comme...
2018-12-181h 00Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 72: Midterm Election Aftermath + Five Year Anniversary ThoughtsParvez and Zaki reconvened in the wake of last week's midterm elections and the subsequent "Blue Wave" to take stock of what these results mean for the state of our politics moving forward. In addition, we also pause to mourn the passing of two giants: Religious scholar Dr. Sulayman Nyang and comic book creator Stan Lee, appreciating the considerable impact each made in their respective fields. And finally, we celebrate five years of this podcast, looking back at where we started, and what our plans are moving forward. It's a busy show even without a third guest, but hopefully...
2018-11-151h 17Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 71: Dr. Ali AtaieDiffused Congruence is back for the fall! This episode, Parvez and Zaki are privileged to share a lively and engrossing conversation with Dr. Ali Ataie of Zaytuna College. Listen in as he discusses his long history of fostering interfaith dialogue, as well as his own journey of reconnecting with Islam after watching Spike Lee's film Malcolm X. 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.
2018-10-161h 10
Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 70: Back From Summer Hiatus!After a brief Summer hiatus, Parvez and Zaki reconvene for a brief and breezy episode catching up with each other and a lot of the news and headlines from within and without the Muslim community! Think of this as a chance to get caught up before we get into our roster of guests for the fall! 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.
2018-09-051h 08Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 69: Brother AliWe're joined this episode by legendary Hip Hop artist and community activist Brother Ali for an in-depth conversation about his journey to Islam, his musical inspirations, and how he tries to better the world at large through his art. It's an engaging and insightful hour-and-change, and we're sure you'll enjoy giving it a listen just as much as we enjoyed simply being there to facilitate it. Listen 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.
2018-07-301h 23Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 68: Preacher MossWe're joined by comedian Preacher Moss (The "Allah Made Me Funny" comedy tour) for our latest episode, in a free-wheeling conversation that covers the current state of politics in the United States to the current state of comedy within the Muslim community! You'll laugh hard, and you'll think harder, which is a little taste of what it's like to be in the audience for one of Preacher's shows! 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...
2018-06-291h 31Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 67: Ahmad NassarWe have a very timely discussion this episode, as we're joined by Ahmad Nassar, President of NFL Players Incorporated, the National Football League Players Association’s licensing and marketing business, for a conversation about his journey to this role, as well as his thoughts on recent actions taken by the NFL with regards to players' protests on the field. It's another fun and engaging discussion in the Diffused Congruence style, and we're sure you'll enjoy hearing it as much as we enjoyed being a part of it. Listen via the embed below, or via iTunes or Stitcher. As always, please hi...
2018-05-301h 11Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 66: Bushra BurneyOur guest this episode is playwright Bushra Burney, whose new play Designated Muslim had its first staged reading earlier this month. Bushra shares the origins of this play, why she was moved to write it, and the process of bringing it to the page and beyond. It's a fascinating window into how American Muslims are striving to make a place in pop culture for their culture. Listen to 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.
2018-05-221h 22Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 65: Jihad TurkFor this episode we're glad to be joined by Jihad Turk, founder and president of Bayan Claremont -- the country's first graduate school to offer accredited Master’s degrees in the fields of Islamic Studies, Education, Chaplaincy and Leadership -- for a lengthy and enriching conversation that spans his own personal narrative and encompasses the role of Muslims in modern American life and what they can offer the broader community. Check out our chat 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.
2018-05-091h 42Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 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.
2017-06-131h 08Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 40: Cavalcade of AnnoyanceWe’ve hit the big 4-0! Zaki and Parvez return after a summer hiatus to ruminate on the ISNA Convention, Eid-ul-Adha and animal sacrifices, and the Presidential Election. Expect all of the “unpacking”, analysis, and fun banter you’ve come to enjoy from the show! It’s a rare occurrence for the show that the two of us just get a chance to catch up and share some reflections. We hope you enjoy these episodes as much we do recording them! Listen via the embed below, and as always, send any questions or comments to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com, or at our Facebook
2016-09-191h 07Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 37: Ramadan Fitness and Fiqh-ness SpecialWelcome to our special Ramadan episode of Diffused Congruence, as Parvez and Zaki are joined by guest Imam Tahir Anwar for some insight into how best to maximize one's spiritual pursuits during the month of Ramadan, and fitness trainer Rehan Jalali on how to make one's morning and evening meals as efficient and healthy as possible so you don't feel ill-effects from the long fasts. We had a great time with both of our guests, and we're confident you'll find a lot to benefit from in these interviews. Send any comments or questions to diffusedcongruence@gmail.com or via our Fac...
2016-06-061h 27Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceBonus Episode: On Grief, Death, and DyingWell this is a first. We started out recording this bit as a brief, five minute addendum to tag onto the live show, but as tends to happen when we get together, five minutes stretched into twenty-five, and so we decided to turn it into its own little mini-episode. For this special show, Parvez and Zaki have a conversation about the recent deaths of public figures, some Muslim, some non-Muslim, and how they've resulted in a particular conversation in regards to seemliness of expressing grief or sadness in a public sphere. Give it a listen to hear our thoughts, and...
2016-04-2929 minDiffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 31: Talking Star Wars With Omer MozaffarWe've had a great 2015 here at Diffused Congruence, and we wanted to wrap up the year's offerings with something a bit less serious than perhaps we're used to. With the current release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens tearing up box office records in its wake, old school Star Wars fans Parvez and Zaki decided it might be fun to spend an episode unpacking this revival of the storied franchise. To that end, we've invited lecturer and film critic Omer Mozaffar to join us for a fun conversation about this latest visit to the galaxy far, far away. Listen to...
2015-12-281h 13Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 25: Dr. Ebrahim MoosaFor our big twenty-fifth episode, Parvez and Zaki are honored to be joined by Dr. Ebrahim Moosa, renowned scholar and professor of Islamic Studies at University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Dr. Moosa shares his life journey with us, and also examines many of the pressing issues facing the American Muslim community today. Listen to our interesting and enriching conversation via the embed below, or download at the link. Also, be sure to hit us up at our Facebook page to let us know how we're doing!
2015-08-121h 09Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 23: The Team From Islamica!Diffused Congruence welcomes in July with a fun and funny conversation with the jokesters at satire site Islamica News! Founded in 1999, Islamica revels in combating Islamophobia through a humorous lens, while also poking fun at some of the humorous eccentricities that those of us within the Muslim community are all too familiar with. We're happy to be joined by co-founders Azher Ahmed and Mirza Baig as we discuss their earliest collaborations (including a video that Zaki had a cameo in), the company's founding, their general approach to figuring out what's funny, and sharing some of their most popular "news" stories. D...
2015-07-031h 14Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 16: Comedian Azhar Usman Gets SeriousFor the first episode of 2015, Parvez and Zaki are joined by stand-up comedian Azhar Usman -- "America's Funniest Muslim" -- for a wide-ranging, free-form conversation that's as incisive and introspective as it is hilarious. Azhar covers everything from the role of satire and humor in Islam to the recent tragic terror attacks in Paris -- and that's just scratching the surface. You can listen in via the embed below, or download at the link. Also, be sure to hit us up at our Facebook page to let us know how we're doing!
2015-01-241h 42Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 15: The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi on His New BookThis month Parvez and Zaki are pleased to be joined by actor, comedian, and writer Aasif Mandvi as he talks about his journey as a working actor to becoming The Daily Show's "Senior Foreign Looking Correspondent." He talks about how his time with Jon Stewart has made him more "Muslim-ish," what he's learned during a lifetime occupying many different cultures, and how that all led to his new book, No Land's Man. Listen via the embed below, or download at the link. Also, be sure to hit us up at our Facebook page to let us know how we're doing!
2014-12-1558 minDiffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 14: Serial's Rabia ChaudrySince its launch last October, the Serial podcast has taken the country by storm.
Reporter Sarah Koenig's gripping investigation into the 1999 murder of high schooler Hae Min Lee, and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed for the killing -- a crime for which he maintains his innocence to this day -- has set records and spurred conversation with how it combines the intrigue of a weekly procedural with broader questions about cultural assimilation and the peculiarities of the legal system. For this episode, Parvez and Zaki are joined by Rabia Chaudry, an attorney and civil rights...
2014-11-271h 02Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 13: Our Lunch With Dean ObeidallahWe start off episode thirteen with highlights from Zaki's roundtable interview with Daily Show host Jon Stewart on his feature directing debut, the based-on-true-events Iranian prison drama Rosewater. After that, listen to Parvez and Zaki's lunchtime conversation with comedian and political commentator Dean Obeidallah as we cover a whole host of topics, including his time at Saturday Night Live, what drew him to comedy, and the portrayal of Muslims in media post-9/11. You can download or stream the show below, or listen at iTunes (don't forget to leave us a review!) and Stitcher Radio. As always, feel free to send any...
2014-11-131h 06Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 12: Parvez & Zaki Celebrate One Year!After last week's debate about Islam and Muslims between Bill Maher and Ben Affleck (which conspicuously had no Muslims actually involved in the conversation), Parvez and Zaki use the twelfth episode of Diffused Congruence to chat with each other about the rise of anti-Muslim and Islamophobic invective from mainstream media figures, and why this podcast is meant at least partially as a response to that. In addition, they also delve into the secret origins of the show, and and what they hope to achieve going forward. Download or stream the show below, or listen at iTunes (don't forget to leave us a...
2014-10-101h 13Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 11: Ayesha Mattu and Ali EterazFor this episode of the show, Parvez and Zaki shine a spotlight on Muslim authors who've successfully broken through into the mainstream. First, we chat with Ayesha Mattu, co-editor of Love, Inshallah and its new sequel Salaam, Love about how the two books came about, what the reactions have been, and what she's learned from her audience. After that, we have a conversation with Ali Eteraz, author of Children of Dust and the upcoming Falsipedies and Fibsiennes. You can download or stream below, and also listen at iTunes (don't forget to leave us a review!) and Stitcher Radio. Feel free to send an...
2014-09-231h 20Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 7: Faran Tahir
For this month's show, Parvez and Zaki are joined by acclaimed Pakistani-American actor Faran Tahir, who's been appearing on big and small screens for more than twenty years now in big budget fare such as Iron Man, Star Trek, and Elysium, as well as TV's Dallas, for a spirited conversation about what he's learned during his many years in the Hollywood trenches, his hopes for future Muslim engagement in media arts, and his work with the Muslim Advocates organization. In addition, he offers up some details on his latest project, the supernatural thriller Jinn (currently in theaters), and shares a heartw...
2014-04-1159 minDiffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 4: Rehan JalaliWe encountered a slight delay thanks to various unforeseen technical difficulties, but nonetheless, the Diffused Congruence team is back to help you ring in 2014! And for this, their very first episode of 2014, co-hosts Parvez Ahmed and Zaki Hasan are joined by world renowned fitness expert Rehan Jalali, who has plenty of advice to offer on how to make 2014 the healthiest it can be, how he's achieved all the success he's achieved, and the role that his Muslim faith plays in that success. You can download or stream the show below, as well as via iTunes (don't forget to leave us a r...
2014-01-171h 06Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 2: Zahra BillooFor our second episode, hosts Parvez Ahmed and Zaki Hasan are joined by Zahra Billoo, executive director of the San Francisco-Bay Area chapter of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), for an in-depth conversation on the goals, history, and criticisms of the venerable civil rights organization (it marks its second decade next year), and her own efforts to bridge interfaith understanding both before and after becoming a part of it. You can download or stream the show below, as well as via iTunes (don't forget to leave us a review!). Also, many thanks for all the feedback and comments on episode 1! Ple...
2013-11-011h 23Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim ExperienceEpisode 1: Usama CanonWelcome to Diffused Congruence, an all new podcast celebrating the many facets of the American Muslim experience. With new episodes slated to drop the first Friday of every month, the goal of our show is to highlight and focus on unique and interesting personalities from both within and without the American Muslim community, and engage them in what will hopefully be a worthwhile and invigorating conversation not only for the guests, but also for listeners. For the first episode, hosts Parvez Ahmed and Zaki Hasan are joined by Usama Canon, founding director of the San Francisco Bay Area-based Ta'leef Collective, a...
2013-10-041h 29