Imam Fayaz Tilly is the man to talk to if you want the straight story regarding the supposed gulf between so-called North American and Muslim values.  And he’s Dr. David Liepert’s guest in this spectacular episode of The Optimistic Muslim!

Born and raised in Canada and dedicated to the most traditionalist and orthodox Islamic interpretations, Favaz Tilly was taught and trained in Buffalo, New York, living and working as an Imam for one of North America’s largest, most vibrant and diverse Muslim communities, while also serving as a University Chaplain taboot!  There isn’t a pulse Imam Favaz Tilly doesn’t have his finger on, a controversy he hasn’t had to address, or a question he hasn’t had to answer, and he’s got a valuable perspective on them all.

“Being born in the late Seventies and going to public school in the Eighties, it was pretty much growing up like any other child would experience,” says Imam Favaz Tilly, giving the audience a glimpse into his early years.  Did he always know that he was going to grow up to be an Imam?  As a Muslim, were his formative years really no different than those of his Canadian schoolmates?  How did puberty affect his religious responsibilities?

Did the infamous September 11 attacks change Imam Favaz Tilly’s views on what his responsibilities as a Muslim were?  Favaz says “no,” but why?  And how has mainstream media changed how the general public views Muslim culture?

Join Dr. David Liepert as he talks to Imam Fayaz about what it’s been like living in Canada, living through 9/11, and rising to prominence as a Salafi Muslim leader helping his community navigate these difficult times.  Is there really any difference between Muslim and Canadian values, or do both traditions promote pluralism, and demand we find a path forward together? Listen and find out!