![Ali Wajahat Aif2020](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null42d07a00-b222-4468-8d93-953efdd1d338/Ali_Wajahat_AIF2020.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=290&q=80&rect=134%2C23%2C377%2C376&w=290)
Wajahat Ali
Op-Ed Contributor, New York Times; Writer
Wajahat Ali is a New York Times op-ed contributor, a lawyer, a playwright, and a former TV host. Recently, he was creative director of Affinis Labs, working with Facebook and Google on social entrepreneurship initiatives that have a positive impact for marginalized communities. He co-hosted Al Jazeera America’s daily news show “The Stream” and is the author of the award-winning play The Domestic Crusaders published by McSweeney’s. He is the lead author and researcher of the investigative report Fear Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America published by Center for American Progress.He is also a Peabody-nominated producer for the series “The Secret Life of Muslims.” He is currently co-writing a television show with Dave Eggers about a Muslim American cop in the Bay Area.
Previously
![Very Fine People: Or, How to Stop Worrying and Talk About Race, White Nationalism and Trump in America](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/97cd2878-52e6-49c7-a9ba-b0ae99bdff2d/28204735707_4b2f7ceab8_o1.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C479%2C6720%2C3782&w=400)
Colin Kaepernick. Charlottesville. Identity politics. Travel ban. Black Lives Matter. Build That Wall. Trump. A decade after the United States elected its first black presiden...
![Creative Tensions: Where Do You Stand on the Words We Use Today?](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/2959c0e8-1ecd-42d7-b1ff-bf426f84fd85/43001556532_718d2a78f5_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C160%2C2070%2C1165&w=400)
Words hurt, words heal — or do they? As we’re exposed to the broad range of messages through media and social networks, and as we hear more people saying controversial (and hi...
![Settlers in the Most Contentious Place on Earth](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/78ff8130-df0b-4f45-98bb-b202f3ec0020/29176486058_cb80de5a39_o.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C63%2C3000%2C1688&w=400)
Writer Wajahat Ali talks to The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg about his trip — and subsequent feature story and short documentary — to meet with Jewish settlers in the West...
![Hate on the Rise — And What We Can Do to Stop It](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null0aafdf44-720b-4fc2-b72c-260d4c375c05/35650169715_420437084f_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C30%2C1600%2C899&w=400)
Hate groups and hate-fueled incidents are spiking in America. The Southern Poverty Law Center, through aggregating media reports and gathered submissions from its website, rec...
![Hacking Hate and Extremism](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null64b76fc0-a33f-4912-95ff-0532c475604f/35570515506_0ed5f4b22f_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C102%2C1600%2C900&w=400)
Fake news. Extremist propaganda. Religious intolerance. Trolling. Sexual harassment. Bullying. And we haven’t even talked about grumpy cat emojis. Social media is being succes...
![Aspen Ideas Festival Young Adult Forum](https://aspenideasfestival.imgix.net/null0f13a7ea-8877-45f4-a2ee-1e4bb3aa8098/35442412602_3b120ee65e_h.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=min&fm=jpg&h=225&q=80&rect=0%2C25%2C1599%2C899&w=400)
Join us for an interactive evening of presentations, small group discussions, performances, and opportunities to engage with other participants. Featuring Harold Green, Jonath...