Muslim Reform Movement Struggles for an Inclusive Islam

In the wake of major attacks by Islamic extremists, such as those in Paris and San Bernadino, there are frequently calls for moderate Muslims to step up and counter messages of hate espoused by extreme fundamentalists. A group of American Muslims recently launched a new initiative to counter the ideology of radical Islam, called the Muslim Reform Movement.

Journalist and activist Asra Nomani is the group’s co-founder.  When Nomani was working as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Pakistan back in 2002, her friend and colleague Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by extremists. Ever since, Nomani has been fighting for what she calls a more inclusive Islam.

Here, the Takeaway talks with Nomani, the author of “Standing Alone: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam,” about her latest reform efforts.

Nomani’s activism at her former hometown mosque in West Virginia, and the backlash she experienced there, are revisited in “The Mosque in Morgantown,” a documentary coming to America ReFramed, a series co-produced by our partner WGBH.

The series continues tonight on the WORLD Channel with the first of a trio of documentaries that explore many issues American Muslims have been wrestling with since 9/11. The documentary featuring Nomani airs on February 16th. (Check local listings) 

Check out a trailer for “The Mosque in Morgantown” below.