Rabia Chaudry is best known for bringing the irregularities surrounding the murder conviction of Anand Syed to the attention of This American Life reporter Sarah Keonig, who then turned the saga in into the wildly popular Serial podcast.
But Rabia is well known and highly regarded in national security circles for her work to train law enforcement on countering violent extremism. She is the founder of the Safe Nation Collaborative, is a former New America Foundation and Truman National Security Fellow, and is soon starting a project with the US Institute of Peace.
We have a great conversation that is particularly timely in amidst a new wave of anti-Muslim sentiment in the USA in the wake of the Paris attacks. We discuss her own family’s story of immigration, how growing up in rural towns — often the only person of color — shaped her worldview, and how the September 11th attacks and its aftermath inspired her to a career in public policy.
We kick off discussing the current backlash against Muslims in the USA and then pivot to a longer conversation about her fascinating life and career working.