Ananas advisor series: Introducing Myriam Francois
Ananas advisor Dr. Myriam Francois is a dear friend and an intelligent mind who is notable in the US, UK, and French Muslim communities. She has joined the Ananas mission to help with community integration and to promote understanding.
To simply say Francois is accomplished is an understatement. She is a writer, broadcaster and an academic with a focus on current affairs, the Middle East, Islam and France. She currently works as an international news correspondent for TRT World, a global news network. She is a regular contributor to the New Statesman’s rolling politics blog, “The Staggers”, as well as the Telegraph and Middle East Eye. Her writing has been featured in the Guardian, CNN, the New Arab, Jadaliyya, ABC, and many more.
Francois is the presenter of two BBC One documentaries, “The Muslim Pound” (aired July 2016) and “A Deadly Warning: Srebrenica Revisited”, (aired July 2015 and nominated for the Sandford St Martin religious programming award 2016). She has previously presented a 2-minute explainer video for BBC news on the genocide at Srebrenica and is working on a C4 documentary, to air in September 2017.
Francois is a Research Associate at the Centre of Islamic Studies (CIS) at SOAS University, where her research focuses on British Muslim integration issues. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Global Policy (CGP) think tank.
Francois recently completed her PhD at Oxford University, focusing on Islamic movements in Morocco this 2017. She holds an MA from Georgetown University and a BA from Cambridge University. Her latest achievement includes being nominated as one of the “40 under 40” European Young Leaders class of 2017.
With Francois’s incredibly dense amount of experience and knowledge, we are proud to have her on the Ananas advisory board. Her work, goals, and aims align well to the Foundation and when asked how she views the project her answers were concise, kind, and exactly what we hope to achieve.
What do you think Ananas greatest impact will be?
“Open readers up to the multiplicity of readings of the Quran and the myriad beautiful ways it has been understood historically, bringing out the importance of context.”
What do you think Ananas’ best quality is compared to other startups and crypto projects?
“Its team — I have known Emad and his family for many years and believe them to be very capable and committed.”
What is your favourite thing about Ananas, on a personal level?
“The possibility of live comparative readings — a wealth of accessible and highly valuable theological knowledge.”
Any other feedback, vision, positive vibes that come to mind on an Ananas level.
“Theology can’t be left to the ivory towers and religious centres — the best religious knowledge is religious knowledge in action and I hope the project can facilitate the act of living faith in a complex world.”
