The Institute on Religion and Public Policy  

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari authorized Islamic law, Shariah, in that country's Swat Valley last week opening the door to direct rule by the Taliban. The Pakistan government's surrender to Taliban leaders in the region has already forced a rollback in women's rights, murders of local officials and levy of a jaziya, a type of penalty or tax, on Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities residing in the valley. Joining us today to discuss the situation of minorities in the Swat region is Ishani Chowdhury, Director of Public POlicy for the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), a non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to promoting religious tolerance, pluralism, and human rights. HAF works to bring a Hindu-American perspective to U.S. policymakers through its government outreach programs in D.C.

On March 16, 2009 the Washington, DC Department of Health issued a report showing the rate of AIDS/HIV in DC to be at 3%. The head of DC’s AIDS program stated publicly that this rate is equivalent to some West African countries such as Uganda and Kenya. Although there are many other capital cities in the world with similar or worse infection rates, it is troubling to consider that the capital of the most prosperous nation on earth has HIV infection rates similar to developing countries. The newspapers and other news sources covered this story for about a day, calling it a “serious epidemic.” And yet, by March 17, 2009 this information was not part of a broader public conversation. Although the report does not overtly discuss the relationship between AIDS/HIV and poverty, it is clear from this report and other recent reports, that AIDS is quickly becoming a disease of the poor. In some of his writings, Dr. David Hilfiker, our guest today, discusses the despair that overcomes people living in poverty. In the words of another Washingtonian, “despair takes time,” meaning that it takes time to sit with despair to truly address its roots and causes in order to overcome it. However, out modern media blitz world makes it difficult to sit with the despair of the current crisis here in DC. So today we will be taking our time to discuss the AIDS/HIV crisis. Joining us is Dr. David Hilfiker, who moved with his family to Washington DC to help found Christ House, a medical recovery shelter for homeless men. In 1990 he founded Joseph’s House, a home for homeless men with AIDS, where he lived for three years with his family. He has written numerous books dealing with poverty and the medical care of the poor. In his writings and conversations on poverty, he discusses at length the role of charity, justice, and relationship. We will be exploring the role these ideas can and should play in addressing the DC AIDS/HIV crisis.

President Barack Obama's first official trip overseas was not to China, the UK, or Africa, but to Turkey. This country, which sits at the crossroads of East and West, has become a focal point of international interest. Turkey is seen by some as the key to engagement with the Muslim world; others claim that reinvigorating Turkey’s relationship with the US is essential to our own national security. Today we will be talking with David Saltzman who is a practicing attorney and is head Counsel for the Turkish Coalition of America. In his practice David is involved in public international law, private international corporate and commercial law, and, for the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund, civil liberties litigation. He received his Juris Doctor from Washington & Lee University School of Law in 1991. David conducted his Bachelor¹s studies at the College of William & Mary in Virginia and the Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier, France. David has traveled extensively in Turkey and other European countries and has authored several academic papers and media articles concerning trade and non-trade issues that effect U.S.-Turkish relations. He has spoken before large audiences on international affairs issues on numerous occasions and has lectured at the Smithsonian Institution regarding the illicit trade in Turkish cultural property.

In our ongoing series What is Faith?, we are exploring different religious traditions from around the world. Today we look at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. Joining us is Kim Farah, a spokeswoman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based in Salt Lake City. She is the Church’s primary contact for national print and broadcast media. Previous to her Church employment, Kim worked as a professional in broadcasting for ten years as an anchor, producer and reporter. She was the primary anchor for a CBS affiliate in Oregon for seven years. Kim has a BA in Broadcast Journalism and a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from Brigham Young.