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Anna Piela

@annapiela.bsky.social
170 followers 43 following 60 posts

Scholar of Islam, writer-pastor, author, mom. New book: Challenging Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice. www.annapiela.com

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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Read my latest: A GENERATION THAT DOESN’T REMEMBER 9/11 IS INHERITING ITS ANTI-MUSLIM LEGACY. www.aprilonline.org/a-generation... #Islamophobia #antiMuslimracism
aprilonline.org
A generation that doesn’t remember 9/11 is inheriting its anti-Muslim legacy
Who gets to remember and how? What are the consequences of hegemony in a nation's political memory? Rev. Dr. Anna Piela reflects on 9/11.
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
As 9/11 becomes an event of increasingly distant past, America must ask itself what its young people are asked to remember. www.aprilonline.org/a-generation... #Islamophobia
aprilonline.org
A generation that doesn’t remember 9/11 is inheriting its anti-Muslim legacy
Who gets to remember and how? What are the consequences of hegemony in a nation's political memory? Rev. Dr. Anna Piela reflects on 9/11.
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Say their names! Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad are heroes and martyrs who died protecting kids from anti-Muslim violence. They are a bright light. People aren’t made for this evil. They were made for goodness.
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
This Sunday was Pentecost, and it shows us a God who revels in diversity, including religious difference. We need that Pentecost power now more than ever to fight against the forces of hate that we saw in the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego. The church must say something.
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Our hearts are grieved by the vicious attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego. @annapiela.bsky.social and I wrote a statement for our action network Challenging Islamophobia Together Chicagoland. My Muslim siblings, you are not alone. We stand in solidarity. Christians, we’ve got work to do.
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Is it time to make treatment of our immigrant siblings a status confessionis issue? I think so. Read my argument here. It’s time to use everything we have to fight for dignity and against dehumanization. 👇👇👇
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Read my latest op-ed in @rns.org : "If we are to worry about who threatens the world, the answer cannot ignore the only country that has ever used nuclear weapons in war and, nonetheless, still claims the authority to decide who else may possess them." #Iran #war religionnews.com/2026/04/22/d...
religionnews.com
The moral asymmetry in the war on Iran
(RNS) — Since 2018, it is the U.S. whose actions have been belligerent and framed by communications that often include invectives and sweeping threats.
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Sojourners @sojo.net · 16/04/2026
"Christians only have one savior, and his ministry was characterized by love, forgiveness, and mercy—traits that are in short supply as Trump continues to brutalize Iran," writes @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social sojo.net/articles/opi...
sojo.net
Trump Has a Pattern of Thinking He’s America’s Messiah
This isn’t the first time he’s done this. Here are four other times Trump portrayed himself as a savior.
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Dr Keighley Perkins @perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Amid ongoing conflict with Iran, this article by @annapiela.bsky.social offers a powerful reminder that war is not only fought on the ground. 🔗 tinyurl.com/54atc4y4 🧵👇 #langsky #polsky #politics #politicaldiscourse #linguistics
tinyurl.com
The enduring legacy of medieval Christian depictions of Islam in today’s political discourse
Long-standing Christian narratives about Islam continue to inform political language, argues a sociologist of Islam.
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
theconversation.com/the-enduring... @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social #Islamophobia
theconversation.com
The enduring legacy of medieval Christian depictions of Islam in today’s political discourse
Long-standing Christian narratives about Islam continue to inform political language, argues a sociologist of Islam.
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Al Jazeera English @aljazeera.com · 25/03/2026
We look at the number of people who have been killed and injured since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran. #Infograph
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Christians Challenging Islamophobia Conference at @lakestreetchurch.bsky.social . We are 30 Christian leaders coming together to learn how to confront Islamophobia rife in public life and congregations. @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social-co-organizer and @annapiela.bsky.social-co-organizer
Nina Fernando from Shoulder 2 Shoulder Campaign delivers the Faith over Fear training during the Christian Challenging Islamophobia conference on March 3, 2026. Attendees of the Christian Challenging Islamophobia conference on March 3, 2026. Attendees of the Christian Challenging Islamophobia conference on March 3, 2026. Organizers of the Christian Challenging Islamophobia conference on March 3, 2026—Rev. Dr. Anna Piela and Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf.
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
They say that Islamists oppose girls education, and then blow up a girls school killing dozens. If you fall for this bullshit about liberating Iran, when we are literally going to try to put the Shah’s son in power like we’re playing a video game, you are just not paying attention.
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
This is spot on 👇👇👇👇
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Check out this new short doc about my arrest and the moral emergency we find ourselves in in this country.“There’s absolutely no one coming to save us. There’s no one coming to save these people. There’s no one going to stand up for them except for the people who are here right now, who care.”
youtube.com
“ICE Agent Choked Me - Then Quoted Jesus” Baptist Pastor Michael Woolf
YouTube video by Freedom Watch Media
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Take a listen to my appearance on the Voices That Propel Us podcast about why learning about Islam makes you a better Christian. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/v...
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 10/02/2026
Read the letters referenced by Rep. James Walkinshaw here:
propublica.org
“I Have Been Here Too Long”: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility
Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end...
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Missed @annapiela.bsky.social's and my book launch? No problem - it's recorded. Take a minute to listen to some great questions from our interviewer about Islamophobia and the importance of interfaith collaboration today. youtu.be/DqB29SnFcaM?...
youtu.be
BOOK LAUNCH: "Confronting Islamophobia in the Church"
YouTube video by Chicago Area Peace Action
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
www.eventbrite.com/e/why-would-... - Everyone welcome. Featuring me, @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social, @jordandenariduff.bsky.social, Todd Green and Syed Atif Rizwan as facilitator #Islamophobia
eventbrite.com
Why Would These Christian Scholars Write Books on Islamophobia?
A Conversation with the Authors
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Dheepa Sundaram, PhD (she/her) @themodsisyphus.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
These letters from the children imprisoned in Dilley concentration camp show that what is now a humanitarian disaster will get worse. These kids don’t want to stay in the US anymore. They just want to go to school. bsky.app/profile/them...
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Thanks @ulaakuzi.bsky.social for this great interview with me and @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social!
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Baptist News Global @baptistnews.com · 04/02/2026
"Eyes can’t lie. I went to Palestine this past January, and what I saw with my own eyes is ethnic cleansing, apartheid and genocide. Israel is doing all it can to push the Palestinians off the land." baptistnews.com/article/in-o...
baptistnews.com
In occupied Palestine, the eyes don't lie – Baptist News Global
In response, a group of activists in Silwan began to paint giant murals of eyes all over the neighborhood as symbols of solidarity,
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
We are launching our book at @lakestreetchurch.bsky.social on February 4th at 6:30pm. If you are in Chicagoland, you will not want to miss it. Share far and wide!
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Read my latest:This lengthy history of Christian anti-Muslim hostility, and fact that Islamophobia thrives in many American churches today, requires of us, American Christians, a consideration of our ethical and theological responsibilities toward our Muslim siblings. arcmag.org/the-quran-fo...
arcmag.org
The Qur’an, for the Love of Christ! | ARC: Religion, Politics, Et Cetera
As a Baptist minister who wants to talk about Islamophobia—indeed, feels called to talk about Islamophobia—I always search for hard evidence. I want to help fellow Christians understand that I’m talki...
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Amazon is giving ridiculous delivery dates for our books? No problem, go to www.ebay.com/itm/13700771.... You will receive a signed book!
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If you know you know @privatechand.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
This story haunts me. And I hope it haunts the bastards who did this.
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Yo thanks for my new profile picture whoever the artist is!
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Check out @annapiela.bsky.social's and my episode on Dangerous Dogma about our new book! www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpW6...
youtube.com
Confronting Islamophobia in the Church
YouTube video by Brian Kaylor
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Did you know that #ICE has a field office in Tel Aviv? Why is US immigration enforcement active in a foreign country? www.ice.gov/field-office... #PalestineWillBeFree
ice.gov
Tel Aviv
Embassy Branch Main Tel: 011-972-3-519-7575 Post Mailing Address: Embassy Branch Office of the United States 71 Ha-Yarkon Tel Aviv-Yafo 6343229 Israel (+7 hours EST)
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Awesome panel talk by @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social on ICE cruelty. "We are fighting the Devil here." The event is titled "From the West Bank to ICE: How the US and Israel Collaborate on Violence and Surveillance" in #Evanston #Illinois #PalestineWillBeFree
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Max Berger @maxberger.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
If every Democrat voted NO on funding ICE, it would not have passed the House. But, 7 House Democrats voted to fund Trump's lawless, masked goons, so it passed. Hakeem Jeffries refused to whip his members to vote against ICE funding. Genuinely unforgivable.
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
We are fighting the Devil. It’s that simple. I don’t know what else to call evil in physical form like this.
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none the richer @preachez.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Anna Piela (@annapiela.bsky.social) and Michael Woolf (@revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social) on “Confronting Islamophobia in the Church” on Feb. 3rd at 6:00pm at Hyde Park Union Church — MY HOME CHURCH!!! So many Baptist ministers suck. These ones vehemently do not. Iman Tariq El-Amin will be there too.
A graphic for the event with the book cover for “Confronting Islamophobia in the Church” and Anna Piela and Michael Woolf’s headshot beside it. Details below:

Anna Piela and Michael Woolf on “Confronting Islamophobia in the Church” and in conversation with Tariq El-Amin. This event is on Tuesday, February 3rd at 6:00pm at Hyde Park Union Church — 5600 S Woodlawn Ave. The “it’s more likely than you think” meme but it reads “Anti-fascist Baptists in my area? It’s more likely than you think. Free PC check!”
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Mike H @mjh878.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Rhetorical question, but I’d love to know how many “conservative Christians” are aware of Jefferson’s Qur’an (as you note)? Or maybe the better question is how many would publicly acknowledge the fact? - never letting reality get in the way of a good narrative ;-) - thanks for your work!
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Read my latest in The Commons:“On Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration: Oaths of office and the myth of a single sacred book” www.aprilonline.org/on-zohran-ma...
aprilonline.org
On Zohran Mamdani’s Inauguration: Oaths of Office and the Myth of a Single Sacred Book
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela identifies Islamophobia in American politics through the recent panic over Zohran Mamdani's use of the Qur'an in his mayoral inauguration.
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Here is a link to the Muslim Network TV interview where I and @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social talked with Imam Malik Mujahid about the ways Christians can and should confront Islamophobia in their communities and congregations.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Arnoldo Bazan, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen, was put in a chokehold by ICE agents. Agents took his phone, which he tracked to a used electronics vending machine near an ICE detention center. Yes: ICE is stealing and selling people’s things after brutalizing them. There are no words.
propublica.org
We Found More Than 40 Cases of Immigration Agents Using Banned Chokeholds and Other Moves That Can Cut Off Breathing
Civilians have had apparent seizures. One had his eyes roll back. Another had ribs broken. “I felt like I was going to p
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
@annapiela.bsky.social and my new book came out today! Confronting Islamophobia in the Church is the result of years of our interfaith work and it would mean the world to me if you would read it. www.judsonpress.com/Products/J32...
Michael Woolf and Anna Piela posing with their new book - Confronting Islamophobia in the Church.
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
www.occupationmovie.org. The best answer to propaganda is understanding how propaganda works. #PalestineWillBeFree
occupationmovie.org
Occupation of the American Mind - WATCH THE FILM FOR FREE
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
@revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social and I have done our first book talk about confronting #Islamophobia in the #Church at @bstberkeley.bsky.social: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zGN... #Islam #Christianity #interfaith www.judsonpress.com/Products/J32...
youtube.com
Rev. Dr. Anna Piela and Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf: January 2026 First Friday Lunch and Learn
YouTube video by Berkeley School of Theology
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Drop Site @dropsitenews.com · 09/01/2026
⚡️NEW from Drop Site: Israel Kills Five Children in Surge of Attacks on Gaza “Safe Zone” Since the October “ceasefire,” an average of five Palestinians have been killed every day. Report by Abd Sabbah (X: @AbdSabbah91) and Sharif Kouddous (X: @sharifkouddous) www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-gaz...
dropsitenews.com
Israel Kills Five Children in Surge of Attacks on Gaza “Safe Zone”
Since the October “ceasefire,” an average of five Palestinians have been killed every day.
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
My prayers are in Minneapolis, where ICE has shot someone in broad daylight. These monsters have to be stopped. They do not care, and they will not stop. If they can do this in front of the whole world, what are they doing where we can't see? We know about torture in #Broadview. We need an exorcism.
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
@serenejones.bsky.social of @welcome-to-united.bsky.social and David Grafton of @hartfordint.bsky.social are mentioned as advocates for rigorous #Christian engagement with #Islam and #Muslims in my latest article in @christiancentury.bsky.social #Islamophobia #Christianity #antiBlackness #racism
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Christian Century @christiancentury.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
“In the US, Islamophobia has roots in anti-Blackness. When the transatlantic slave trade began, Islam was already established across West Africa, so the first Muslims to come to North America were enslaved Africans—about 900,000 of them. ” – @annapiela.bsky.social and @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social
christiancentury.org
The making of Islamophobia
The West’s understanding of Islam has been shaped by centuries of superficial, deeply biased Christian...
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
@christiancentury.bsky.social has just reprinted a chapter from @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social's book Confronting Islamophobia in the Church: Liturgical Tools for Justice. tinyurl.com/3aase4xe #Islamophobia #Islam #Christianity #antiBlackness #palestine #PalestineWillBeFree
tinyurl.com
The making of Islamophobia
The West’s understanding of Islam has been shaped by centuries of superficial, deeply biased Christian...
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
Proud of @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social for writing this excellent piece. #Islam #Islamophobia #Muslim #Christian #Christianity
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
Come and see us talk! Also, if you’ve got a book group, pick our book and we will zoom in for sure with your group.
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Anna Piela @annapiela.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
@revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social of the Lake Street Church of Evanston, IL, discusses this administration's aggressive tactics against immigrants, even as their official social media channels share holiday messages. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxHa...
youtube.com
'A true spiritual emergency': Reverend on Trump admin.'s immigration tactics
YouTube video by MS NOW
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Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf @revdrmichaelwoolf.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
My latest: “That is a world worth fighting for with everything we have, including using our most sacred symbols and in physically standing between menacing forces and their intended targets. This Advent, we are invited to prepare ourselves anew for this reversal of power. Are we ready?”
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