On The Road in Southeast Asia: Indonesia's Progressive Islam
During the presidential election, critics of Barack Obama repeatedly suggested that he had attended an Islamic boarding school during his time in Indonesia. Obama spent four years at a public school in Jakarta, not a religious school. But the suggestion points to a common misperception about Indonesia's pesantrens, or Islamic schools - often characterized as places of terrorism or violence. In truth, most schools provide an important place of education for Indonesia's poor and rural communities. And some are pushing a more liberal interpretation of Islam.
APF's Dorian Merina takes us to West Java, where a group of scholars and educators are promoting a progressive agenda of religious pluralism and gender equality - all from within the pesantrens themselves.
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Queer and Chinese: The View from Beijing
Just weeks ago, the first national network of lesbian, bisexual and trans groups was formalized at a founding meeting in Shanghai. Activists from all over China came to the meeting, and the queer movement is vibrant and growing in that country. What’s it like to be queer in China? We’ll talk to leading Beijing lesbian organizer XU BIN about the creative ways activists in China are getting their message out despite the best efforts of their government.
Guests
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XU BIN is the founder and director of Common Language, the first national organization in China representing lesbian, bisexual and transgender women. She also helped to found Beijing's first LGBT Cultural Center, which opened its doors earlier this year.
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Family Planning: A Comic Novel by Karan Mahajan
A sprawling family with 13 kids and another on the way; a teen protagonist who wants to be a rocker like, er, Bryan Adams; copious amounts of sex—these are some of the elements in KARAN MAHAJAN’s new, laugh-out-loud book Family Planning, a satire that is decidedly not your typical Indian novel. We’ll be joined by the 24-year-old Brooklyn-based author.
Guests
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KARAN MAHAJAN grew up in New Delhi. A graduate of Stanford University, he now lives in Brooklyn. Family Planning, published by Harper Perennial, is his first book.
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Chinatown Evictions: Dozens Lose Their Home
Two weeks ago, more than 30 tenants were suddenly evicted from their homes at 81 Bowery, a long-time SRO in the heart of New York City's Chinatown. The tenants, all low-income, have been in the midst of a multi-year battle with their landlord. LAUREL MEI TURBIN and HELENA WONG of the Chinatown Tenants Union will join us to talk about the tenants' next steps.
Guests
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HELENA WONG has been a member of CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities since 1995, and is currently Program Director of CAAAV's Chinatown Tenants Union.
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LAUREL MEI TURBIN has organized with CAAAV for the past four years as a member of ARM, the volunteer corps of CAAAV, and the Chinatown Justice Project.
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