Episode 122: The Great Muslim American Road Trip (And Everything That Came Before It) with Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins

Parvez and Omar are joined by Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins to discuss their upcoming PBS Documentary, "The Great Muslim American Road Trip".

About "The Great Muslim American Road Trip"

Follow a millennial Muslim American couple on a cross-country journey along historic Route 66. As they meet new friends and explore more than a dozen stops, Mona and Sebastian weave a colorful story about what it means to be Muslim in America today.

About Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins

Mona Haydar is a Syrian American Muslim born in Flint, Michigan. Her husband Sebastian Robins is an educator and convert to Islam. Both are passionate advocates for civil rights and inclusivity. In 2015, in the wake of extremist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, the couple gained international attention for their "Talk to a Muslim" project — an impromptu stand they set up in Cambridge, Massachusetts to "replace trauma with love" by offering coffee, free donuts and flowers in exchange for questions and dialogue.

An English major and a poet, Mona Haydar holds an M.A. in Christian Ethics from the Union Theological Seminary in New York. In 2016 she turned her talents to rap music. When her debut song "Wrap my Hijab" went viral, Billboard Magazine placed it among "The 20 Best Protest Songs of 2017" and named it one of the "Top 25 Feminist Anthems."

Sebastian Robins has served as both coordinator and CEO of the Lama Foundation. He has also worked as an elementary school teacher, vice principal, and assistant professor. As an advocate for sustainable agriculture, he has helped establish and maintain farms across the country. Sebastian is Mona Haydar’s music manager.

Together, the couple have been featured on NPR, CNN, CBS, BBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, People Magazine, BuzzFeed, HuffPost, Mic, Marie Claire, Glamour, Refinery 29 and other publications. Their work was showcased in a 2017 episode of the Peabody and Emmy-nominated short documentary series "The Secret Life of Muslims".