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Asra Nomani

Asra Nomani

Keynote Speaker: Journalist & Author, Women's Rights Activist

Asra Nomani Biography

Asra Nomani is an American author and former Georgetown University professor. She is co-director of the Pearl Project, a faculty-student, investigative-reporting project into the kidnapping and murder of her former colleague, The Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Nomani is the author of two books: "Standing Alone: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam" and "Tantrika: Traveling the Road of Divine Love". Articles include: "Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Bedroom", the "Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Mosque", and "99 Precepts for Opening Hearts, Minds and Doors in the Muslim World". She has also written for The Washington Post and has been a returning guest on "Real Time with Bill Maher".

Her story forms part of the documentary "The Mosque in Morgantown", aired nationwide on PBS as part of the series America at a Crossroads.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Asra Nomani and other top speakers and celebrities.

Asra Nomani Speaking Topics

The Fight for International Women’s Rights

Danny Pearl: The Truth Left Behind

Former Wall Street Journal reporter Asra Nomani was a friend and colleague of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. In fact, he and his wife were visiting her home in Karachi, Pakistan, when he went off for the interview from which he was kidnapped in 2002. Nomani played a key role in the investigation to try to find Pearl before learning that he had been brutally murdered. Six years later, Nomani is a professor of journalism at Georgetown University, leading the Pearl Project, a faculty-student investigative reporting project that is seeking answers to the questions of who really killed Pearl and why they killed him. The project's reporting has taken Nomani and her class figuratively onto the streets of Karachi and into the trenches of America's "war on terror." The Pearl case serves as a window into important issues related to terrorism, national security, foreign policy, and the challenges Pakistan faces in creating a civil society defined by rule of law.

The Mosque in Morgantown: Dilemmas Facing American Islam

Speaker Asra Nomani got a firsthand glimpse of Islamic extremism when her dear friend and former Wall Street Journal colleague Daniel Pearl was murdered in Pakistan. When she returned home to West Virginia to raise her son, she found warning signs of extremism at the local mosque: the exclusion of women, intolerance toward non-believers, and suspicion of the West.

Her resulting campaign against extremism in the Islamic Center of Morgantown brought a storm of media attention, unexpectedly pitting her against the mosque's moderates.

Based on the gripping PBS documentary The Mosque in Morgantown, Nomani frames this local conflict as a means to explore the larger dilemmas facing American Islam.

The Paradox of Women in Islam

In this presentation, journalist, author, and speaker Asra Nomani - who was born into a conservative Muslim family from India - chronicles the struggle Muslim women face in reclaiming the rights women were granted at Islam's birth in the seventh century, which have since been erased by centuries of man-made rules and tribal traditions masqueraded as divine law.

To many, the Islamic feminist movement is filled with "the bad girls of Islam." But Nomani argues that their efforts are not anti-Islamic - rather, they use the fundamentals of Islamic thinking (the Koran; the Sunnah, or traditions and sayings of the prophet Muhammad; and Ijtihad, or independent reasoning) to challenge the ways in which Islam has been distorted by Sharia rulings issued by ultraconservative men. From the mosque to the bedroom, Muslim women have begun to challenge customs that deny them their basic rights, in such areas as gender segregation, mandatory veiling, forced early marriages, clitorectomies, polygamy, death for sex outside of marriage, domestic violence, and strict domestic roles. Nomani shares her personal story of empowerment, in which she walked through the front door of her mosque in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 2003, and gathered up the strength to go into the main hall reserved for men only.

The struggle, she asserts, is to move Islam forward by reaching back to its progressive past. The effort, she says, is nothing short of a revolution.

Asra Nomani Videos

MSNBC - Asra Nomani on Saudi Arabian Atrocities
The Heat: Asra Nomani on jihadist groups and Islam
Islam and Reform: The Challenge For Moderate Muslims -with Asra Nomani

How do I book Asra Nomani to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Asra Nomani for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Asra Nomani, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Asra Nomani or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Asra Nomani for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Asra Nomani, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fee for a virtual event is $10,000 - $20,000. For the most current speaking fee to hire Asra Nomani, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Asra Nomani speak about?

Asra Nomani is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as News & Media, Women, Authors, Middle Eastern Heritage, Sex & Relationships, Faith & Religion, Women's Rights, Diversity, Political, Ethics & Integrity, Television & Film, Government, College, Inspirational, World Affairs, Influential Women, Entertainers, Health, Writing, Literary, Celebrity and Jewish Heritage.

Where does Asra Nomani travel from?

Asra Nomani generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Asra Nomani?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Asra Nomani for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Asra Nomani for your next private or corporate function.

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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Asra Nomani or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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Asra Nomani is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including News & Media, Women and Authors. The estimated speaking fee range to book Asra Nomani for virtual events is $10,000 - $20,000. Please contact us for live event fees. Asra Nomani generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Roya Hakakian, Alexandra Cousteau and Mariane Pearl. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Asra Nomani for an upcoming event.

Asra Nomani Speaking Topics

  • The Fight for International Women’s Rights

  • Danny Pearl: The Truth Left Behind

    Former Wall Street Journal reporter Asra Nomani was a friend and colleague of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. In fact, he and his wife were visiting her home in Karachi, Pakistan, when he went off for the interview from which he was kidnapped in 2002. Nomani played a key role in the investigation to try to find Pearl before learning that he had been brutally murdered. Six years later, Nomani is a professor of journalism at Georgetown University, leading the Pearl Project, a faculty-student investigative reporting project that is seeking answers to the questions of who really killed Pearl and why they killed him. The project's reporting has taken Nomani and her class figuratively onto the streets of Karachi and into the trenches of America's "war on terror." The Pearl case serves as a window into important issues related to terrorism, national security, foreign policy, and the challenges Pakistan faces in creating a civil society defined by rule of law.

  • The Mosque in Morgantown: Dilemmas Facing American Islam

    Speaker Asra Nomani got a firsthand glimpse of Islamic extremism when her dear friend and former Wall Street Journal colleague Daniel Pearl was murdered in Pakistan. When she returned home to West Virginia to raise her son, she found warning signs of extremism at the local mosque: the exclusion of women, intolerance toward non-believers, and suspicion of the West.

    Her resulting campaign against extremism in the Islamic Center of Morgantown brought a storm of media attention, unexpectedly pitting her against the mosque's moderates.

    Based on the gripping PBS documentary The Mosque in Morgantown, Nomani frames this local conflict as a means to explore the larger dilemmas facing American Islam.

  • The Paradox of Women in Islam

    In this presentation, journalist, author, and speaker Asra Nomani - who was born into a conservative Muslim family from India - chronicles the struggle Muslim women face in reclaiming the rights women were granted at Islam's birth in the seventh century, which have since been erased by centuries of man-made rules and tribal traditions masqueraded as divine law.

    To many, the Islamic feminist movement is filled with "the bad girls of Islam." But Nomani argues that their efforts are not anti-Islamic - rather, they use the fundamentals of Islamic thinking (the Koran; the Sunnah, or traditions and sayings of the prophet Muhammad; and Ijtihad, or independent reasoning) to challenge the ways in which Islam has been distorted by Sharia rulings issued by ultraconservative men. From the mosque to the bedroom, Muslim women have begun to challenge customs that deny them their basic rights, in such areas as gender segregation, mandatory veiling, forced early marriages, clitorectomies, polygamy, death for sex outside of marriage, domestic violence, and strict domestic roles. Nomani shares her personal story of empowerment, in which she walked through the front door of her mosque in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 2003, and gathered up the strength to go into the main hall reserved for men only.

    The struggle, she asserts, is to move Islam forward by reaching back to its progressive past. The effort, she says, is nothing short of a revolution.

Asra Nomani Videos

MSNBC - Asra Nomani on Saudi Arabian Atrocities
The Heat: Asra Nomani on jihadist groups and Islam
Islam and Reform: The Challenge For Moderate Muslims -with Asra Nomani

Asra Nomani News

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