In the wake of major attacks by Islamic extremists, such as those in Paris and San Bernadino, there are frequently calls for moderate Muslims to step up and counter messages of hate espoused by extreme fundamentalists. A group of American Muslims recently launched a new initiative to counter the ideology of radical Islam, called the Muslim Reform Movement.
Journalist and activist Asra Nomani is the group’s co-founder. When Nomani was working as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Pakistan back in 2002, her friend and colleague Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by extremists. Ever since, Nomani has been fighting for what she calls a more inclusive Islam.
Here, the Takeaway talks with Nomani, the author of “Standing Alone: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam,” about her latest reform efforts.
Nomani’s activism at her former hometown mosque in West Virginia, and the backlash she experienced there, are revisited in “The Mosque in Morgantown,” a documentary coming to America ReFramed, a series co-produced by our partner WGBH.
The series continues tonight on the WORLD Channel with the first of a trio of documentaries that explore many issues American Muslims have been wrestling with since 9/11. The documentary featuring Nomani airs on February 16th. (Check local listings)
Check out a trailer for “The Mosque in Morgantown” below.
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.