What It's Like to Be a Refugee

Refugee. The word has become quite an insidious code word. While it used to mean the needy, the hungry, the displaced, it seems that now for many it has taken on a very different meaning: the terrorist, the job-stealer, the beggar, the rapist.

How did we come to a place where our empathy has been almost completely arrested by disinformation campaigns targeting those who are completely disenfranchised? Homeless, without a country, welcome nowhere?

There are currently an estimated 65.3 million refugees worldwide according to the UNHCR. This is more than at any time in the world's history since World War II.

This country was founded by refugees fleeing religious persecution, yet we find ourselves having difficulty opening our arms to current day refugees.

This podcast will discuss who modern refugees are, where they are, and the plight of refugee women and children.

Demystifying the Hijab

There is a conception, or perhaps rather a misconception, that Muslim women who wear hijab are forced to cover themselves by Muslim men who are enforcers of this religious tradition. Head covering has been interpreted by some as shaming the woman. A way to keep the woman in her place. In my fascinating interviews with two Muslim women who wear hijab, we discussed the hijab and what is really behind head covering, or modesty. The hijab has become a flash point for many in the US who hold the idea that Islam signifies the enemy, hate, terrorism. Why are we so afraid of the hijab?