I have 12 years of experience, and specialize in the field of Islamic world with specific knowledge in the areas of gender, Islam and religious authority. I have published on such topics as gender, Sufism/mystical Islam and religious authority in Islam. I have testified on asylum for victims of gender-based violence. My experiences have taken me to some of the major centers of intellectual life in the US, Middle East, and England and also allowed me to connect with people “on the ground,” and from all walks of life in South Asia and the Middle East.