A potent challenge to prevailing thoughts on politics and culture, with the goal of bringing Muslims and Christians closer.
A galvanizing look at religious freedom in the United States through the prism of attacks on the constitutional rights of American Muslims.
We spied on some of America's most religious citizens. Will there be a reckoning?
November, 2021
The narrative around religious liberty has, in recent yers, been contentious. Scholars and commentators alike have alleged that recent Supreme Court opinions demonstrate a pro-religion bias and, even more controversially, favoritism of Christians over Muslims. A case argued before the Court on November 8th implicates those precise issues.
Asma T. Uddin is a scholar and advocate specializing in religious liberty and Muslim identity in America. Her work explores the intricate dynamics surrounding faith, polarization, and being a religious minority in the modern era.
Uddin's books, When Islam Is Not a Religion and The Politics of Vulnerability, delve into these complexities through a multidisciplinary lens interweaving law, psychology, and public policy. As a constitutional law expert, she has helped litigate landmark religious freedom cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet her impact is not confined to the courtroom - she strives to be a voice challenging prevailing narratives and fostering new cross-cultural understanding.
Central to Uddin's work is developing innovative, data-driven approaches to reducing religious polarization in America. As a Fellow with the Aspen Institute's Religion & Society Program, she has pioneered initiatives that build bridges and counter deeply entrenched divides. This pursuit of depolarization strategies has received support from prestigious institutions like Pew Charitable Trusts, Templeton Religion Trust, and others.
Uddin is a prolific author whose thought leadership emanates across scholarly publications and mainstream media outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today and more. Her unique perspectives have earned her recognition, including being named one of 20 "new reformers" redefining the conservative movement by Deseret Magazine in 2022.
From the halls of Notre Dame to international forums at the OSCE, Uddin's counsel on issues surrounding polarization, religious liberty, and Muslim identity in the American context is sought after. Blending intellectual rigor, cross-cultural fluency, and a catalytic vision, she strives to forge new paths for diverse religious groups to feel they truly belong in America while retaining their distinct identity and heritage.