Sameerah Munshi on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission

Sameerah Munshi

11 a.m., April 12, 2026

Join us, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video from CAIR on Air Episode 2, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, a journalist who currently serves as the National Deputy Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), interviews Sameerah Munshi, an advisor to President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission and a policy advocate who focuses on protecting religious freedom and ensuring that minority voices are represented in government.

Sameerah discusses the Religious Liberty Commission, how it works, and what it’s like to represent Muslim perspectives in high-level government discussions on faith and freedom.

The video dives into Sameerah’s background in interfaith advocacy and the activism that first brought her national attention. She also shares what happened behind the scenes during commission hearings, including the reactions her testimony about Gaza and Palestine received from commissioners and attendees.

They discuss the controversy surrounding a hearing on antisemitism, rejected witnesses, and the debate over whether criticism of Israel is being wrongly labeled as antisemitism. And also cover the rise of Islamophobia in politics, how narratives about religion influence public opinion, and the importance of minority communities speaking up.

You can watch this 35-minute video at https://youtu.be/x3M0KivGBU4


Attend in Person
Join fellow Humanists in the Orchard Room of the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022. We often choose a local inexpensive eatery for lunch afterward.


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Defending Internet Privacy

Cindy Cohn of Electronic Frontier Foundation photogrphed by SRK Headshot Day in San Francisco, CA

11 a.m., April 5, 2026

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss the video Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance, by Cindy Cohn, a March 30 interview of Cindy Cohn by John Stewart of The Daily Show.

Cindy Cohn is an American civil liberties attorney specializing in Internet law. She has served as executive director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation since 2015. She is a leading legal voice representing the rights and interests of technology users, innovators, whistleblowers, and researchers during the Crypto Wars of the 1990s, in battles over NSA’s dragnet internet spying revealed in the 2000s, and in the fight against FBI gag orders.

he Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an American international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1990 to promote Internet civil liberties.

You can watch this video at: https://youtu.be/QkC1aK7jfLo


Attend in Person
Join fellow Humanists in the Neutra House Conference Center, 181 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022-3742. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.


Attend Online
Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
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Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
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Trump’s War, Netanyahu’s War

Paul George

11 a.m., March 29, 2026

Join us, either in person or online, as we welcome our presenter.

On February 28, the US and Israel together launched a devastating war against Iran. It quickly became apparent that this assault would be far more destructive than the so-called Twelve-Day War the two countries carried out against Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities last June. That attack, it should be noted, marked the first time that a US administration engaged in a coordinated military action with Israel against a local regional power. While the June attack had a clear goal, it is not all clear that the two allies share a common goal this time around, beyond the physical devastation of Iran. That could seriously complicate the “end game” of this conflict and the future of the region. We’ll examine the implications.

Paul George has been the Director of Peninsula Peace and Justice Center for 36 years. He has been a grassroots activist virtually his entire adult life, beginning when he was a 16-year-old organizer and activist against the Vietnam War. Paul has traveled to war zones as a Central American solidarity activist and has been arrested for civil disobedience numerous times. In addition to his years at PPJC, Paul has worked for international solidarity groups, candidates for elected office, ballot measure campaigns, and as a community organizer for the country’s largest health care workers union. As a former radio and TV host and as a frequent public speaker, Paul has developed a reputation for breaking down complex issues and outlining effective ways to organize resistance.


Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Sequoia Room of the Los Altos Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

03/29/2026 Trump’s War, Netanyahu’s War from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.


Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
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The Boy Scouts of America: Where are they Now?

Bob Wedig

11 a.m., May 3, 2026

Join us, either in person or online, as we welcome our presenter.

The Boy Scouts of America, now called Scouting America, started operation in the United States in 1910, and it has undergone significant changes since that time. This talk will be about the Boy Scouts, its mission, history, structure, and the current membership of the organization. We will discuss the inclusion of girls in the traditionally all-boys program and the recent government interaction in shaping the Scout program. There has been a lot of news about scouting in the last few years, so after an introduction and some background information, the talk will follow whatever path the audience wants to follow. Come with questions, and the speaker will do his best to provide the answers.
A short Bio:
Robert Wedig is a typical Silicon Valley engineer, now retired, who spends his time working with the Boy Scouts. He is an Eagle Scout and the father of two former scouts. He has been involved in scouting for over 40 years, and he is currently an assistant scoutmaster, unit commissioner, member of the advisory board for the Silicon Valley Monterey Council, and the chairman of the National Religious Relationships Committee. Robert believes scouting is the best youth organization to help young people become the ethical leaders of tomorrow, and he enjoys helping them achieve this goal.

05/03/2026 The Boy Scouts of America: Where are they Now? from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.


Attend in Person
Join fellow Humanists in the Neutra House Conference Center, 181 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022-3742. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.


Attend Online
Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call: here.


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Racism

11 a.m., March 22, 2026
Our society condemns racism, a word loaded with negative connotations.

It’s also an uncomfortable word. Over the decades, we have heard of concepts associated with racism: stereotypes, microaggression and privileges. The slow introduction of these words reflect our society’s gradual and uncomfortable acknowledgement of certain facets of racism.

Still, we don’t have the complete picture. What is racism? The presentation is to analyze racism and find the causes. Basically, racism is the intersection of three psychological dynamics of human beings:

discomfort caused by difference
different treatment due to power differences
mistreatment due to problematic human desires
We are going to examine these dynamics in detail, like discomfort leads to avoidance. Unfamiliarity leads to distrust… and many others. It’s about human behaviors. Afterwards, you may understand others better. And you may see yourself differently.

Racism is not an evil that can be killed. It is part of human nature, similar to greed or aggression. It needs to be watched within us; we just need to know where to watch. A strong sense of justice and a caring heart, like we humanists try to develop, can reduce it further.

Please come and find out.

About the presenter:

Emma P. is a humanist. She has spent a lot of time thinking, observing and analyzing the problems of our society.

She came to the US as an Asian teenager. Even though she ventured into many groups of white people, during the first 3 decades in the U.S., the word “racism” rarely entered her mind. She didn’t know enough about racism.

On the other hand, she was drawn to every single discussion on racism she knew of. She found them unsatisfactory.

After almost five decades living the U.S., she began to see the pattern of racism that nobody talks about. She wants to share her realization with the world.

03/22/2026 Racism: From Condemnation to Awareness from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.


Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Sequoia Room of the Los Altos Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.


Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call: here.


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