Diffused Congruence: The American Muslim Experience

For this episode we are joined by Dr. Heather Laird Jackson, a psychologist and mental health professional, to discuss her own journey to Islam and her work with impacted communities to increase awareness of mental health issues in underserved communities. It's a timely and relevant conversation that you can hear via the embed below, or via  iTunes  or  Stitcher . As always,  please hit "like" on...

For our first episode of 2018, we're very excited to present an in-depth conversation with Imam Siraj Wahhaj. A world-renowned scholar and tireless advocate for Islamic causes for several decades now, Imam Siraj shares his fascinating journey with our listeners, as well as plenty of anecdotes from his time in the trenches. It's an interview that's well worth your time, and you can hear it all at t...

As we wrap up 2017, we continue what's become a December tradition by once again inviting lecturer and film critic Omer Mozaffar for a conversation about the newest entry in the Star Wars saga: Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. This new visit to the galaxy far, far away gave us all a lot ot unpack from a variety of perspectives, and we spent eighty minutes going all in with a fun conversation we think...

For this special episode of Diffused Congruence we're pleased to present the audio from a sit-down with Dr. Sherman Jackson that we moderated this past summer in the Bay Area. We're very excited to have Dr. Jackson back on the show, and for you to hear him hold forth on a variety of subjects of relevance to the American Muslim Experience, all with his usual ability to cut right to the heart of the...

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 predat...

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 r...

On our latest episode we're joined by Lena Khan, writer/producer/director of the new film The Tiger Hunter, in theaters now. The film stars Danny Pudi, Rizwan Manji, and Jon Heder, and is inspired by her father's immigrant experience coming to the west in the 1970s. We had the opportunity to chat with Lena about her own interest in the film industry, some of her artistic inspirations, and the long...

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...

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 i...

For this episode we're joined by Dr. Abdul El-Sayed , currently running for governor in the state of Michigan. While Dr. El-Sayed's candidacy is historic for a number of reasons, including being the first Muslim to seek the state's highest office, he comes to the race with a long background in public service and a desire to further help. Listen to our conversation at the embed below or at this lin...

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  o...

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...

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...

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...

For our latest episode we're pleased to be joined by renowned singer and poet  Baraka Blue  for a fun and engaging discussion about his journey to Islam, his work in the thriving Muslims arts scene, and a special reading from his latest book, Empty & The Ocean . As always, you can check out the show at the embed below or at this link . As always, send any questions or comments to  diffusedcongruen...

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...

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 comm...

As we wrap up 2016 at Diffused Congruence, we've once again decided to end the year on a less serious note, and are joined by lecturer and film critic Omer Mozaffar for what's becoming an annual tradition as we have a conversation about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The latest visit to the galaxy far, far away gave us old school Star Wars fans a lot to chew on, from an entertainment, political, an...

For our latest episode we take a break from the headlines to present the uplifting story of Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir , her all-star collegiate basketball career and pioneering efforts for Muslim women athletes to play ball professionally while observing the Hijab. Join us as she discusses her love and dedication to basketball, her overall atheltic career, and the exciting new projects she's currently i...

This episode is as much - if not more - for us as it is for the listeners! We had to sit down to ruminate, analyze, commiserate, “unpack” and just try and make sense of the Presidential election results. In spite all of the post-election, armchair quarterbacking, and pontificating that’s out there in the ether right now, we hope that you enjoy and benefit from the conversation and the analysis we...

On our latest episode we are joined by Dr. Jonathan Brown, scholar of Hadith and Islamic Studies, and Professor at Georgetown University. Dr. Brown walks us through his journey to Islam, engages in an illuminating discussion about how Muslims have navigated their fidelity to their tradition through changing times, and explores some of the “controversies” raised by Islam’s detractors. We close out...

For our latest episode we're honored to welcome back special guest  Shadi Hamid , Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of the new book  Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World . Shadi brings his considerable wisdom and insight on global geopolitics to a discussion that spans both the domestic and international political situation, and we're confi...

We’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 e...

Our guest for this episode of the show is renowned singer/songwriter  Nader Khan , who tells us about his life's journey, how he ended up choosing the path that he did, and what new projects he has coming up. Also, hear Zaki discuss his trip to Washington DC for the Eid-al-Fitr reception at the White House, as well as other odds and ends. It's a breezy hour-and-change that we're confident you'll e...