Daisy Khan
Daisy Khan
Co-Founder
American Society of Muslim Advancement
Daisy Khan is a builder. Formerly an interior architect for corporate clients, Daisy now constructs intellectual and emotional bridges between the Muslim community and the American public, encouraging a pluralism movement extending beyond the United States. Following the events of September 11th, 2001, Daisy worked with Muslim-American youth, helping them cope with the public response to the attacks and the subsequent backlash against the Islamic faith. As the wife of an imam, Daisy felt compelled to transition from her internal leadership role in her mosque to an external one, acting as a counsel and representative in a time of great uncertainty. Daisy is now working to dispel the myths associated with her religion, focusing on three fundamental issues: the belief that Islam is a violent religion; the suppression of Muslim women; and the absence of a Muslim spokesperson in the United States. First, she hopes to tackle the enormous disparities in treatment faced by Muslim women. In November 2006, Daisy organized over 100 prominent Muslim women to promote unity and equality and create a worldwide support network. In addition to her work with women, she is fostering discussion among the next generation of Muslim-Americans on issues of tolerance and interfaith understanding. Through her initiatives with women and youth, Daisy is creating an alliance of change makers to challenge the violent strain of Islam throughout the world. Daisy maintains: “Islam shares the ethical foundations of Christianity and Judaism: To love God and our fellow human being, commit to social justice, diversity, and pluralism, and struggle for moral uprightness.”
Daisy co-founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement in 2001 with her husband Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. She was born in Kashmir, India. She frequently lectures in the United States and internationally about religious pluralism and women’s rights. Daisy has appeared on numerous television networks, including PBS, BBC, CNN, National Geographic, and Al Jazeera. She has also been featured in Time magazine, Newsweek, The New York Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Saudi Gazette, and Khaleej Times. She is the recipient of the Interfaith Center Award for Promoting Peace and Interfaith Understanding, the Auburn Seminary’s Lives of Commitment Award, and the Annual Faith Leaders Award.
For more on Daisy Khan:
Muslims Try to Balance Traditions, U.S. Culture on Path to Marriage
By Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post
May 27, 2008
Some Muslims in U.S. Quietly Engage in Polygamy
By Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR, All Things Considered
May 27, 2008
US Muslim Women Seek Active Faith Role
By Robert Pigott, BBC News
February 27, 2008
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