Sabith Khan

Bio

Sabith Khan is a social entrepreneur, researcher and founder of MENASA, a think-tank and policy shop engaged in issues related to MENA and South Asia. Sabith has worked for several years in the field of strategic communications, public affairs and nonprofit management, trying to understand and communicate issues pertaining to civil society, development and youth in the US and MENA region. Sabith has worked with several large global public affairs firms, on award-winning campaigns in healthcare, entertainment and government relations. During his stint at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, he ideated and executed a global award-winning campaign for Apollo Hospitals (Abby and Clio Awards). He has also worked in the Middle East managing accounts as diverse as Dubai Film Festival, Mohammed bin Rashid Foundation, Dubai International Film Festival, Dubai School of Government. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of Muslim Public Service Network in Washington D.C, an NGO that engages and inspires young American Muslims to do public service. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Planning Governance and Globalization at Virginia Tech. He has been involved as a team member and leader in several international development projects including consulting for the Near East Foundation, in helping set up their Monitoring and Evaluation system for their offices across the MENA region. Sabith has a Master of Public administration and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. In Summer 2013, he conducted research on American Muslim philanthropy at the Lilly School of Philanthropy, Indianapolis, in an attempt to map giving behavior among Muslims over the last ten years i.e., 2002- 2012. Sabith’s research interests include Religion and Philanthropy, Youth issues in USA, Middle East North Africa and South Asia, Governance and Civil Society. Sabith is also the co-editor of Millennials Speak: Essays on the 21st century, a snapshot of the ideas and opinions of the global Millennial Generation. Twenty writers from five continents, a diverse mix of young academics, policy professionals, and future thought and creative leaders, cover topics from the legacy of the Arab Spring, the global food system, the U.S. student loan crisis, youth unemployment, to popular culture. Currently working: Founder and Executive Director, MENASA Publications: 1. Humanitarian Aid and Faith-Based Giving: The Potential of Muslim Charity - Unrest Magazine, George Mason University. May 2013. Accessible at http://www.unrestmag.com/about-unrest/past-issues/#sthash.GEqNfv0U.dpuf 2. Arab American Diaspora and American Muslim Philanthropy: impact of crisis situations on mobilization and formation of a “community.” American University in Cairo Press. Cairo. (NP). Expected Fall 2013. 3. Middle-East Peace Talks 2010: Investigating the Role of Lobbying and Advocacy Groups in Washington, D.C. as Spoilers. Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Spring 2011. Accessible at : http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/parcc/Research/intrastate/Spoilers_of_Peace_Project/ Blog: www.sabithkhan.wordpress.com
Syria is Not Iraq - Bosnia and Kosovo Offer the Real Lessons
By Sabith Khan
Syria is Not Iraq - Bosnia and Kosovo Offer the Real LessonsIf there’s just one thing I want to tell those opposing U.S. intervention (or any international intervention) in Syria, it is this: Syria is not Iraq, and all interventions are not equal.…
The Simple Reason Why Egyptians Love the Muslim Brotherhood
By Sabith Khan
The latest eruption of violence in Egypt, in which the army has cracked down on pro-Morsi protesters, has raised the question of whether the country's "secular" army is any better than the "religious" Muslim Brotherhood that ran the country rather…
5 Myths About Sharia Law
By Sabith Khan
The problem with discussing Sharia law in the U.S is that very few people seem to know what they are talking about, as Dr. Sherman Jackson, one of the foremost experts on Islamic law in the U.S., points out. Myths about "creeping Sharia" and the…
Bank On Students Loan Fairness Act: Will Student Debt Crush the GOP's Chances With Young Voters?
By Sabith Khan
The real challenge for millennials in the U.S may be coming to grips with their poverty. With a good number of them being under- or unemployed, the prospects of them earning as much as the Baby Boomers is slim. The student loan crisis, coupled with…
Will the Millennials End Partisan Gridlock? Don't Get Your Hopes Up
By Sabith Khan
Political gridlock, lack of momentum on crucial economic and foreign-policy issues, and extreme partisanship have disillusioned the millennials in the U.S, according to this recent survey conducted by the Institute of Politics at Harvard University.…
Is Islam Violent? What the Numbers Show
By Sabith Khan
"Is Islam violent," is a question that implies an answer. It is already loaded with a suggestion, that implies that somehow Islam is exceptional as a religion and is inherently violent, backwards, and uncivilized. This is not an easy topic to…
Boston Marathon Bombing Islamophobia: Media to Blame For America's Ignorance On Islam
By Sabith Khan
The Boston Marathon bombings is the most recent act of violence which is being linked to “Islamic terrorism,” and even mainstream commentators are taking the easy route and blaming it on Islam. This bias in media showing Islam as barbaric, backward,…
Immigration Reform 2013: Is the Gang Of 8 Bill Revolutionary?
By Sabith Khan
With the drafting of the new immigration reform bill, by the bipartisan Gang of 8 senators, the eventual pathway to citizenship for the over 11 million undocumented workers in the U.S may be near. This may be more a practical measure, than one…
5 Game-Changing Innovations in Education
By Sabith Khan
Since the 1960s, when celebrated teacher Frank McCourt taught in New York, education at the secondary and higher levels has come a long way. From the humble chalk board to the smart board and the Internet, students today have much more by way of…
Justice Sonia Sotomayor: 3 Ways She Can Help Minorities From the Bench
By Sabith Khan
While the election of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was appointed as the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 2009, was a great symbolic victory for minorities aspiring to higher office, the battle for racial equality and social justice is not…
5 Reasons the U.S. Should Intervene in Syria
By Sabith Khan
With over 70,000 people dead, a civil war contributing to regional instability, and a world just standing by while mass killings are a daily phenomenon, is Syria becoming another Balkan war? Will the U.S. and the UN act in time to stop this carnage…
5 Ways the Bible and Koran Aren't So Different
By Sabith Khan
The holy books of both Christianity and Islam are more similar than we realize. While the grand narratives around both religions have unfortunately been wrapped up in a “clash of civilizations” hypothesis, at least in contemporary times, it has not…
John Kerry Secretary of State: 5 Issues He Should Focus On
By Sabith Khan
Stepping into a very successful secretary of state's shoes can be a challenge. And for Senator John Kerry (R-Mass.) to do so, when outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's popularity ratings are higher than those of President Obama's is no…
5 "News" Organizations That Epically Fail At Their Job
By Sabith Khan
Considering the terribly complicated media landscape that we are in, with thousands of newspapers, magazines, websites — not to mention the blogosphere and social media — I am reminded of Mark Twain’s famous quote: "If you don’t read the newspaper,…
Is Online Education the Way Of the Future? Some Sci Fi Writers Think So
By Sabith Khan
While science fiction is not entirely fiction, and much of what great writers such as H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov and others predicted has come true, the case of online education is not so simple. In this interview a few years ago, Asimov predicted…
Al Jazeera News Expands in U.S., Could Become the Answer to America's PR Problem
By Sabith Khan
The recent acquisition of Current TV by Al Jazeera network in a $500 million deal has sparked a fresh controversy around the Qatar-based media network’s growing clout in the U.S. While the U.S struggles to win “hearts and minds” in the Middle East,…
Israel Elections 2013: Far Right Faces Off Against Weakened Opposition Party
By Sabith Khan
From the time Benjamin Netanyahu called for elections on October 15, 2012, till today, there has been a constant surge of the far-right in Israel. This has coincided with the collapse of the left, with Ehud Barak, Tpizi Livni, and other prominent…
John Brennan, the Architect of Drone Strikes and Torture, is What Obama Needs to End the War On Terror
By Sabith Khan
With a 25 year track record of work in intelligence and skills in counter-terrorism, John Brennan’s appointment to the top job as director at the CIA should not have raised many eyebrows, but it has. Many senators and civil liberty groups have…
NDAA: What We’re Giving Up For This Defense Bill
By Sabith Khan
President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on December 31, 2012, ushering in the new year with a controversial law which may impede civil liberties in its current form. As this New York Times article points out, President…
NDAA: The Civil Liberties We're Giving Up For This Controversial Defense Bill
By Sabith Khan
President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on December 31, 2012, ushering in the New Year with a controversial law, which may impede civil liberties in its current form. As this New York Times article points out, President…