amer smadi
Amer Smadi is one of Jordan Television's leading hosts and news anchors, host of a weekly prime time talk show on social, political, and cultural issues, and topics particularly relevant to Muslim youth. Amer produced a special series from the US after the presidential elections, looking ahead to US relations with Jordan and the Middle East, and exploring religion, culture, and the Muslim community in America.
Religious Diversity and the Muslim Community in America
- Aly Abuzakuk, Director of the Washington Office of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy
- Zuhdi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy
- Allen Hertzke, Visiting Senior Research Fellow in Religion and Public Policy
Interfaith Community at Georgetown University
Amer spent the day on Georgetown's campus speaking with Imam Yahya Hendi and a panel of religious leaders about the importance of the interfaith community on a college campus. Amer also spoke with student leaders in the Muslim Student Association about their involvement in interfaith activities, and role of religion in the lives of Muslim students in America.
- Imam Yahya Hendi, Muslim Chaplain at Georgetown University
- Rabbi Harold White, Jewish Chaplain at Georgetown University
- Dr. John Borelli, Special Assistant to the President for Inter religious Initiatives
The Next President: US Policy towards the Middle East under Barack Obama
- Clifford May, President of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies
- Reuel Marc Gerecht , resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
- David Pollock, senior fellow at the Washington Institute on Near East Policy
Arab American Dialogue
A conversation about the struggles and succeses of the Arab-American community and their role in the recent presidential elections.
- Zainab al-Suwaij, Executive Director of the American Islamic Congress
- Yousef Munayyer, Policy Analyst for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
- Mazhar Samman, the Former Executive Vice President of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC)
- Jamal Awamleh, Precinct Captain and Member of Resolutions Committee, Alexandria City Democratic Comittee
US Relationship with Jordan
- Hassan Barari, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
- Claude Salhani Editor of the Middle East Times
- Ambassador Nicholas Veliotes, former Ambassador to Jordan and Egypt and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs.
Interview with Fawaz Bibleisi, Economic Counselor to the Jordanian Embassy
Interview with Salman Ahmad
Amer interviewed Salman Ahmad about his work in bridging the divide between the US and the Muslim world through his music, including a performance of two of his songs.
Ahmad is the popular guitarist and composer of the popular South Asian rock group, Junoon. Ahmad is also a goodwill ambassador for the UN, acting as the US national spokesperson in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He is also on the board of directors of Breakthrough, an international human rights organization that uses education and popular culture to promote values of dignity, equality, and justice.
Ahmad has produced two documentary films. The Rock Star and the Mullahs tracks Ahmad's visit to the northern Pakistani town of Peshawar, where he directly challenges the local Muslim clergy who have banned all forms of music. His most recent film, Muslims in America: It's My Country Too, uncovers the authentic spirit of American Muslims and their experience wrestling with the personal and social consequences of the 9/11 attacks.