Muslim woman helps Americans understand Islam
A Muslim American woman, Sam Mak, seeks to help Americans better understand Islam, Muslims and the differences between extremists who claim to represent Islam and those who do
Like the rest of the world and most of the Islamic community worldwide, Sam Mak is appalled by the recent ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris. As a first generation Muslim American she is equally distressed by the talk of dealing with future threats of terrorism by creating a national database of Muslims and denying access to the U.S. by asylum-seeking Syrians fleeing their war-torn homeland.
As upset as she is, however, Mak sees an opportunity in the crisis that has yet to be realized: the chance for Christians and Muslims to open a meaningful dialogue about their shared values. She wants to replace the fearful talk about ISIS and Islam with a discussion about the ways that diversity has led to new concepts and ideas that have given the U.S. the technological and intellectual edge that many homogenous countries lack—and how accepting Syrian refugees with love will enrich America with all the benefits and new perspectives they will bring.
Speaker
Sam Mak
(PRNewsFoto)
In her talks, Mak discusses:
- Contributions Muslims have made to the everyday lives of Americans. Most people do not know, for example, that Steve Jobs’ father was a Syrian immigrant.
- Building on the similarities between Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
- Women’s rights in Islam and how Muslim women enjoy many privileges not known in the West.
- What Muslims who make up one quarter of our world really believe about freedom, diversity and everyday values.
ABOUT SAM MAK
Sam Mak is an experienced diversity and multicultural trainer and facilitator who has developed a video series that answers commonly asked questions about Islam. She also speaks to community groups and international organizations about the rights of Muslim women.
AVAILABILITY: Fairfax, Va., nationwide by arrangement and via telephone
CONTACT: Sam Mak, Email
Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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