Dr Sayed Ammar Nakshawani discusses Saudi influence over the Islamic State

The respected professor explains how Saudi Arabia exerts influence of the Islamic State through the Wahhabist groups. The hour-long talk begins with a prayer in Arabic, but is in English after that.

 

According to Wikipedia:

Nakshawani serves as the Imam Ali Chair of Shia studies at Hartford Seminary, the oldest seminary in the United States, and is the first ever academic chair in the United States devoted to the study of Shi’ism.

As of 2015 Nakshawani was the Special Representative for the Universal Muslim Association of America (UMAA). In this role, he promotes an understanding of the customs and beliefs of Shia Ithna Asheri Muslims. As Special Representative, he engages in interfaith dialogue with leaders of a variety of faith communities, and advocates on behalf of Shia Islam to a variety of elected officials, think tanks, and policy institutes.

In October 2015, Nakshawani met with the high ranking Chief Rabbi David Lau, and spoke of the need to remember the lessons of Imam Ali.

Dr. Nakshawani has been a strong verbal opponent of ISIS, insisting that world powers unite to directly address the threat posed by the terrorist organization. He has also held large symposiums decrying violence in Ferguson, the 2015 Chapel Hill shooting, the Charlie Hebdo shooting, and was interviewed on British media about the Woolwich terror killing – which he denounced as an act of extremism.

Prior to joining UMAA, Nakshawani served as the Visiting Scholar of Islamic Studies, at the University of Cambridge in England. In this position, he performed extensive research and academic analysis of ancient Islamic texts, which he has discussed at a number of academic forums.

Nakshawani is a member of the International Qurʾanic Studies Association.

For more information about how propaganda guides the American discussion of Islam and for the facts behind some of that propaganda, click here.