tv United Shades of America CNN May 26, 2017 10:00pm-11:01pm PDT
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thanks very much for watching "360." united shades of america starts right now. on this show we're talk about muslims and arabs. that's how i can tell -- that's not the reaction that sentence would get in other parts of the country. we're talking about muslims and arabs, wham. by the way, i'm super excited about this episode. it's important to separate that. i've got to say it out loud because a lot of people don't realize this, not all muslims are arabs, and not all arabs are
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muslims. yeah. and i'm not even trying to be cond snding when i say that, because i suffer from that. i didn't know. i have a friend and she says i'm arab-christian. what did you convert? she's like are no, my namfully is all christian. your family is all christian how did that happen? because jesus is from the middle east. well, he was. good point. yeah, yeah. yeah. as a comedian i've made a living finding humor in parts of america i don't understand. and now i'm challenging myself to dig deemer. i'm on a mission to reach out and experience all the cultures and believes in this country. this is the united shades of
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america. whether america as a whole wants to talk about it or not, america has always had heroes who are muslims. humommed alee, abdul-jabbar, and malcolm x are the best of us. malcolm x. was on a posage stamp and karim abdul-jabbar was on an airplane, a true american hero. when i a kid i kind of wished i was a muslim, especially the nation of islam. they looked cool, talked cool, and they were on the front lines of the civil rights movement. you may remember in the '90s a muslim man actually got people to march peacefully, and there's also other people i can think of to pull that off. well, beyonce, definitely
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beyauns. >> investigating a fire and they believe, and i'm quoting here, an intentional act. >> but oh, have times changed. >> recovering today from can knife wounds. >> a woman brutally beaten will be flown up for burial in iraq. >> hate crimes were up 60%. and in the first ten days after the 2016 election there were more than 300 bias related incidents that targeted immigrants or muslims. and what does our fearless leader do in response? a big speech to bring us all together? nope. >> the world is reacting to president trump's executive order banning those from seven muslim majority nations from entering the united states. >> big stuff. >> oh, yeah, it's big stuff especially if you consider this. take it from my mate fareed
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zakaria. >> you guessed it, zero. >> president trump's order compmizes american values at what couldn't be a worse time. as some muslims leave conflict riddled areas of the middle east and end up in america, many land not in major cities but in the more affordable suburbs. and nowhere has seen this happen more than the detroit metro area. motown meet more muslims town. small towns are home to over 300,000 americans with routes in the middle east. and in deerborn one out of every three people are arabs, many of
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whom are muslims. and that stat makes the suburban community the scariest place in america? although, when we got there people were maybe a little more -- than normal. the election had happened just days before we arrived. i didn't know what to expect from the muslims there especially after trump's acceptance speech i had received a text from a good friend of my mine. so tell me what was going through your mind when you decided to text me and felt like a signal flair. >> i am so devastated, and when i texted you i was worried. >> yeah, about what specifically? >> about my family.
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>> yeah. what's going through your mind? >> i see so much misinformation. >> really? >> like there's this rhetoric of a standard of muslimness, and that's dangerous and also not true. i feel like it needs to be said there are 1.7 billion muslims in the world and growing, and 72 sects of islam. yeah, it's a -- >> 72. >> i thought there was two. i thought there was sunei and shea and black muslims. >> yep, 72. >> yeah, islam is not just one thing. most muslims fall into the schools of suni and shea and more i can't pronounce. each have their own interpretations of the quaren.
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it's pretty complicated. if only i could think of an aanology from my methodist and catholic friends. forget it. >> there's not actually a muslim community. the fact there isn't peace in the middle east is an indication that a whole lot of us like each other a whole lot. >> and you recently came out of the closet of being a bisexual. >> yeah. >> to me and the rest of her friends, she's a progressive social justice activist living her version of what it is to be a good muslim. but to some strict orthodox believers those things plus the fact she's bisexual and married to an atheist, make her a bad muslim. so looking ahead -- >> maybe don't say so much about my muslimness. >> so is that what's going to happen in the nee era? >> people need to wake up.
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cheers to end of the world. >> have some sugar. that'll make you feel better. see? zarra was clearly feeling all the feels. she wasn't alone. this crowd here is huge, more than a half a mile long. americans of all backgrounds all over the country hit the streets to protest. even the small 2.2 mile suburb of ham trance. >> to stop trump's attacks on immigrants. do i have a second? >> aye. >> i'm just your friendly detroit muslim. as muslim, like, this is so moving. you guys are so sincere in being here and supporting people in our community and other margeinized people in detroit and the area. one thing i want to emphasize is try to make a muslim friend because you can't build empathy
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for people until you get to know them. you can't get to know them unless you spend time with them and get to know them. i want to talk to you specifically because there were a lot of people giving speeches, but you stepped up and said something very perm. >> a lot of misunderstandings about muslims have to do with who muslims are. during the slave trade up to 25% to 30% of the slaves came from predominantly muslim populations. a lot of people think islam is from a foreign country or foreign religion. it's not. it's very american. it's important to let people know these people are protected. >> can i ask you a question? >> sure. >> what do you do for a living? >> i'm an entrepreneur and photographer. >> but it feels like you're on your way. >> i have zero political
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♪ today i'm going to listen to my new muslim friend from the protest in hamtramck and try to make more muslim friends. a recent study showed six out of ten americans seldom or never had a conversation with a muslim. luckily for me, americans who don't do stuff is my target audience. tell me, what do you do in town? >> i'm a director of the islamic center for the iraqi refugees. i've been in the town here more than three years. i have left iraq because the oppression of saddam hussein, so
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this is why i really enjoy and appreciate the freedom and the election and the docracy. >> you know, we just had an election. what do you think about what's going on? >> well, actually, i voted republican this time. i'm learning to -- >> i was going to say, you voted republican. now who was on the ticket? so that means trump? >> well, sometime my hearing is not good. i voted republican this time because we are suffering from terrorism. isis is not muslim. they are terrorists. so, yes, give him a chance and -- >> i'm sorry to laugh. feel like every time someone says give him a chance, he does something, i go, what about that? another chance. what about that? give him one more chance. thank you very much. thank you. i wish i could say he was the only muslim i met that day who voted for trump. i really wish i could say that. i could use a drink.
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but out of respect to the people here, i'm going to try it relax the way they do. i'm joined by some young dudes in hamtramck for the millennium perspective. why hookah? >> hookah is something we've done thousands of years. against our religion to drink any alcoholic beverages so this is considered our bar. >> oh, wow. >> so they'll come like this. >> i blow it or breathe? >> don't inhale. >> like he's already laughing. >> we'll do it all together. ready? >> yeah. >> congratulations. >> you don't hold it in. you can just let it -- >> like a baby hookah. tastes delicious. it's like a smoked smoothie. were you all born and raised here? >> no. i was actually born in yemen. >> okay. >> then, you know, he was born in yemen. we were all born in yemen but you get to hamtramck, you actually know what it is to be american because you see the appreciation the residents have. just being able to just live a
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life without fearing whatever's happening in the middle east. >> talk about where you are in your practice of your religion. are you all actively practicing your faith? >> yes. >> yeah. i mean, main thing, the five pillars of islam, is praying five times a day. donating to the poor. go to mecca. >> it's a pilgrimage. >> yeah. fasting and telling our other peers object the religion. those are the five pillars of islam. we -- >> see, that's the call of prayer. >> is that the call to prayer? >> yeah. >> you have an alarm on your phone? >> i have an app. >> of course it is. >> it's called muslim pro. it will tell you the call of prayer in the city you're in. >> so it moves with you. >> we pray five times a day. >> i'm not getting you in trouble now. >> you can do it with the next one if you don't zip it overall. the mosques have the call of prayers on the speakers.
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you hear that in hamtramck. other cities you won't. there are a lot of people against it, they're like it's too noisy, i don't want to who are that blabbering -- >> tease are not muslims. >> our argument was, you know, we've never had an issue with the church bells going off. all we're asking if you can re t our culte. you know what i mean? >> they have more in common with you than they think. >> exactly. >> i mean, we believe in jesus, we believe in moses, we believe in noah. same stories, just along the way, you know, new testament came out and different things happened. >> all right. thanks. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. i'm still -- i tried to go out cool. it didn't happen. i definitely encounter stereotypes based on my appearance, mainly that i'm the drummer from the "tonight show." many muslim women, the fact they cover their heads with scarves or veils caused non-muslim republicans and democrats, alike, to freak the "f" out. she is a muslim woman from dearborn who can tell me what's really going an as someone who
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chooses to wear a hijab. i'm going to ask a lot of dumb questions. >> that's okay. >> some on behalf of me, some on behalf of the world. what exactly is a burqa? >> the one where only the eyes show, they have the rest of the face covered which is pretty much this much showing. the burqa covers everything. there are little holes in the -- >> when i see women wearing it, the eye makeup is on fleek, for people who know how to use that expression. >> that goes to show a lot of it is cultural. >> dumb question alert. the hijab. talk about that. >> some interpretations of the koran say you have to be covered in a certain way. the extent of the covering, it's vague how it has to be done. it doesn't say you have to cover around your face or around your hair. hijab being a sign of modesty, hijab not being a head covering, the way you interact with people.
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the way you decide to wear it is very cultural as opposed to a religious interpretation. it's very cultural at the end of the day. i feel like now is the time more than ever to go out there, make it normal to see women wearing a hijab and accept it. >> would you describe yourself as a feminist? >> absolutely. we allow women to do what they want to do. not what american women want them to do. >> i certainly agree with you and hear what you're saying. i know i have a lot of lefty progressive friends who are like, they think you need to be liberated from the head scarf. also there's a narrative that there's a double standard. muslim women have to cover up, but there's nothing in the koran that says men have to cover up. >> a lot of men do take it to that step and do cover more. that's how it is. >> okay. rima's right. many devout muslim men do wear turbans, long roads, and grow heavy beards that cover up their faces and nobody's talking about
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liberating them. my last question then i'll let you go, you see articles, i've seen these articles, dearborn, michigan, is under sharia law. >> sharia basically means it's the process in which muslims engage with the religious texts. that's what sharia means. in other countries the religious texts becomes law but american law protects from any law -- >> you can't just go i'm using sharia law in this courtroom, we should have made this illegal. we have this thing called american law we've stipulated. >> exactly. have faith in the american judicial system that it will root out anything that is illegal and it will not do anything against the constitution or any american law. >> thank you. i feel like i have a ph.d. now. probably not. but need to get a bachelor's first. thank you for sitting down with me. >> no oblem. what if there was a paint... ...where each drop was formulated tbe smarter... ...even smarter than that... ...so if a color didn't go on evenly, it would balance itself out to reveal its truest, richest state. if a paint could realize the fullest potential of any color... ...you have to wonder... is it still paint?
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♪ small town michigan's shifting demographics are perhaps best represented in hamtramck. in the 1970s it was a 90% polish community but in 2015 it held a historic election. >> muslim americans are the three top vote getters in hamtramck last night creating what's believed to be the first muslim majority city council in america. all three council members say they will represent all of the residents of hamtramck with the goal of making the city better for all. >> you mean like all politicians? at a moment muslims everywhere could have celebrated a great achievement, they were once get
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again treated with skeptical headlines. i'm meeting with hamtramck's mayor at her vintage clothing story to get her thought on this and diversifying the store mannequins. guess which i am. >> welcome to tekla. do you like old stuff? >> when i was a kid, old stuff was called hand me downs. i was like i want new clothes. i always had old clothes. >> it's another way for people to recycle including revitalizing hamtramck and bringing it into the 21st century. >> so then how did hamtramck become a city that is so heavily muslim? >> well really it's the same kind of process of chain migration that brought pols here and basically brought everyone here across the country. so-and-so comes and pretty soon the village is here. >> nobody's chased me out of town yet. maybe more of us should come. >> yeah, exactly. >> now the city council has -- >> a muslim majority. >> there's a lot of talking points that people do nationally, talk about muslim. >> sure.
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>> the idea of sharia law and things like that. >> it's so divorced from reality. there's no push toward sharia law. you know? even if it were allowable. people ask us about that all the time and hamtramckans roll their eyes. we're not afraid of our muslim neighbors. >> you're painting a rosy picture. all cities have tension even if everybody is the same race and same religious. >> absolutely, absolutely, there are tension. call to prayer becomes an issue occasionally. people in the summer people have their windows open. >> part of the price you pay for living in a place that has good fulofal. >> being a dad to two young girls, i've heard the "frozen" theme song so many times, i've gotten used to letting things go. someone who can't seem to let go of her issues with her muslim neighbors is hamtramck resident and activist susan dunn. this community is heavily yemen. they're bringing their life here, you wish they adapted to a more traditional american way of
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life or is it just how they're living their life? >> when i'm forced to hear your call of prayer in my house on a sunday when i'm reading a book, i have a problem with that because my life isn't coming four blocks into your house. >> you have the call to prayer on your phone. you want to play it for me so i can hear it? >> you want the one that's pitch ack 6:00 something in the morning? >> yeah. >> now that the church bells are going. >> that's the irony. the church bells are drowning out the call to prayer. here we are. >> deal with that for an hour. >> now, there's a train to give us another loud sound. isn't some of that just the nature of the fact that we all live in neighborhoods where lots of stuff is going on, you know? >> yeah, but when it's at a respectable volume, you don't hear any complaints. >> so you're not anti the muslim faith. >> no. >> okay. >> because i have a problem with you doesn't mean you're going to stand there and call me racist
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because i have a problem with you -- my ex-husband is from iran. he came here in the early '70s to get away from the kind of life he didn't want to live. i'm not coming from a place of hate. i'm coming from real. >> do you think -- i can tell you're fired up. please, do you have blood pressure medicine you need to take? >> i got some if i need it. >> okay. good. good. to be clear, i want to make sure, what issues do you have with people who practice the muslim faith? >> i know the koran talks about having consideration, and respect for your neighbors. that's an absolute. yet when i don't see it, i'll call you out on it. >> i hear you. susan is complicated. she's a passionate person and she really does care. >> doing work without a permit so that -- >> but, yeah, susan has lots of opinions. about lots of things. >> some lady who's on disability gets a bill from wayne county, four grand. >> yeah.
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>> living in wayne county makes you pay 50% more on your auto insurance so she wants to talk to me in private. i'm like, no, we'll do it here. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> wish we could stay for more. >> are you going to stay and eat? >> you have to talk to these people. >> i have spinach pie. >> my crew still raves about the spinach pie. i wanted to find out what other residents think. do you like living here? >> people do their things, hang out, shop, normal americans. >> hamtrck is a magical place. >> yeah, it's like small town america from 20 years ago, before the economic collapse. >> were you born and raised a muslim? >> no, sir, born and raised a white collar middle class christian. >> okay. how did this go with your family? so many questions. when did you convert to islam? >> november 15th of 2 years ago. >> oh, my goodness. what brought you to the faith? >> my husband. >> you made pretty big life changes in two years. >> big.
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sorry, i have to say it. >> what does that mean? >> it means thank to god. because of the concept that people put in your minds about the muslim people, that's why people have the complete wrong impression. myself as well in the beginning. >> of course. i mean, i would imagine that with -- you tell a lot of your friends and family that -- >> [ bleep ], [ bleep ]. >> like that. >> i don't even know what he said. nothing we need -- >> he said fing arab pussy. >> really? >> yeah. excuse me. i get that because i'm white with a scarf. >> wow. he just said -- i mean, we've been talking to people about how it's small town here, everything's nice. and everybody accepts everybody. that was not acceptance that just went past. >> no, you know what, though, this is america. we need to learn that we have people of all different shades and colors. >> i feel bad about that. >> don't feel bad. >> i felt we should have dropped
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our cameras and ran after him. >> that's all right. >> thank you. >> thank you for your time. >> it's not unusual for some idiot to yell something like that when they see tv cameras filming. but here we had a special twist. all because of a scarf? ugh, no rs. oh no, looks like somebody needa new network. when i got this unlimited plan they told me they were all the same. they're not. verizon has the largest, most-reliable 4g lte network in america. it's basically made for places like this. honey, what if it was just us out here? right. so, i ordered you a car. thank you. you don't want to be out here at night 'cause of the, uh, coyotes. ok, thanks, bud. bye. be nice to have your car for some shelter. bye. when it really, really matters, you need the best network and the best unlimited. just $45 per line for four lines.
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two things. some delicious middle eastern food, and some more info on islam so i can stay #woke. this is the executive director for the council on american islamic relations here in michigan and he's helping me with both. wow. the hits keep on coming. that's a lot. >> yeah. >> in a seasoned half of this show i finally feel like anthony bourdain. were you born into the muslim faith or was it something you converted to later? >> i came to islam later. back in the day when i was in school in high school, it was cool to be a muslim, back in the late '80s. like public enemy, it was cool being muslim back then, so really it was hip hop that was my gateway into islam for real. >> it was also around, like, the spike lemovie, malcolm x with denzel, ipopularized islam in the black community, yeah. >> we were rocking the malcolm x baseball cap. >> i had a shirt.
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i think it was a bootlegged "x" shirt, got it from the street. >> that was the pop culture icons of black america or muslims. there's more african-american muslims in america than arab. >> in fact, today, 63% of america's arab population is christian. with the largest demographic being catholic. i want to make sure everybody hears that. 63% of arabs in america are christian. so stop assuming you can leave your co-worker, ahmed, off your christmas card list. >> some have the biggest cross. >> and they make sure they're repping that cross. >> they don't want to be confused. >> got crosses like rappers. >> minus the ice. >> what do you think are the biggest challenges right now? >> white supremacy. many people think of white
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supremacy as the kkk and hoods and neonazis and far right armed militia groups, but white supremacy is centering whiteness and devaluing that which is not white. >> historically, white men have been the biggest terrorists in the united states of america. >> see, those are looked at as anomalies. the assumption is they're all mentally sick. and every excuse in the book is made. when it's muslims, we want to flip the script and reframe things. >> what makes you want to live here of all the places you could live in the country? >> this is home and this is very comfortable. you know, dr. king once said that 12:00 on sunday is america's most segregated hour in america. well, the friday prayer time in this muslim community is the most integrated. we have a nice community here. >> well, thank you, brother, for talking to me. i appreciate it. now you got a lot of food to eat.
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much of the food in the area is permissible. even though common sense goes against it, i'm headed to see how the sausage gets made. okay. more like where the meat gets made. damn. now i'm hungry. >> these are some of the products that we have. these are lamb products over here. this is ribs right here, right? >> yeah. >> so what -- is that just -- >> that's the by-products we don't sell. >> be honest, some of this is hot dogs, right? >> no. >> talk about a little bit about why it's important to your faith the meat is prepared this way? >> in our scripture, it tells us let the animal relax, respect the animal. any muslim can bless it before slaughter and go through the rituals and it can be halal. we're saying thank you for allowing us to have this animal to nourish us and we very much respect that.
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>> i've never seen an animal get slaughtered. >> well, i can show you but maybe the camera shouldn't be on for that. >> i totally get it. so i'll go see and see you guys in a few minutes. thank you. thank you. >> thank you. >> guess i can't put it off anymore. let's go see what's going on. >> when we slaughter an animal, we slaughter it with a knife from jugular to jugular, pretty much turning the animal east, i say my prayer here. and that means in the name of god, god is great. and i slaughter the animal. >> i just was in the slaughterhouse. if i was oprah, that would not be one of the favorite things i would give out. there's a sense of modesty in there, there's a sense of respect in there. i got to say, it was -- you know, i got a little blood on me, but, you know, it's real.
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would i want to see that every time before i eat a hamburger? no. does that make me a hypocrite? yes. am i going to still eat hamburgers? absolutely. with bacon on them. that's not halal, though. that segment had two things that are not going to be very popular. an animal getting killed and two black people having a conversation about white supremacy. how can i fight the vegans and the racists at one time? if hitler was on twitter, i'd be done for. and i just made a hitler reference. this is not going well at all. hey, i'm trying to trend.
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i know this is sudden, but they say: if you love something... set it free. see you around, giulia ♪ allergytry new xyzal®.ou have symptoms like these for relief is as effective at hour 24 as hour one. so be wise all take new xyzal®. since i've been here in michigan, i've learned a lot about islam and i've been reminded that many religions including islam have one thing in common. islam and gay people, lgbt people. >> in our religion, to be straightforward and honest -- >> absolutely. >> -- it is forbidden. adam and eve, that's what our religion is based on. >> i don't support homosexuality.
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i support whatever god said in the koran and the bible. man is a man, woman is a woman. >> islam does not have a trademark on homophobia, all right? there are certainly people in the religion who are homophobic, but every religion has those people in their religion, all right? every religion has homophobia in it. no religion owns it more than anybody else. it's like the song "happy birthday." everybody can sing it if they want to, nobody gets to claim credit for it. what's it like if you happen to be gay and muslim? well, there's no one better to talk to about that than somebody who is both those things. a devout muslim and lgbt advocate who's openly gay and only 22 years old. we're meeting at a library, aka, the original internet. kids, the library never goes down but it does close at 6:00 p.m. feel like we're in a very solemn place.
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>> really quiet. >> need to go to the library, close it down so we can have this conversation. let's talk about what we're here to talk about. how was it to grow up in the muslim faith and at the same time be gay? >> to me it was scary i might be so religious and at the same time be something that's damned by god. i'd say an arabic prayer, please, god, do not let me be gay. it was kind of suicidal in a sense. i got depressed, i started choking myself. i was a 17, 18-year-old kid in college. i can't decide do i wantligion or do i want to be guy? how can i choose religion over being gay if i never experienced being gay? >> i did start to dabble. i went to mosque less, friday prayers less. the whole thought of i'm at a bonfire with my religious friends and they're talking
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about how homosexuals should all be exported to iran where they're hanged. >> are you out in your community now as a gay man? >> yes, i am. the orlando shooting happened. >> breaking news. the worst mass shooting in american history. >> it was just very shocking, you know. you're taking my religion and killing people in my religion's name. and that's not what my god taught me. as a devout muslim, i would never think about hurting anyone else for any reason. i posted a status on facebook, as a gay arab american muslim, i #notinmyname.e this at all. #gay. #pride. >> you're like let me cover all the bases. >> #muslim. >> let me make sure i'm absolutely clear what i'm saying here. >> pride emoticon. >> right. and the hatred started coming in. >> yeah. >> people whose children i taught to recite koran were telling me i'm a disgusting human being. someone told my mom. i went home and my mom was
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yelling and screaming, i don't want a gay child to be in this house, you, you bastard. i went upstairs to my room, packed my luggage, got in my car and drove to friend's. >> jesus. wow. >> so many muslims, arab and non arab, pakistanis, hindus, iranians, messaged me and told me and told me i am guy, too, and you have given me hope. >> how do you reconcile your faith with whatever your religion says? >> there's a quote in the koran. [ speaking foreign language ] whoever does good -- >> you don't have to translate. i know what that means. no, i'm just kidding. please translate. >> whoever believes in god and does good, god will enter him in paradise. my faith is within me. and i don't think that god would purposely make me gay and tell me you have to fight against it
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or you're going to burn. >> uh-huh. you know, i feel like the things you're saying are things that people say who are gay and also in families that are very christian. not just -- i want to make sure, it's not just an islam issue. >> no, it's not. sharia law, it's federal law in iran to hang gays. i think if iran was the catholic republic of iran, there will be stonings and beheadings and hangings. >> yeah, yeah. >> you know, let's not forget the crusades did happen. the koran does tell you we created you different people so you can learn from each other. i think that you can be gay and muslim at the same time. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. i hope your mom, you and your mom, figure it out, you know? >> we actually did make up. >> you did? >> yes, we did. >> oh, okay. >> we talk all the time. >> oh, yeah. this ends well a little bit. >> we are friends. >> okay. all right. >> she does have her moments every now and then.
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>> that's parents. >> now we joke. we'll talk on the phone, have you found a husband yet? you've been divorced for five years. i'm waiting for the right man. when you find him, ask if he has a brother for me. >> wow. >> wow! thank you. with it, i earn unlimited 2% cash back on all of my purchasing. and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... which adds fuel to my bottom line. what's in your wallet? my mmade a simple trip toonic the grocery storesis anything but simple. so i had an important conversation with my dermatologist about humira. he explained that humira works inside my body to target and help block a specific source
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i've heard the call to been he but i keep sending to it voicemail. today i am at the muslim unity center to finally answer the call. >> this is our prayer room. this is where muslims come five tames a day to connect to god. i ask you to take off your shoes. part of their prayer is to be down on the floor. >> this is imam. he is like a pastor or a priest or the snake wielding guy for some of the churches in the south. tell me why islam is weirder than christianity again? >> muslims do have to face northeast toward mecca. a daily reminder that we're all one. >> the point of the prayers is to keep that connection going. to give you a sample, this is what we will be reciting
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tonight. that's the translation. >> i thought, oh, my gosh. i can read it. >> before the formal prayer there's a traditional cleanse. you can tell i'm committed. i don't just whet my afro for anybody. >> this is like a cleansing part where you are preparing to stand in the presence of god. so we're going to start off, wash your hands three times. and then you wash your face. take a little water. swipe it over your hair. a muslim will take off their socks and then wash their feet to their ankles. >> this is for all you people who keep googling. or maybe it is just one person. a lot. >> in summer, this is a blessing. and by this we glorify god and
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>> that was it. >> that was it? >> that was much more simple than i expected it would be. where do the women pray? >> it is okay for them to pray here but they find it more comfortable upstairs to have their own private location. some days we have them praying in the main hall. >> everything we can do to discount these stereo time that's people have about the faith is really important. there's a lot of rhetoric out there from thean who is our leader. >> it is part of our belief to always have hopeful we will continue to strive as citizens of this country. this is what the mosque is all about. having a positive impact, serving the community. this is who we are. this is what we'll stand for. >> it is very similar to the church where i grew up. the hub of the community. the thing about the baptist service, it goes about three and a half hours long. >> this is not that long.
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>> if there is one place about how successfully islam can co-exist with other religions, it is here, where the largest mosque in north america. this 120 square foot complex serves around 6,000 feet, as well as around 100,000 nonmuslim visitors annually. this place is huge. >> beyond that church, there is an arabic lutheran church, believe it or not, and a macedonian church next door. >> this is the executive administrator of the islam center of america. >> we have a property assistant church next to that and a catholic church next to that. >> i've heard of auto row. you go to a stretch of the highway where you buy cars. this is called the altar road. >> altar road? imagine that. some religious car salesman standing in front. what are we thinking today? more christiany or is islam more
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your style? talk about this for a second. the american flag is right here. not every church has an american flag in front of it. why is it here? >> because we're americans. >> all right. that's easy enough. i have to ask the dumb questions. in that moment i felt pretty dumb. but i know it is better to ask dumb questions than to have a head filled with dumb answers you made up yourself or some dumb answers somebody else made up for you. it is long past time we skip the false prophets and actually talk to the people who studied the prophet muhammad. because lives are at stake. way more muslim lives at stake than nonmuslim lives. if you don't believe the p preponderance of evidence that says muslims mostly peaceful people, and if you don't believe their experiences about being
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profiled or harassed by americans in the name of the flag, you have to ask yourself, why are you being dumb? this is the episode we did about the indigenous people of this country. a lot of times, we feel like in america, we own the deed to the suffering. every time i talk to indigenous people in this country, i'll not saying we haven't suffered. but you, really, you've more than done your part. i mean, even some of the expressions that come out of the history of native people in this country. indian giver? yeah, there you
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