Faisal al-Mutar

Raised in a conservative, closed society by an open-minded family, Faisal had a unique experience growing

up as a bridge between two worlds. One the one hand, he discussed philosophers, literature, and

democracy during summer evenings spent barbecuing with his dad. On the other, he grew up in Iraq under

the regime of Saddam Hussein and later the oppressive rule of Al-Qaeda. He lost his older brother to

terrorism and faced kidnappings, extremist hatred, and its consequential violence daily.



He fled to the United States through Lebanon and Malaysia, becoming a refugee in 2013. A practitioner of

counter-extremism on an international scale, he's spoken at conferences and campuses across the globe

about his experiences working to combat extremism, both for the government and as a private citizen. Now

a US citizen, Faisal has vowed to help repair his country and the greater Middle East by ushering in a culture

of free expression and free inquiry through his non-profit organization, Ideas Beyond Borders.