On the one year anniversary of the Supreme Court decision solidifying the Muslim Ban, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), NYU Washington, DC, Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC), Justice for Muslims Collective (JMC), and the Arab American Institute (AAI) hosted a program to explore the history and impact of structural Islamophobia. Through a moderated panel discussion, experts discussed the law surrounding the Ban, links between societal and systematic Islamophobia, and frameworks to understand Islamophobia. The panel provided analysis alongside calls to action to challenge structural Islamophobia at its roots, resist systemic bigotry of all kinds, and amplify the voices of people currently impacted by the Ban today.
Please note that this event may have been filmed and/or photographed.
Abed Ayoub, National Legal & Policy Director, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Abed A. Ayoub serves as the National Legal & Policy Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the country’s largest Arab American civil rights organization, based in Washington, D.C. Through his position Ayoub works to address issues impacting Arabs and Muslims in the United States, including discrimination, hate crimes, and profiling. Ayoub is a native of Dearborn, Michigan, which is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans. Outside of ADC, he works with a number of organizations on interfaith projects and has participated in numerous diversity training programs throughout the country. Ayoub has received recognition for his public interest work and dedication to the legal community.
Dr. Maha Hilal, Co-Director, Justice for Muslims Collective
Dr. Maha Hilal is the co-Director of Justice for Muslims Collective where she focuses on political education addressing institutionalized Islamophobia. Dr. Hilal is also an organizer with Witness Against Torture and a Council member of the School of the Americas Watch. She earned her doctorate in May 2014 from the Department of Justice, Law and Society at American University in Washington, D.C. The title of her dissertation is “Too damn Muslim to be trusted”: The War on Terror and the Muslim American response. She received her Master’s Degree in Counseling and her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Namira Islam, Co-Founder and Community Engagement Director, Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative
Namira Islam is a lawyer and graphic designer. She is the Co-Founder and Community Engagement Director of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC), an organization which provides racial justice education and training. Namira previously practiced in poverty law, worked in prisoners’ rights litigation, and interned in international criminal law and war crimes for the United Nations. Her legal background includes research on racism and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training. Based in metro Detroit, Namira is an alumna of the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and the Michigan State University College of Law.
Dalia Mogahed, Director of Research, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Dalia Mogahed is the Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, where she leads the organization’s pioneering research and thought leadership programs on American Muslims. Mogahed is former Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, where she led the analysis of surveys of Muslim communities worldwide. With John L. Esposito, she co-authored the book Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think. President Barack Obama appointed Mogahed to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2009. She was invited to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations about U.S. engagement with Muslim communities. Her 2016 TED talk was named one of the top TED talks that year. She is a frequent expert commentator in global media outlets and international forums. She is also the CEO of Mogahed Consulting.
