Dr. Omid Safi is an associate professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina and author of Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism.  Holding a Ph.D. in Religion with a concentration in Islamic Studies from Duke University, Dr. Safi's primary areas of research involve progressive Islamic thought, the social and intellectual history of pre-modern Islam, and Islamic mysticism. He frequently gives presentations dealing with various aspects of Islam, religion in the contemporary world, and spirituality and mysticism at churches, mosques, synagogues, and civic groups.