The video and audio below are of a May 22nd webinar on Challenging Islamophobia, Israeli Apartheid, and White Supremacy, hosted by Jews Against Anti-Muslim Racism (JAAMR) and PARCEO, a participatory research center, with presenters Manzoor Cheema and Lesley Williams, two individuals whose lives embody deep commitment to justice in word and action.
This is the first in a series of webinars that JAAMR and PARCEO will convene over the coming months.
Presenters:
Manzoor Cheema is the Southern Regional Organizer for Project South. A resident of Raleigh, NC, Manzoor has been an active member of social justice movements for over 15 years. In 2004, for five years, he launched a grassroots social justice TV show, Independent Voices. He co-founded Muslims forSocial Justice in 2013, an organization dedicated to pursuing Muslim liberation theology. In 2015 he launched the Movement to End Racism and Islamophobia (MERI), a network of organizations to fight racism and Islamophobia. Manzoor is the recipient of the 2014 International Human Rights Award awarded by the Human Rights Coalition of North Carolina, and the 2016 Self-Determination Award by Black Workers for Justice. Manzoor Cheema’swork on social justice has been covered in the local, national, and international media.
Lesley Williams, an educator, librarian, and leading Jewish voice organizing and speaking out against Islamophobia, is co-chair of the Chicago Chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace’s Network Against Islamophobia. Among other initiatives, she organized a 2015 “Stand With Muslims” event in Evanston, collaborated with local faith organizations to lead anti-Islamophobia canvasses in several Chicago communities, and co-led the de-funding campaign demanding the Jewish United Fund of Chicago stop funding anti-Muslim hate groups. Lesley has been honored by Open Communities and the Muslim Community Center for her work countering Islamophobia.