Mohammed Al Samawi

Interfaith Peacebuilder, Humanitarian & Founder of Abrahamic House; Author of “The Fox Hunt: A Refugee’s Memoir of Coming to America”

Mohammed Al Samawi is an interfaith activist, author and humanitarian whose life story is a testament to courage, faith and the power of dialogue. Born in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen, he was raised to fear Christians and Jews, but at 23, a secret encounter with the Bible and connections with people of other faiths transformed his worldview while placing him in mortal danger.

After religious extremists issued a fatwa accusing him of collaborating with Mossad, Al Samawi fled to Aden amid a brutal civil war. Over 13 days, four strangers he had met at interfaith conferences orchestrated a daring cross-continental rescue in response to his online plea. This true story is chronicled in his acclaimed memoir, “The Fox Hunt: A Refugee’s Memoir of Coming to America.” The book was a winner of the 2019 Nautilus Book Award, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and has been optioned for a feature film by Marc Platt, producer of “Wicked.”

As founder and president of Abrahamic House, an interfaith co-living and co-learning space, Al Samawi continues the work that transformed his own life, bringing people of different faiths together to foster understanding and collaboration in a safe environment he could not pursue in his home country. He speaks internationally on faith, resilience and shared humanity, inspiring audiences to bridge divides and act courageously in a fractured world.