Countering Extremism through Youth & Women's Leadership: Daisy Khan

Daisy Khan is Executive Director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), a New York-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening an expression of Islam based on cultural and religious harmony and building bridges between Muslims and the general public. At ASMA, she has led numerous interfaith events like the theater production Same Difference and the Cordoba Bread Fest banquet. She has launched two groundbreaking flagship programs: the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow (MLT) and Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equity (WISE), global movements to empower Muslim youth and women.

Khan regularly lectures around the globe and has participated in panels with Christians, Jews, and Buddhists. She has appeared on numerous media outlets, including CNN, Al Jazeera, and BBC World's Doha Debates, and she often contributes to documentaries on Islam and Muslims. She is a weekly columnist for the Washington Post's "On Faith" and is frequently quoted in print publications such as Time Magazine, Newsweek, Chicago Tribune, and the New York Times.

Born in Kashmir, Khan spent twenty-five years as an interior architect for various Fortune 500 companies before committing to full-time community service. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Interfaith Center's Award for Promoting Peace and Interfaith Understanding, Auburn Seminary's Lives of Commitment Award, the Annual Faith Leaders Award, and 21 Leaders for the 21st Century.