India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President Donald Trump are hyper-nationalists and Islamophobes. Both push fear-driven campaigns based on historical grievances and aversion to foreign religions and ethnicities. A militant Hindu monk has been elected to lead India’s largest state, and he is rabidly anti-Muslim.
As someone who loves to travel, I was ecstatic when I received an email from my professor inviting me to a five-day conference in Provo, Utah, in February 2023. Without really investigating the nature of the conference, I immediately accepted the offer. And boy am I glad I did. In the blizzardy mountains of Aspen Grove, I took part in an incredible, life-changing experience.