Imam Mujahid Ramadan’s Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue Radio Show aired its newest episode on October 2nd. The topic was titled ‘Social Justice and Criminal Justice System.’ As always, the show was aired on KCEP 88.1 FM and sponsored by Silver Sage Foundation.

Ramadan hosted three esteemed guests on the show: Christopher Chiou, the acting US attorney for the District of Nevada, Athar Haseebullah, Local attorney and executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nevada, and Captain Carlos Hank, bureau commander at LVMPD’s Office of Internal Oversight. Hank was very kind to accept our last minute call to join to the show to replace Aaron D. Ford, the 34th Attorney General of Nevada, who couldn’t make it due to a delayed flight.

Imam Ramadan opened the discussion with the fact that the social justice issues we had during the terrible Tulsa Massacre are still prevalent in a smaller sense even though there have been huge steps taken towards a better justice system. He asked his guests on to reflect what are the current issues, and what can and are being done about those.

Chiou started his remarks by stating the fact that there have been many improvements in the economical, criminal, educational and social justice systems. But while all of these fields have huge issues, the criminal justice system is on the spotlight because that is the end result dealing with the injustices originating from the other areas as well. He said that the law enforcement should work together with the communities to deal with the issues. He also put forward a very important point that while people focus on the criminal injustices the most, the main cause of those problems arise from the economic, health, education and housing issues which don’t have visible results as much as the law enforcement’s dealings.

Haseebullah lamented that the law enforcement’s reforms and initiatives are not effective as the police unions are strongly preventing officers who commit serious misconducts to get a fair punishment. He said that there are officers who are promoted even though they have a history of racial and social misconducts in their records. He believes that with the visibility provided by the social media, good steps will be taken in terms of making the law enforcement more fair and transparent. But he warned that the current actions are not enough for a necessary change.

Captain Hank talked about the developments within the police departments as they have been starting more and more initiatives to bring the community closer to the law enforcement. They are pushing for more engagement and transparency in all fields. He warned that police officers also feel an immense pressure as they are always in the spotlight and it creates an unnecessary tension. He believes that there should be an understanding on both sides.

All in all, it was a great discussion to hear about the evolution of the criminal justice system towards a more fair and transparent structure. While there are still very important issues in our society, it is quite hopeful to see that we can overcome these with constant dialogue. All we need is to have an understanding for both sides. It should be also noted that the issues about the police officers and criminal justice system that we see on the social media are the end result of a deeper social divide arising from the lack of social equality, lack of healthcare, lack of quality education and lack of fair housing.

We would like to thank Imam Ramadan for yet another great discussion. Special thanks to Christopher Chiou, Ather Haseebullah, and Captain Carlos Hank for their invaluable contributions. To get the latest updates on the future episodes, please follow our social media channels.

Imam Mujahid Ramadan’s Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue radio show series (Sponsored by Silver Sage Foundation) continues with its September episode. In this discussion, Ramadan and his esteemed guests delved into the matters of disparity and economic equality.

The discussion started from the economic equality in Christianity and Islam. From that point, it moved into the contemporary issues in the United States of America regarding injustice, economic disparity and lack of education.

Reverend Gard Jameson emphasized on the importance of education in the United States to get people aware of ongoing inequality issues. He said that an extensive historical education would teach young people to be more aware about the economical problems of the minorities. He laid his concerns about the rise of white supremacy which would undermine the progress the USA has taken in the last 2 centuries.

Dora D. LaGrande talked about how Jesus gave importance to the justice and equality. She claimed that a true believer would never take someone else’s rights away. She supported activism and raising awareness in the current social issues.

Dr. Hakan Gok joined to the discussion from London and he started his points by narrating how Islam was able to spread so fast around the Middle East due its stance on economic justice and equality. He believes that the word should follow the Islamic examples and the recent developments in Germany is a good step towards achieving economic equality. But he expressed his concerns that the USA is falling behind in these development. According to Gok, the lack of affordable health care and housing is a primary issue which prevents a parity among the Americans.

It was a fruitful discussion on how can our societies eliminate the barriers putting people into separate economic levels. In terms of Abrahamic religions, maintaining economic equality is one of the first steps in establishing a sustainable community.

Imam Ramadan’s Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue radio shows will continue airing on the first Saturday of each month. Stay tuned! Subscribe to our Youtube channel to get notified about the future episodes.

In the 7th episode of Imam Mujahid Ramadan’s Radio Show, the topic was centered around Spirituality, Technology and Generation Y. For the show took place on July 3rd, Ramadan had a team of young speakers: Mona Asadi from Chapman University and Baha’i faith, Kailyn S. Haye from VSU university, Zeynep Akgedik from Silver Sage Foundation Youth Council and her sister Leyla Akgedik who is also from Silver Sage Foundation Youth Council were Ramadan’s guests.

The discussion started with the effects of social media on people, especially the younger generation. During the course of discussion, it was claimed that the rapid transfer of knowledge has made the younger generation more sensitive towards injustices and social issues. The new generation follow the political and economical developments day by day and show immediate reactions. The effect of the social media became obvious with the Black Lives Matter movement as hundreds of people were mobilized in mere hours.

However, the discussion touched to the negative aspects of this highly technologized life as well. The speakers stated that no kind of solid belief is there to support many young people. They follow names, ideas or slogans. But there is a true lack of spiritual background. On another side, the new generations have become too entitled as technology makes things happen in an instant. There is a spoiled attitude as things got quite easier such as movies can be streamed in an instant, goods can be bought and delivered to our homes in a few days etc…

Our speakers delved into the topic of cyberbullying as well. The social network communications dulled our senses. We don’t feel like we are talking to real people. For that reason, we are more prone to say things which might hurt others easily. The speakers said that we should adapt to this new environment with morals and social etiquettes.

All in all, Ramadan led a heartfelt discussion about the massive changes in our social and political environment caused by a completely new generation which has a unique grounding with technology and social media. We extend our thanks to Imam Ramadan, Asadi, Haye, and Akgedik sisters for this interesting discussion. Also special thanks to KCEP Power 88 for allowing this show to be broadcasted.

The show was abruptly ended due to the time limit given by the hosting radio station KCEP Power 88. We totally understand that they have to follow their schedule. We deeply apologize for this inconvenience.