Featured Work

Featured Articles

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.

A Nebraska Pastor Died a Martyr in Iran. Here's Why You Should Know His Name.

Silma Suba: I think what struck me the most reading about Baskerville is this is an interfaith story. At its heart, it’s a story about a Christian missionary who fought alongside his Muslim students in a country that was not his own. You’re a scholar of both religions who has lived both religions. What drove you to tell his story?

Reza Aslan: I heard bits and pieces of this story growing up [in Iran], and I would see his name on a street sign, or a coffee shop, or a school. I only knew sort of

On hit shows 'Ramy' and 'Mo,' Azhar Usman adds nuance about Islam (and joy) to Hollywood

(Interfaith America) — If you watch the credits roll on some recent TV shows, you’ll see one name popping up again and again: Azhar Usman. You can’t help but notice another thing these recent hits for Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus have in common: They are shifting Hollywood’s narrative about American Muslims.

“Mo” follows a Palestinian American refugee in Houston. “Ms. Marvel” is about a teenage Muslim superhero. “Ramy” is the semi-autobiographical comedy by Ramy Youssef that has won Golden Glo

10 Years After Oak Creek Shooting, Interfaith Engagement Helps Sikh Community Heal

The morning of August 5, 2012, began like any other Sunday for Satwant Singh Kaleka. It was sunny and quiet in the small city of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where the 65-year-old retiree lived and served as the president of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin — called a gurdwara —a holy place of worship for Sikhs — which he had founded in 1997 to form a sanctuary for his community. His wife and many of his neighbors were with him that morning inside the gurdwara, preparing langar, a communal meal of chapati,

Can diabetic Muslims fast safely in Ramadan? These guidelines can help.

Two children stand with their father as he and other Muslims perform an Eid al-Fitr prayer in an outdoor open area, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, May 13, 2021, in Morton Grove, Illinois. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)

(Interfaith America) — Nafeesunnisa Syed, a resident of Palos Hills, Illinois, had been prone to exhaustion, dizziness and frequent fainting spells ever since she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1994. Despite her symptoms, she continued to fast during Ramadan,