UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, the Friday presentation mentioned here had to be postponed. When we receive more information, we will include it.

ENNIS, Mont. – Ambrin Masood travels around Montana talking about her Muslim faith.

In Big Sky Country, Muslims make up a very small part of the population: only about half of one percent. That makes Masood's work even more important.

Masood, who is an assistant professor at Montana State University Billings, has teamed up with Humanities Montana, a nonprofit that sponsors civic-minded presentations, to give speeches to schools and communities.

Friday, Masood will be in Ennis and, as with other discussions, wants to build bridges. For instance, she tells audiences that Muslims, Christians and Jews all worship the same God. She says understanding is the best tool to fight hatred.

"Sometimes we get scared,” says Masood, “and then if we don't have knowledge about the scary object, we tend to hold grudge or bitterness, and that bitterness leads to blind hate, and then that just complicates our own lives also."

Masood will also talk about how Muslims pray and dispel some of the myths of her faith. Her presentation, "Cultural Diversity and Muslims in America," starts at 6 p.m. at the Madison Valley Public Library.

Around the country, Muslims face discrimination that often plays on stereotypes. Masood uses the turban as an example.

She says men of the Sikh faith often are harassed for being Muslims because they wear turbans. In the Sikh faith, men do not cut their hair and consider the turban sacred. Masood says this isn't always the case for Muslims. She says this headwear is cultural in some parts of Asia and equates it to a fashion style ubiquitous in Montana.

"It's a symbol of pride just like a cowboy's belt buckle is a symbol of pride,” she says. “The bigger the buckle, the stronger the rodeo rider, that kind of a thing. That is how a turban is in some cultures. A turban is a cultural thing. It's not related to religion."

Masood moved to Montana in 2009 and says this is home for her and her three kids. That was solidified in the wake of President Donald Trump's travel ban.

Masood wanted to travel to visit her family in Pakistan but wasn't assured she could get back into this country.

"I couldn't go back, couldn't afford to go back to visit my family,” says Masood. “And then my colleagues here at MSUB and just people in the community – my friends – they became my support network, they became my family. And I'm resilient today, I'm doing well today because of them."

Masood says she's received as much love in Montana as she would in Pakistan.


get more stories like this via email

A recent report details how great wealth that later made philanthropy possible around the country but most evidently in the District of Columbia, southern Maryland and northern Virginia -- commonly known as the DMV -- came at the expense of the social stability and economic success of Black residents.

Dwayne Proctor, board chair of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, said older foundations likely had the best opportunity to participate in practices that were unfair and unjust to people because of the times they were in, in the social context in which they began.

"I'm hopeful that many folks will look toward their local foundations and want to know more about how they began and if they've done harm and participated in the oppression of others, like it appears to have been the case in the DMV with the foundations that are studied," Proctor said.

Proctor stressed that if readers can connect the overlaps between the social determinants of health and the necessary healing of Black families today, real and transformative conversations about repair can begin.

Katherine Ponce, research manager for special projects for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, said the report tried to model what the state of California has done for its reparations task force, outlining many categories of how Black people have faced disparities in the region and how that starts.

"We talked about anti-Black media and rhetoric, housing discrimination and segregation, unemployment and hidden opportunity, and then health care, both mental and physical. We have eight case studies of foundations in the region, how their money was createdm" Ponce explained.

Ponce added the report should leave people not just knowing that big systems of oppression impact and harm people of color, but should cause people to start taking measurable actions and fix the disparities and make ties from the eight stories to their reality.

A new report finds some Missouri laws and prospective laws are perceived as discriminatory regardless of their actual intent - and it outlines some big, negative economic implications for the state.

When events are scheduled in places with policies that are considered non-inclusive or discriminatory, that place is often assumed to support these initiatives.

Dr. M. Ray Perryman, founder and CEO of The Perryman Group, who conducted the independent analysis, said some potential visitors will choose to go elsewhere rather than support places they think are less open to diversity and equity. He said this avoidance risks millions for the Missouri economy.

"Travel and tourism losses in Missouri and Kansas could total hundreds of millions of dollars per year," he said, "with an associated loss in revenue to the states and local governments."

Measures now under consideration include Senate Bill 1314, which would limit state funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and SB 980, which would prohibit state agencies from doing business with companies unless they'd agree not to be part of economic boycotts. With these types of policies, the Perryman research says, the state would risk losing nearly $2.6 billion in annual income and almost 24,000 jobs by 2030.

Perryman also pointed out that controversial public policies are discouraging to skilled workers seeking long-term employment and young workers as they consider where to begin their careers. He said it also plays a role for organizations in Missouri that are concerned about retaining employees.

"At a time when the U.S. economy is facing major challenges and uncertainty, the competition for quality corporate locations and expansions, as well as skilled workers, is particularly intense," he said, "and anti-DEI measures can be particularly damaging for future prosperity."

The report warns of similar negative financial consequences for the state of Kansas.


get more stories like this via email

Today, a virtual "Ask Me Anything" program will address some of the pressing issues of asylum-seekers, in Pennsylvania and across the country.

More than 500 people were granted asylum in Pennsylvania in 2022, according to the Office of Homeland Security.

Cathryn Miller-Wilson, executive director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Pennsylvania, said the forum was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to justice and equity for marginalized communities. The program will shed light on the difficulties of the asylum process and advocate for improved asylum policies.

"We, in carrying on his legacy, are putting together this event to provide critical, truthful information about what's going on," Miller-Wilson explained. "And ask for advocacy about improving things, to make things more equitable."

The online event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Miller-Wilson noted one topic will be the high number of people at the southern U.S. border due to higher levels of global displacement. Recent news reporting indicates the U.S. Border Patrol's ability to effectively handle the influx of migrants is overwhelming its resources.

Miller-Wilson emphasized members of Congress and the White House are considering proposals which could drastically change the asylum system. She pointed to one pending bill, House Resolution 1325, which is intended to help eligible asylum applicants get employment authorization.

"That's another piece of the asylum process that nobody talks about," Miller-Wilson emphasized. "Under our current law, if you are eligible to apply for asylum, you can come into the country, you can apply for asylum, but you are not eligible for work authorization for six months."

Miller-Wilson said her group helps people with incomes below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level with legal and social service needs. She added today's panel includes a client in Philadelphia who received asylum about a year ago, a doctor from the Philadelphia Human Rights Clinic, and a staff attorney for the group.


get more stories like this via email