Funk Family Upstander Speaker Series

The Funk Family Upstander Speaker Series showcases individuals and organizations who stand up for human rights on a local, national, or global level.

Named in loving memory of Blanch & Max Goldberg | Fannie & Isaac Funk.

Mohammed Al Samawi and Justin Hefter

Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 pm CT

In 2015, Mohammed Al Samawi, an interfaith activist from a Shiite Muslim background, found himself trapped in Aden, Yemen. The target of death threats from al-Qaeda squads, Al Samawi knew his life depended on escaping the city. That’s where Justin Hefter, along with three other young people in the U.S. and Israel, came in.

Growing up in Yemen, Mohammed Al Samawi was raised to view Christians and Jews as his enemies. While he was a student at university, a trusted professor shared a copy of the Bible with him. It didn’t take long for Al Samawi to study the text and wonder if his hate was unjustified. He began connecting with young people of other religions on social media and attending interfaith conferences, where he met the people who would ultimately help save his life, including Justin Hefter. When Al Samawi’s life was at risk, Hefter and others reached out across social media platforms to politicians, activists, diplomats, and anyone else who might be able to help to secure Al Samawi’s safe passage out of Yemen and eventually to the United States.

But the work did not end there. Both Al Samawi and Hefter continue their interfaith efforts today – Al Samawi as the founder of The Abrahamic House, a multifaith incubator with a mission to build sustainable interfaith learning and action, and Hefter as a co-founder of the AMEL Project, an organization that trains the next generation of human rights activists in countries across Africa and the Middle East.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with two young men who are dedicated to bringing people together across lines of difference to promote dialogue, cooperation, and change.