On this episode of the podcast, we dialogue with our first interfaith family. In past episodes, we've examined how individuals embody multiple religious and spiritual traditions. Today, we wonder how people who love each other can coexist and even flourish when spiritual multiplicity exists between them.

Fatima Shah (she/her) and Alejandro Alvarez (he/him) are a Muslim-Catholic interfaith couple who live in Iowa. Fatima was born into a Muslim family, Alejandro into a Catholic one. Join us for the first half of my interview with Fatima and Alejandro, where we learn about who they are, how they met, and some of the struggles they’ve faced in their interfaith relationship. Then, Fatima and I sit down alone to discuss some of the discourse around Islam and interfaith marriage and establish why the stakes have been so high for her in her interfaith marriage. This is part one of a two part series, so please subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss part two of the conversation.

Fatima is recent graduate from the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. She is currently working as a graduate pharmacy intern. During pharmacy school, Fatima was passionate about representation of diversity in the pharmacy profession and was treasurer for an organization called Cultural Awareness, Respect and Equity Rx (CARE RX) for 2 years, where she contributed to efforts to promote an academically enriching environment for pharmacy students from diverse backgrounds.

During college, she started her own Instagram page called Our Catholic Muslim Family (@ourcatholicmuslimfamily), where she advocates and shares her experience in an interfaith marriage. She identifies as a Muslim and enjoys advocating for Catholic-Muslim Interfaith families on Instagram. Her goal is to normalize interfaith families and help play a role in removing misconceptions about interfaith relationships one step at a time in both Muslim and Catholic communities.

Alejandro Alvarez is a Welding Engineering Alumnus from Ohio State University. He is a Catholic Apologist and Catechist. His topics of interest include theology, scripture, and writings from the early Church fathers. He enjoys readings from St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, St. Justin Martyr, and many more. He leads a Catholic adult faith program where he teaches the foundations of the Catholic faith. He is also an active member of the Knights of Columbus. As a husband to a Muslim woman, Alejandro utilizes his involvement with the Catholic Church to strongly advocate for interfaith marriages. His goal is to help promote fraternity and interreligious dialogue through faith, love, and charity.

Click here for this episode's resource page.

Guest's Links

Instagram: @ourcatholicmuslimfamily

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We honor the Adena and Monongahela peoples on whose ancestral lands this podcast is produced.

Written & produced by Addie Pazzynski