TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE


PROMO FOR       2/14/2010      "When We Meet"
*Many of us first met Islam on 9/11 with planes slamming into the World
Trade Center   not a very good first impression. In this hour of To the
Best of Our Knowledge, a proper introduction, as we talk with Muslims
and Westerners who are redefining our relationship. From a Danish
cartoonist with a fatwa over his head to the founder of the Muslim Punk
movement. Meeting each other again, next time.


PROGRAM RUNDOWN:  "When We Meet"

0:00 - 14:08        SEGMENT 1: (14:09)
            Moustafa Bayoumi is the author of "How Does It Feel To Be
            A Problem? Being Young and Arab in America."  He talks
            with Jim Fleming about how 9/11 caused him to feel like
            an outsider in his own country.  Also, Dilshad Ali is the
            US correspondent for IslamOnline dot net and former
            Islamic editor for Beliefnet dot com.  She's a Muslim who
            grew up in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She talks about
            reading the Christian-influenced Narnia tales to her
            children.   

                         
            Segment One Outcue:  "...PRI - Public Radio
            International."

14:09 - 14:38  LOCAL OPTION with music bed (:29)

14:39 - 35:40       SEGMENT 2: (21:03)
            Alaa Al Aswany reads from his novel, "Chicago," and talks
            with Steve Paulson about it.  Al Aswany is one of the
            top-selling novelists in the Arab world, but because
            copyright protections are weak there, he still works
            part-time as a dentist. He says this keeps him in touch
            with the people. He firmly rejects political Islam. Also,
            Michael Muhammed Knight wrote a novel called "The
            Taqwacores."  He made up the word: taqwa is Arabic for
            piety and core means hardcore.  Since the book came out,
            it's sparked a punk movement, a documentary and a full
            length feature film.  Anne Strainchamps talked with
            Knight about how an Irish Catholic kid became an
            observant Muslim at age 16, and about the effects of his
            novel on other young Muslims. 
                         
            Segment Two Outcue:  "...PRI - Public Radio
            International."

35:41 - 36:10       LOCAL OPTION with music bed (:29)

36:11 - 53:00       SEGMENT 3: (16:49)
            Kurt Westergaard is the Danish cartoonist who depicted
            the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban in a
            Danish newspaper in 2005.  Riots ensued all over the
            world and a death fatwa was issued against Westergaard. 
            He describes his situation to Steve Paulson and feels
            that within the Danish tradition of humor and free
            speech, he did nothing wrong.  Also, until January 20 of
            this year, Swiss philosopher Tariq Ramadan was banned
            from the United States.  He's also been banned from
            Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Tunisia.  His
            admirers consider him one of the top Muslim reformers. 
            Ramadan tells Steve Paulson that Islam should be viewed
            as a religion in its own right and not compared to the
            history of Christianity. He says Westerners should
            consider the opinions of the silent majority of Muslims,
            not the noisy minority. 
              
            Segment Three Outcue: PRI Audio Logo


For a copy of this hour, call 1-800-747-7444, and ask for program number
2-14-A.

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