Hate crimes targeting Muslims, their mosques and businesses tripled in 2015, according to a study from California State University, San Bernadino. And Islamphobobic rhetoric has been ubiquitous in political discourse since the deadly attacks in Paris and California.
But how are Muslims affected in North Carolina? A new ongoing public series at Greensboro's Scuppernong Books, “Ask a Muslim Anything,” brings together diverse Muslims from the state with other members of their community for an “informal chat about Muslimy things.”
Host Frank Stasio talks about the series with a panel of participants and takes audience questions.
The panel includes: series coordinator and writer Deonna Kelli Sayed; counselor Amber Khan; and Carl Lut Williams, one of the primary forces behind the Greensboro Islamic Center.
The next "Ask A Muslim Anything" event takes place at Scuppernong Books on Tuesday, March 1 at 7 p.m.
The music in this segment was provided by Kelcey Ledbetter. When she isn't leading Afro punk band Dalton Village, her music takes a turn toward a stripped-down, pop R&B aesthetic. Her acoustic guitar provides the rhythm while her versatile voice drives her song's melodies.