#205 - Rais Bhuiyan

Let's Give A Damn

“The time is upon us to denounce ignorance and hate, and to work together toward this sacred goal, to create a world without fear, without violence, and without hate.”

Ten days after 9/11, Rais Bhuiyan was shot from point blank range by a white supremacist in Dallas, TX. His near-death experience and subsequent religious pilgrimage sparked a profound journey for Rais, including an international campaign advocating to save his attacker from death row. Ever since, Rais has kept his death bed promise to do more for others, dedicating his life to transforming hearts and opening minds through restorative justice, building bridges, storytelling, public speaking, and facilitation.

Over the last 9 years, Rais Bhuiyan has spoken to and worked with over 250,000 people around the globe. From corporate board rooms, to college campuses, classrooms, conference auditoriums, maximum security prisons, and refugee camps, Rais shares his extraordinary story of survival and the transformational power of mercy and forgiveness with audiences and participants of all ages, backgrounds, professions, religions, cultures, and languages. Rais inspires and motivates others around a variety of topics relating to his story and experiences of forgiveness, compassion, empathy, understanding and acceptance, as well as hate-crimes, race relations, equity and social justice, intolerance, faith and leadership.

Rais donated his story, chronicled in The True American: Murder& Mercy in Texas by Anand Giridharadas; the 2014 New York Times Book Review Notable Book and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. Rais worked with the Obama Administration’s Domestic Policy Council, receiving a personal letter from the President thanking him for his courage and efforts. He currently represents the U.S. Department of State, as part of their speakers’ bureau, supporting federal efforts for peace and understanding. Rais is featured in the documentary series, The Secret Life of Muslims featured on Vox, PRI, and the USA network. His segment was chosen by CBS Sunday Morning for national broadcast. Rais delivered a TEDx at Emory University in 2016. His efforts have been widely recognized, receiving the Excellence for Human Service Award, United for Change; 2011 American of the Year, Esquire Magazine; 2014 American Heritage Award, American Immigration Council; 2014 Human Relations Award, Muslim Public Affairs Council Foundation; 2018 ADL Washington, D.C. Kay Family Award & Concert Against Hate Honoree, among others. Hollywood’s feature film, based on The True American, is currently in production. Rais founded the non-profit World Without Hate in 2011.

Visit World Without Hate’s website to get involved.

Follow World Without Hate on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Follow Rais on Twitter and visit his website to learn more about him.

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Have an amazing week, friends! Keep giving a damn. Love y’all!