Operations Chief of Staff Cheyenne Torres and Anila Ali, president of the American Muslim and Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council, discuss the importance of moderate religious leadership, historical examples of coexistence and the role of education in strengthening pluralism. Ali argues that preserving religious freedom requires people of all beliefs to work together against extremism while rediscovering the shared values that unite them.

The middle path and reclaiming faith

Torres begins by asking what interfaith unity means. Ali describes it as people of every faith and background living together as one community while respecting each other’s humanity. Although faith shapes personal identity, she believes that compassion and shared citizenship should remain central to public life.

Ali defines extremism as abandoning what she calls “the middle path.” Drawing on her experiences living in several Muslim-majority countries before moving to the United States, she recounts facing restrictions on free expression and even physical punishment in Saudi Arabia. She contrasts those experiences with the more inclusive Islam practiced by her family, particularly her grandmother, whom she credits as an important model of Muslim leadership.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Ali felt compelled to challenge the perception that violent extremists represented all Muslims. As she explains, “I felt like my faith was hijacked.” Moderate Muslim voices, she says, are obliged to reclaim the public understanding of Islam from groups that promote violence and intolerance.

History demonstrates coexistence

Ali turns repeatedly to history to illustrate that cooperation between religious communities is neither new nor unrealistic. She recalls stories from her grandmother about communities in the Indian subcontinent where Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians and others lived alongside one another for generations despite occasional tensions.

Ali also highlights examples from early Islamic history. Muslims sought refuge with the Christian King Najashi in Abyssinia (the historic Ethiopian Empire in modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea) during persecution in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. They later found protection in Medina, Saudi Arabia, among diverse religious communities. These episodes, she says, demonstrate that coexistence formed part of Islam’s earliest traditions rather than representing a modern innovation — and that conflict between religions is far from inevitable.

Discussing the shared Abrahamic heritage of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Ali emphasizes that all three religions trace their origins to Abraham. She argues that learning about other faiths strengthens religious commitment, saying, “I became a better Muslim because I knew.” Rather than fearing other traditions, she feels believers should study them to deepen mutual understanding.

Why extremism grows

Torres asks why religious extremism appears to be increasing in many societies. Ali points to several contributing factors, including political polarization, declining moderate leadership and educational environments that discourage open discussion. She contends that people are increasingly pressured to adopt ideological positions instead of engaging with diverse viewpoints.

Ali goes on to criticize media coverage that amplifies more radical voices while overlooking moderates. This imbalance distorts public perceptions of Muslim communities and reinforces stereotypes. Simultaneously, she expresses concern about growing religious nationalism across multiple faith traditions, stating that intolerance feeds further intolerance regardless of its source.

Ali also addresses the radicalization of young people. She describes cases in which students felt pressured to adopt particular political positions and warns that limiting intellectual diversity undermines critical thinking. Universities, she says, should encourage students to evaluate competing ideas rather than prescribe ideological conclusions.

Education, empathy and protecting pluralism

Finally, Ali points to education as the strongest response to extremism. She encourages people to learn about other religions, celebrate different cultural traditions and build friendships across communities instead of relying on stereotypes or social media narratives.

Reflecting on her own experience as a teacher, Ali explains how teaching subjects such as the Holocaust helped students recognize the consequences of hatred and prejudice. She argues that understanding another person’s beliefs creates empathy while reinforcing one’s own values.

Ali concludes by calling for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and people of other faiths to stand together in defense of religious freedom. As she puts it, “We must learn about each other.” Countering extremism depends less on defeating opponents than on strengthening the moderate majority through teaching, dialogue and shared commitment to human dignity. Only by sustaining those efforts can societies resist polarization and preserve peaceful coexistence.

[Lee Thompson-Kolar edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article/video are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.