In January 2015 Representative André Carson (IN-07) was named to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence by the Democratic Leader of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Representative Carson is the first Muslim to sit on the committee. 

In our Q&A he responds to some questions we posed to him about his appointment and his goals. Read an excerpt below, and click here to read the full interview.

TCI: After being appointed to this Committee you issued a press release in which you said that you will do everything to support those who monitor and combat terrorism threats both here and overseas. What are your broad goals to achieve that objective?

Rep. Carson: I think it's important to note that Congress should represent the diversity not only of our country but our communities racially, ethnically, philosophically, and religiously. My presence on the House Intelligence Committee should reflect that same diversity. The same religious diversity, the same philosophical diversity, the same kind of insights that one could bring from my background as a former law enforcement officer and as the only member, to date, of Congress who has worked in an intelligence fusion center.

March 10, 2015 - The Cordoba Initiative took part in From Selma to Now, a celebration of the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement at the Unitarian Church of All Souls. The evening began with Gathering Music, followed by a worship service in celebration of Rev. Dick Leonard, who marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. at Selma in 1965.

Special guests included Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul, and Mary, and his daughter Bethany. They led congregational singing with the ActorCor, Love Alive, New Amsterdam Boys & Girls, All Souls Children and Community Choirs. View more photos: click here.

February 26, 2015 - Naz Georgas and Matea Gelic from TCI joined the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, a group of Muslim and Jewish women, in attending a screening of Besa: The Promise . The film commemorates the heroic response of Albanian Muslims who risked their lives sheltering Jews during the Holocaust. The women used the opportunity to discuss the importance of amplifying narratives of Jewish and Muslim unity and their commitment to stand together against all forms of hatred.

The Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom aims to build strong relationships between Muslim and Jewish women based on mutual trust and respect, and a shared commitment to battling Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism. Its members participate in discussions, social events, and service based projects with the hope of furthering collaboration between the two communities.

...the Muslim community has worked with
the NYPD to eliminate "a shared risk" posed by terrorism

Imam Feisal quoted in The Wall Street Journal

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Need for Balanced View of Shariah

"I would encourage Muslims and non-Muslims to read the book (Moving the Mountain) to have a clear and balanced view of Islamic jurisprudence with regards to the substance and various forms in which it has been applied since the Prophet Muhammad's time and to this day."

Imam Feisal cited in op-ed on Shariah in Malaysia in New Straits Times

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April 16 - The Evolving American Muslim Identity (New York, NY)

Imam Feisal will speak on "The Evolving American Muslim Identity" during a two-day conference titled Growing Up Muslim in Europe and the United States at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). Download the event flier.

April 19 - Mid-Michigan Interfaith Dialogue Symposium (Saginaw, MI)

Imam Feisal will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 Mid-Michigan Interfaith Dialogue Symposium in Saginaw, MI. Download the event fliers here and here.

April 22 - Enhancing Muslim-Western Relations (Cleveland, OH)

South Franklin Circle resident Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell to interview Imam Feisal about improving relations between the Muslim and Western cultures. Click here for more information.

4.  Invite Imam Feisal to your city for a book reading

5.  Follow Imam Feisal on Twitter

6. "Like" the Cordoba Initiative on Facebook