The Optimistic Muslim Archives - WebTalkRadio.net

Imam Fayaz Tilly is the man to talk to if you want the straight story regarding the supposed gulf between so-called North American and Muslim values.  And he’s Dr. David Liepert’s guest in this spectacular episode of The Optimistic Muslim!

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Born and raised in Canada and dedicated to the most traditionalist and orthodox Islamic interpretations, Favaz Tilly was taught and trained in Buffalo, New York, living and working as an Imam for one of North America’s largest, most vibrant and diverse Muslim communities, while also serving as a University Chaplain taboot!  There isn’t a pulse Imam Favaz Tilly doesn’t have his finger on, a controversy he hasn’t had to address, or a question he hasn’t had to answer, and he’s got a valuable perspective on them all.

“Being born in the late Seventies and going to public school in the Eighties, it was pretty much growing up like any other child would experience,” says Imam Favaz Tilly, giving the audience a glimpse into his early years.  Did he always know that he was going to grow up to be an Imam?  As a Muslim, were his formative years really no different than those of his Canadian schoolmates?  How did puberty affect his religious responsibilities?

Did the infamous September 11 attacks change Imam Favaz Tilly’s views on what his responsibilities as a Muslim were?  Favaz says “no,” but why?  And how has mainstream media changed how the general public views Muslim culture?

Join Dr. David Liepert as he talks to Imam Fayaz about what it’s been like living in Canada, living through 9/11, and rising to prominence as a Salafi Muslim leader helping his community navigate these difficult times.  Is there really any difference between Muslim and Canadian values, or do both traditions promote pluralism, and demand we find a path forward together? Listen and find out!

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Eboo Patel, a founding member of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Advisory Council on Faith Based Partnerships, grew up Muslim…but he grew up American too! Eboo struggled to reconcile the traditional “one-faith” model of religious belief with the reality of a myriad of believers following a myriad of religious doctrines, yet all living the same struggle to serve their God and make the world a better place for all.

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In this episode, Eboo Patel shares how he founded the Interfaith Youth Core to help bring that vision to life, and how he has come to write two books including, Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation.  With a third book on its way, Eboo describes his experiences and conclusions regarding the best ways diverse believers can follow their different paths and share the same planet in peace.

“A huge part of religion is taking care of one’s neighbor…regardless of faith,” says Eboo Patel, going on to describe how interfaith cooperation works best.  Eboo details how President Obama stepped up to help make a meaningful interfaith group, as well as the President’s “interfaith challenge” (and where you can take it yourself!).  “I thought I was going to start turning cartwheels in the Oval Office,” laughs Eboo.

How does the Inaugural Advisory Council on Faith Based Partnerships walk the fine line between church and state?  How do they avoid using taxes to fund religious-based agendas?  And do these faith based initiatives really make a difference?

Join the Dr. David Liepert, the Optimistic Muslim, as he talks with Eboo Patel about what it was like to sit in the Oval Office the day President Obama announced his hopes for America, and what it’s been like living in and serving America Faithfully ever since!  Tune in!

The post The Optimistic Muslim – Did God Give Us Different Religions For A Reason? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

There’s a reason why Wahida Valiante is one of the world’s 500 Most Influential Muslims. After a 40 year career of social activism, she knows a thing or two about what’s wrong with the world, and how we can all help to make it better. And she’s finally put that all together in one place in her new book A Mosaic Of Thoughts available on Amazon! Join the Optimistic Muslim, Dr. David Liepert, as he talks with Sr. Wahida about the evil depths humankind can sink to–with genocide being the deepest depth of all!–and the hope that faith and authentic Islam can bring when practiced by hands that know and love it best.

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“People are people: We all struggle with the same things, we all want the same things, we all use the same excuses; so just cut to the chase, figure out what the real issue is, and get to it,” says Dr. David Liepert, paraphrasing Wahida Valiante.  So why can’t we all just get along?  Dr. Liepert and Wahida examine various explanations and translations as to why god would divide people into different tribes, different nations, and different sexes.  Is it really to “know” one another?  Or is it a message of tolerance?

Wahida Valiante also discusses what went into the making of her book, A Mosaic of Thoughts, and how her background as a family therapist came into play.  Learn how Wahida was able to use her experiences working with abusive men to her advantage–and how she was able to transform those same experiences into a religious context.

But what is really expected of Muhammad’s followers?  And how many of those expectations should we actually strive to live up to?

God made us to rejoice in and learn from our differences! Knowing that, you can start to make a real difference today.  Tune in to hear how!

The post The Optimistic Muslim – How Should Muhammad’s Followers Make A Better World? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

“Not for sale.”  Those are the words that should be used when describing fellow humans; however, such is not the case–no, not even in your hometown.  Thus, Not For Sale was born: a world-wide anti-slavery campaign, dedicated to raising awareness to our world’s ongoing problem with slavery and human trafficking.  The Optimistic Muslim, Dr. David Liepert, welcomes Kevin Austin, head of Not For Sale’s “Faith Community” arm, as they talk about modern-day slavery and religion.  Muslims listeners in particular should pay close attention to hear about how they can join the International Muslim Abolitionist Movement as well, aptly named IMAM!

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Not For Sale is a world-wide anti-slavery campaign, dedicated to raising awareness of our world’s ongoing problem with slavery.

The post The Optimistic Muslim – Muslims, Christians and Jews Wiping Out Slavery Together, Because People Are Not For Sale! appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Rabbi Rami Shapiro knows a thing or two about the hospitality that lives at the true heart of Judaism.  As the Director and Founder of the Wisdom House Interfaith Conference Center in Nashville, Tennessee, he sits at the centre of an ongoing multi-faith dialogue, helped along by, among other things, some good southern cooking!  On the 10th Dark Anniversary of September 11, 2001, Rabbi Rami had a problem: figuring out what to do to heal wounds and move America’s important conversation over how best to cope with that tragedy.

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But what is Radical Hospitality?  Rabbi Rami Shapiro begins by explaining the holiday of Sukhot (the harvest festival) and how the traditions therein lead naturally into the idea of hospitality.  “Radical Hospitality… you invite the ‘other’–the person that you don’t know, the person that sort of carries all of your fears and your anxieties (because you’ve projected them onto that person)–and that’s the person that you invite in; and you try to break through!…and discover a friend,” says Rabbi Rami.  But can inter-faith hospitality really work?  Can there truly be “one humanity?”  And, going back to basics, is Radical Hospitality simply more fun?  (And is having fun in any religion really “allowed?”).

Join the Optimistic Muslim, Dr. David Liepert, as he welcomes the Jewish Holy holiday of Sukhot by talking with Rabbi Rami about the role radical hospitality could play throughout our world–here, there, and everywhere!  Maybe even as soon as next year in Jerusalem…?  With your help, anything is possible!  Tune in!

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The buying and selling of human beings: Human trafficking.  It’s here in Canada and the United States–grossing over $32-billion every year.  And most of that money comes from the trafficking of children.  Join the Optimistic Muslim, Dr. David Liepert, as he welcomes Jess Larsen of Child Rescue to share his thoughts on this on-going problem.  With Jess and Child Rescue on board, now CBS, Coca-Cola, DreamWorks, and Viacom’s Chairman Sumner Redstone have joined the fight!  Are you ready to stand up against child trafficking too?  Tune in to learn how!

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Special guest Jess Larsen of Child Rescue knows a thing or two about keeping children safe from predators, kidnappers, and sex-slavers. From his own family experiences (his mother-in-law was a child-sex-slave in Kansas), and his own personal efforts in the ongoing battle being waged against sex-slavery throughout North America today, Jess Larsen brings knowledge, experience, and some surprising perspectives on this dark and pervasive problem we ALL wish didn’t exist.

Did you know it only takes six (6) hand-written letters to your congressman to get something in motion?  Dr. David Liepert and guest Jess Larsen discuss how to bring attention to this issue in your town.  Do you want your town’s police officers to get proper training on how to recognize and deal with child trafficking?  Do you want the pimps and Johns to take responsibility for their actions–rather than continually arresting the child slaves themselves?  Getting these ideas to become realities is easier than you might think; but not without your help!

Join the Optimistic Muslim, Dr. David Liepert, as he learns what we all need to know about keeping our children safe (and each other’s children safe too!).   Learn about the transforming power of redemption in the lives of child-sex workers rescued from sex-slavery, and about that same power of getting a shot at redemption working on the pimps and child-sex-slavers themselves!

The post The Optimistic Muslim – Keeping Your Children Safe From Kidnappers, Predators and Sex-Slavers: Is There An “App” For That? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

How often have you heard far-right commentators warning, “Look out America, because the Muslims are Coming!”  Well, they might be coming, but perhaps not in the way you think. Turns out Muslim Media Mogul Negin Farsad is leading a different sort of Muslim invasion in the American Mid-West, an invasion that answers an important question: When you’re a Muslim Comedian–born, raised, and living in America–seeing how little there is to laugh about in America today thanks in part to a drastic increase in Islamophobia, what do you do? Join the Optimistic Muslim, Dr. David Liepert, as he talks to Negin about the tour, the reception so far, the hopes and aspirations that are motivating it, and the reasons behind her amazing campaign of comedy and engagement in America and around the world.  And, most importantly, how to get tickets for the show!

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Negin Farsad, recently voted the 14th funniest woman (out of 50!) in America by the Huffington Post, starts off the episode by explaining how The Muslims Are Coming came to be.  Discussing her roots on Comedy Central (“It was like the Chappelle Show, but for brown people!”), her plans for an upcoming feature film, and what it’s like taking on the American mid-west as a Muslim American.

What has the reception been like?  How does Negin Farsad manage to make such a provocative topic so hilarious?  And has The Muslims Are Coming transcended from simple “comic relief” to becoming a tool for better racial integration and understanding?  Is the hatred toward Muslims finally dying down?

In this sweet, revealing, chuckle-filled interview, Negin Farsad and Dr. David Liepert cover the gamut from Muslims, Americans, race-relations, to religious strife and Islamophobia.  What do you do when the country you love so dearly suddenly hates you?  Make ’em laugh!  Get ready to smile–and ask yourself some deep questions–as you listen to The Optimistic Muslim!

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How does someone begin the process of changing the world?  Join the Optimistic Muslim, Dr. David Liepert, as he speaks with Lorna Gladstone of the Bwindi Community Program (building schools and changing lives in Uganda), and Sara Hildebrand of Millennium Kids (working hard to help our world achieve the United Nation’s Millennium goals before 2015), about how they started, where they’re going, and how the rest of us can get started changing the world too!

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“Lorna has taken it upon her heart to do something about child poverty and child education on the other side of the planet,” says Dr. David Liepert of his first guest, Lorna Gladstone.  While she originally set out to explore the Impenetrable Forest and observe the majestic mountain gorillas, Lorna ended up discovering something else: Her love for the Bwindi village and its people.  Lorna says, of the Bwindi Community Program, “Now I am actually the U.S. rep for sponsorships for the village!”  But who are these sponsorships for?  David and Lorna discuss the children of Uganda, how Eco-tourism brought awareness to the needs of these children, how the HIV/AIDS epidemic has affected their lives, and what you can do to help!

In the second half of the episode, Sara Hildebrand shares her past experiences in social justice and how that background eventually led her to create Millennium Kids.  Currently, “over a billion” people in the world are living on less than $1.25 a day, with over half the world living on less than $2.00 a day.  Millennium Kids seeks to eradicate poverty, as well as promote gender equality and education.  Sara runs down the list of  goals–all to be met by the year 2015!  Will we be able to achieve everything on the list?  And how can we, the everyday citizen, help things to progress in the right direction?

This episode concludes The Optimistic Muslim‘s “How Do You Change the World” interview series.  It will leave you feeling happy, hopeful, and ready to change the world…for the better!

The post The Optimistic Muslim – How Do You Change The World Part Two: How Do You Become A World Changer? appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Steve Katsaros of Nokero.com had an idea for changing the world with light, and making the world’s children safe from Kerosene too. Then he came up with another idea for improving the prospects of those same children’s communities, households, and families!

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“Making the world a better place is something that we’re all concerned with, no matter what our religious background is,” says David Liepert.  His first guest, Steve Katsaros, has taken those feelings to a whole new level: Action.  Steve Katsaros has gone beyond being “concerned” and has actually stepped up to make the world a better place, by bringing non-kerosene fueled lighting throughout the third world.  The core of Katsaros’ company, No Kero, is a “campaign against antiquated lighting.”  Katsaros goes on to share that “one out of ever four people in the world” are subject to unsafe, outdated, kerosene-fueled light sources.  Could this switch in light sources help these people regain control over their lives, particularly in areas where the government controls the light?  And could this marvel of engineering also serve to stave off the effects of global warming?

In the second half, Dr. David Liepert interviews Mahdi Qasqas, answering the question: What do gangs and groups like Al-Qaeda have in common?  Perhaps more than you’d think!  How are these young people drawn into this lifestyle?  What signs should you look for?  As a parent, how can you properly “investigate” your child for these signs?  Mahdi Qasqas has the answers you’ve been searching for.

Whether you’re looking for a way to belong, just want a little bit of light, or simply want to know that there are still a few good people out there…  This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

The post The Optimistic Muslim – How Do You Change The World Part One: Light-Bringers and Child-Savers appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Eid Mubarak! And welcome to the 3 day long Muslim celebration of Eid-ul-fitr, at the end of Ramadan. Muslims are celebrating around the world, but what are they celebrating in Pakistan and Palestine, two world conflict hotspots? Join the Optimistic Muslim, Dr. David Liepert, as he talks to Khadeeja Balkhi, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility in Pakistan, and Hala Qubbaj, a teacher at Ramallah’s Creativity Centre in Palestine about what’s happening, and what lessons they’ve learned from Ramadan, in Pakistan and Palestine.

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Returning to The Optimistic Muslim for the second time, Khadeeja Balkhi, has moved up in the world!  She discusses her newly appointed position, and all of the wonderful things she’s been involved with since she was last on the show 8 months ago.  But what has been happening in Pakistan as a whole?  As we near the Founding of Pakistan, looking forward to Eid, only a year after the floods that devastated their lands–How is Pakistan doing?  Is there still something worth celebrating?  Khadeeja Balkhi’s answer will enlighten you, and maybe even surprise you.

Dr. David Liepert asks the tough questions: What is Pakistan striving for?  Is President Asif Ali Zardari truly in charge?  Where does the power lie?  How do Pakistani people feel, as a whole, toward their current leader?  What is the status of the current government?  How was the death of Osama Bin Laden viewed?

In the second half of the show, Dr. David Liepert speaks with Hala Qubbaj of Palestine.  How have the complicated politics in Palestine affected Ramadan?  Hala shares her feelings toward the celebrations and gives some key thoughts on Palestine’s feelings (not their President’s) toward Gaza and the West Bank.

What lessons can be taken away from this past month of Ramadan?  Where do we go from here?  Tune in!

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