Bassam Tariq delights in making eclectic career choices. A blogger, a filmmaker, and a butcher's shop owner, the common theme linking everything together is his boundless celebration of humanity.
Why you should listen
"Our purpose is simple: we are here to change the world’s relationship to their food." TED Fellow Bassam Tariq does not have small dreams; every project he undertakes is a big plan to make real change. Hence the butcher's shop he helped to open in Manhattan's East Village is organic, halal, and specifically designed to encourage healthier eating habits and happier families.
In 2011, Bassam and his friend Aman Ali resolved to spend each night of Ramadan in a different mosque in 30 states around the United States -- and write about the experience. The result, 30 Mosques in 30 States, was a celebration of the stunning diversity of the Muslim experience in America, and a celebration of individual stories worth telling. Similarly, his documentary, These Birds Walk, is a portrayal of real life for street kids in Karachi, Pakistan.
What others say
“Far from being dogmatic or too intense, Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq are smart, funny, engaging, and observant, just like any other intelligent and curious person. It's a shame that their religion would cause many to find that hard to believe.” — Cord Jefferson, Good Magazine