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.