Mormon Stories #653: Omar and Nancy Kader - The Journey of a Palestinian Boy Raised in Utah Pt. 1
Dr. Omar Kader was born in Provo, Utah to Palestinian immigrants. HIs father was a devout Muslim and a disabled World War I vet who owned a successful Provo fruit farm. During Omar's childhood he and his family were called the n-word by fellow Provoans, but fought to earn the respect of his community. Omar and his father were close friends of Dr. Hugh Nibley, who liked to practice his Arabic skills with Omar's dad. In this epic multi-part series, we hear several inspiring stories, including: - How Omar escaped Palestine after being sent back there by his father to prevent him from marrying a Utah woman. - How Dr. Hugh Nibley fought to help Omar enroll in Brigham Young University. - How Omar met, courted, and married his amazing wife Nancy - a brilliant Mormon girl from Ogden, UT (this courtship included his conversion to the LDS faith). We also touch on what it was like to enter into a multi-cultural marriage in Utah during the 1960s. - Omar's draft into the Vietnam War (serving in Germany) - How Omar and Nancy risked expulsion from BYU for fighting against the Vietnam war and for supporting the BYU Student Democratic Party during the Earnest L. Wilkinson administration -- and how Hugh Nibley came to their rescue. - Omar's experiences obtaining a Ph.D. in International Relations at USC, along with his 10 year career at BYU wherein he faced both considerable racism and heroic support from certain BYU faculty and administrators.. - Nancy's work with the Democratic party in Utah, which included interactions with actor Robert Redford. - Omar's decision to leave BYU and move to Washington D.C. - Omar's work as a lobbyist for Arab-Americans, which included meetings with Yasser Arafat and King Hussein of Jordan. - The part Omar played in helping BYU obtain the land to build the BYU Jerusalem center, which he later grew to regret. - Omar's scorching critiques of LDS apostles Ezra Taft Benson and Jeffrey R. Holland. - Omar's work as a successful businessman in Washington D.C. against all odds as an Arab-American. - Nancy's trial of faith after befriending Kate Kelly in her Virginia ward, and then watching her friend get excommunicated. - Where Omar and Nancy now stand with the LDS church, and with matters of faith.
Comments
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This is interesting!!
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I love listening to these stories. Thanks for doing them and telling the truth and being so brave.
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I like this guy but what's up with the reference to Trump supporters being racist? I'm getting frankly pretty sick and tired of these blanketed assertions by supposedly intelligent individuals claiming that because you want security and background checks at the border you are racist. Frankly if you think Trump is a racist and his followers are racist you're simply lazy and have not done your homework. You're in the matrix.
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really enjoying this. thank you. do guests get beverages? I feel for them talking so long w/o a drop...
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John, thanks for introducing us to Dr. Kader and his wife. I enjoyed part 1, and I'm looking forward to hearing more.
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I had Dr. Kader for a political science class in the early 80's. As I recall he was the head of the Democratic Party in Utah at the time. I believe at that time he was also a bishop. It was interesting in the Mormon world I came from to have someone so different as a teacher. Fast forward many years, I was able to come out of the closet as gay, I have left the church and I left the Republican Party. I really enjoyed this first segment and am looking forward to the others!
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I cannot agree more about Ezra Taff Benson. Even is Grandson knows he was not a true prophet. I remember the Church of my Grandmother's era - early 1900's to 1960's or so. True charity. The Church is nothing like that today. I do not even recognize it today.
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