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Moving Beyond Fear and Misinformation: The Reality and Challenges of American Muslim Political Ideologies and Engagement
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The Center for Global Islamic Studies presents a multi-disciplinary discussion while in the midst of a polarized and heated 2016 election season. Muslims have been frequent subjects of a national debate, but have seldom been among the participants of this discussion. This panel will discuss recently released data from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) which aims to define American Muslim attitudes towards various topics from politics and religion, to violence and identity. What emerges is the profile of a Muslim community that is both pious and patriotic, optimistic and weary of discrimination. The event aims to provide deeper understanding of how to develop strategies for broader political and civic engagement for all Americans and overcoming divisive and disruptive rhetoric.
Panelists
Meira Neggaz, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Amina Spahic, EMERGE-USA
Prof Kenneth Wald, Professor in Political Science, University of Florida
Meira Neggaz is the Executive Director at the ISPU, a non-profit research organization that empowers American Muslims to further community development and fully contribute to democracy and pluralism in the United States. There she is responsible for the institution’s overall leadership, strategy, and growth. Before joining ISPU, Meira was the Senior Program Officer for Marie Stopes International (MSI), a leading, UK-based organization working in 42 countries. Formerly, Meira was the first Executive Director of WINGS in Guatemala. She holds a BA from Huron University in London and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Amina Spahic is a Florida regional director for EMERGE-USA, a non-profit organization that seeks to engage, educate and empower Muslim, South Asian and Arab American (MASA) communities through educational events, voter initiatives, and leadership development.
Kenneth Wald is Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the Samuel R. “Bud” Shorstein Professor of American Jewish Culture and Society at the University of Florida. He has written about the relationship of religion and politics in the United States, Great Britain, and Israel. His most recent books include Religion and Politics in the United States (Rowman & Littlefield, 2010, 6th ed.), The Politics of Cultural Differences: Social Change and Voter Mobilization Strategies in the Post-New Deal Period (Princeton University Press, 2002, co-authored), and The Politics of Gay Rights (University of Chicago Press, 2000, coedited with Craig Rimmerman and Clyde Wilcox).
The event is co-sponsored by the Department of Political Science, UF.