Biography of Maryam Qudrat Author of Torn Between Two Cultures: An Afghan-American Woman Speaks Out
Maryam Qudrat is an activist and spokesperson for the Afghan-American and Muslim communities. After September 11th, she founded the Afghan Institute for Development (AID) a non-profit, non-partisan think tank organization whose goal is to bridge the people of Afghanistan with the United States by documenting conditions there, helping to influence the new government’s policies, and recognizing journalists who write accurately and thoughtfully about the country’s situation. AID helps Afghan people become more active in the public policy of their government in areas such as education, infrastructure, the role of women, and mending the adverse psychological impact of war. In 2003, Maryam authored a book entitled Torn Between Two Cultures: An AfghanAmerican Woman Speaks Out. In this work and throughout her many years of activism that date back to high school, she delves into the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan through the hyphenated identity and works to bridge the cultural divides. As a commentator and spokesperson, Maryam has ample media experience. She has appeared on several television programs such as Paula Zahn NOW on CNN most recently and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and TIME Magazine. She currently serves on the National Advisory Council on South Asian Affairs, which represents issues related to Afghanistan and South Asian countries collectively to the state Department. She is also a Board member of International Orphan Care (IOC) where her humanitarian efforts help reintegrate displaced children from war torn countries back into society. As a PhD candidate in Philosophy at the University of Southern California (USC), she is engaged in research to construct new theories on Islamic jihad within the context of the war on terrorism. An avid educator, Maryam is a professor at California State University Long Beach. As of April 2005, she has joined the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C. to serve as an advocate of women’s rights in Afghanistan through higher education. She serves as the Women’s Affairs and Social Institutions Officer.
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