Salam Al-Marayati – President, Muslim Public Affairs Council

Nationally recognized for his commitment to improving the public understanding of Islam and policies impacting American Muslims, Salam is president and co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. He oversees MPAC’s groundbreaking civic engagement, public policy, and advocacy work.

He is an expert on Islam in the West, Muslim reform movements, human rights, democracy, national security, and Middle East politics. He has spoken at the White House and Capitol Hill, and represented the U.S. at international conferences on human rights and religious freedom.

His writings have appeared in every major national news publication (including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times). Read his most recent op-ed in the Chicago Sun Times on why Muslims will keep facing hate crimes if Congress stays silent.

Over the years, his interviews have been featured on national and international news outlets (including ABC, CNN, CBS MSNBC, Fox News, and C-SPAN). Listen to Salam on CNN Newsroom discuss why American Muslim voters are hesitant to trust the Biden-Harris Administration.

Because he believes that community development is essential to fully integrating Muslims within America’s pluralism, Salam has facilitated hundreds of civic engagement workshops 1around the country—from rooms of five people to conference halls of hundreds.

Salam is an adjunct faculty member at Bayan Claremont, a board member of the Muslim Reform Institute, and an advisor to several political, civic, and academic institutions seeking to understand the role of Islam and Muslims in America and throughout the world. Deeply involved in interfaith activities, Salam was co-chair of the Interfaith Coalition to Heal Los Angeles, which formed in the wake of the 1992 Los Angeles uprisings and has been a valued colleague and friend of The Guibord Center for many years.

Speaker: Take Heart Now Series