Continuing the conversation from the previous episode, the crew examines the ideological landscape of American Sunni Muslims and the problematic state of the community's thought leadership. Ashmal and Bilawal map their forays into religious heterodoxy: from Orthodox Sunni beliefs to Protestant Bible studies, and from there to self-guided inquiry into Nahj al-Balagha (3:24). The duo's experiences shed light on how religious identity is often forged outside and despite of traditional institutions (5:17). Hani and Shawn continue building on the theme of assimilation into the empire scripting Muslim-American identity and theology (16:33). This dynamic has given birth to a distinct, neoliberal Islam—cut off from global resistance, reframed as lifestyle, and shaped by leisure class interests and Evangelical logics (23:48).

Become  ...