What every American needs to know—Interview with Dean Ahmad and Alison Weir

2008 April 2

Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D., President and Director of the Minaret of Freedom Institute, is an internationally known interdisciplinary scientist, author of Signs in the Heavens: A Muslim Astronomer's Perspective on Religion and Science. He is a senior lecturer at the University of Maryland where he teaches courses on religion and progress and on religion, science and freedom. He also teaches a course on Islam, Science and Development at Georgetown University for the Center on Muslim–Christian Understanding.

Alison Weir is the founder of If Americans Knew, ‘What every American needs to know about Israel/Palestine’. A journalist off and on for many years, Weir went on an independent investigation to the flashpoints in the West Bank and Gaza rarely visited by American journalists. Since returning she has spoken on Capitol Hill, to business leaders, at prestigious Washington D.C. thinktanks, and at a multitude of universities. Read her articles.

The mission of If Americans Knew is to inform and educate the American public on issues of major significance that are unreported, underreported, or misreported in the American media.

Alison outs the much under-publicized American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel foreign lobby, which, however, is not registered as a foreign lobby. She also mentions a powerful Supreme Court decision that removes restrictions on dual citizenship put in place in 1940. 

Current buzz on the web discusses the implications of dual citizenship for our government today, “important, if true.”

Alison also mentions the strip searches made on women as well as girls by Israeli security, and the application of the death penalty, although not to Jews.

Dean cites his article concerning neoconservatives, published in American Muslim Magazine.

Alison encourages people to subscribe to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, a well-researched journal.

Dean connects the current credit crunch and high price of oil to our foreign policy, something that most Americans remain ignorant of.

Alison warns of the new efforts to railroad the US into a war with Iran.

There are a number of great sites for up-to-date, accurate information; here are some useful sites:

Minaret of Freedom

If American Knew

The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs

B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. 

Alison relates the story about how her appearance at a local library was almost censored.

Alison relates the story of how a young boy was shot by Israeli security forces, on camera by an AP photographer. The AP bureau, however, made sure that the video, which contained evidence of what Americans would consider an atrocity—was erased. 

Alison discusses the many ways that we, as ordinary citizens, can take back our news sources and inform each other about what is going on in the world today.