AMERICA INSIDE OUT WITH KATIE COURIC is a new six-part docuseries premiering on the National Geographic on April 11. Couric travels to dozens of cities across North America — from Freemont, Nebraska, to Montgomery, Alabama, to talk with hundreds of people to get an inside look at pressing social issues.

On April 11, MALA is proud to host the premier screening of The Muslim Next Door, the first installment in the series.

After the screening, a special panel of some of MALA's dynamic storytellers will discuss their impressions and their reflections on being "The Muslim Next Door." We invite you to continue the conversation at a reception immediately after.

Muslims in America are stepping into the spotlight: from Aziz Ansari and the Hadid sisters to Mahershala Ali and the coterie of comedians on “The Daily Show” who have made us laugh at our own biases. Couric begins this journey with comedian and actor Aasif Mandvi to learn more about why this moment is a time of great pressure, and opportunity, for Muslim Americans. Couric spends time with a Muslim community in Raleigh, North Carolina, reeling from a tragic hate crime; meets a glamorous young model who is a Somali refugee; hangs out in Brooklyn with a Muslim hip-hop artist, Olympic medalist and tech entrepreneur; and tells the story of a doctor in rural Minnesota who is taking it upon himself to fight the misunderstanding that has subjected his children and wife to bullying. How do we balance our fears with fairness? What is it really like to be Muslim in America?

PLEASE NOTE THAT RSVP DOES NOT GUARANTEE ENTRY - PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A SEAT. DOORS OPEN AT 5:30PM.

Our Panelists

Sadaf Jaffer
Sadaf Jaffer is scholar with research and teaching interests in Islamic, South Asian, and Asian American studies. She is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies. Her current book project focuses on secular thought among Indian Muslim intellectuals and she recently published an article entitled "Finding Hope in Islamic History" with the Foreign Policy Research Institute. In addition to her scholarly ventures, Jaffer works in advocacy and activism with a focus on women’s empowerment and political engagement. She is on the board of The New Agenda, an organization working to address women’s economic advancement, gender representation, and sexual assault. She also serves in on the advisory boards of Inspiring South Asian American Women (ISAAW), a group dedicated to encouraging civic engagement among South Asian American Women, and Art and Resistance through Education (ARTE), a non-profit that promotes human rights education and youth development through the arts. Jaffer is a graduate of Georgetown's School of Foreign Service and earned her PhD from Harvard University.

Laurel Hilbert
Laurel Allen Hilbert is the Founder and CEO of A Dignified Home Children and Youth Services. A native of Syria, he came to this country in 2013, where he experienced firsthand the challenges and difficulties of being homeless. He is proud to have risen above his own visual impairment to achieve the creation of A Dignified Home Children and Youth Services. Before founding A Dignified Home, his professional background included experience as an international outreach and admissions assistant with Rennert International in New York City. Prior to that he also held a position with Vision Services for the Blind as a service representative in New York. Laurel is very proud of the valuable experience he gained serving as vice president of membership for Toastmasters International, and of his volunteer work with the Brooklyn Community Pride Center. Most recently he has joined the initiative A Way Home America (AWHM), a movement to prevent and end homelessness among youth and young adults.

Mohamed Abubakr
Mohamed Abubakr is the President of The African Middle Eastern Leadership Project (AMEL), and a Sudanese human rights activist and peacemaker with over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. He has founded or served as a director for multiple NGOs focused on humanitarian, human rights, youth empowerment and peace programs across MEA including in Darfur, South Sudan, Sudan, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and beyond. Mr. Abubakr has volunteered in, worked for, and founded numerous national and international civil society organizations, and since arriving in the United States has become a sought after voice at the State Department and in Congress concerning policy and human rights issues in the region.

Donya Nasser
Donya Nasser is a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow at the Truman Center for National Policy. She is also the youngest Board Director of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Board, as well as a Youth Director on the Western Hemisphere Region Board and Governing Council of the International Planned Parenthood Fund. She was named one of CDS' 2016 "30 Under 30 Leaders of Tomorrow" and Persian Tech Entrepreneurs "100 Most Influential Persian Entrepreneurs and Innovators of 2015." She is passionate about advocating for gender equality and reproductive justice on both a domestic and international level; empowering women, youth, and minorities to become civically engaged and run for office, and contributing to Middle East policy while combating stigmas and stereotypes. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. John’s University, and pursued her MA in Iranian Studies at SOAS, University of London, as a recipient of both the John Loiello and Kamran Djam Scholarships in 2017.

OUR MODERATOR

Ahmed Flex Omar
A native of Somaliland, Ahmed is the cofounder and Deputy Director of the Muslim American Leaderhip Alliance (MALA). He received the Presidential Service Award, bestowed by President Barack Obama, in November 2016. Passionate about youth mentorship and combating radicalization, he grew up in the UAE before immigrating to Chicago as an adult. In his own family, he has witnessed both extremism and opportunity firsthand: one of his uncles is a cleric linked to Al Qaeda, while another uncle is a World Bank economist. He worked at UBS Wealth Management Group, American Express, RSM Mcgladrey, and Deloitte before founding “Global Eventz,” an event marketing company that has organized over 500 corporate, nightlife and charity events. He is also an active member of the Chicago Leadership Alliance.

ABOUT MALA

The Muslim American Leadership Alliance (MALA) is a 501(c)3 civic & community organization committed to promoting individual freedom and diversity, and to celebrating our heritage. An alliance dedicated to leadership through integrity, MALA provides a platform for people to share their individual stories and to speak for themselves; nurtures emerging community leaders; and unites Americans of all backgrounds to advance constructive solutions to extremism and human rights abuses. MALA is open to choice and creed, and we embrace free expression, gender equality, and pluralism as cherished universal ideals.