Alexander Kronemer (born 19 June 1960,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States) is a writer, lecturer, and documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on religious diversity,

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, and

cross-cultural understanding Cross-cultural communication is a field of study that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across cultures. Intercultural communic ...

. He is the co-founder and executive producer of Unity Productions Foundation. Alex Kronemer is the co-founder of Unity Productions Foundation (UPF), its Executive Director, and Executive Producer for all UPF Films. He is an internationally known speaker and has published numerous articles newspapers and journals in the US and abroad, including The Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, the Huffington Post and in syndication in international publications as widespread as the UK, Indonesia, Egypt, and Pakistan. He frequently presents at 20,000 Dialogue events, and has appeared as a CNN commentator on several occasions. Mr. Kronemer has won numerous awards for his work in promoting peace and interfaith understanding. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, he previously served in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Human Rights and was one of the founding staff members who helped establish the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Education

Kronemer received his Bachelor of Arts in

International Relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

and

Economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

from

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...

, Washington, D.C. He graduated ''Magna'' c''um laude'' in 1982, and was honored with the "Most Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar" award. Three years later, Kronemer pursued a master's degree in Theological Studies from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. At Harvard, he concentrated in the philosophy of religion and

comparative religion Comparative religion is the branch of the study of religions with the systematic comparison of the doctrines and practices, themes and impacts (including migration) of the world's religions. In general the comparative study of religion yie ...

, graduating in 1985.

Lecturer and commentator

As a lecturer, Kronemer has delivered talks on religious diversity and

for the U.S. Departments of

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

, State,

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

, the World Affairs Council and the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. Kronemer has also spoken at many universities including

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

, and

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

, and has addressed private corporations such as Nike, Aetna, and

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...

. Kronemer made several appearances as a

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...

commentator most notably during the network's coverage of

Hajj The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...

in 1998, which was broadcast to 400 million viewers. He has been interviewed by prominent radio networks such as NPR and

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international broadcaster. VOA produces digital, TV, and radio content ...

. Kronemer was

Executive Producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

of ''The Noor Inayat Khan Story - Enemy of The Reich,'' which was produced by Unity Productions Foundation (UPF). The documentary is based on Noor's life. The world premiere was on 15 Feb 2014 in Washington DC.

Career

In the summer of 1999, Kronemer began serving as the Middle East Desk Officer for the Office of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor for the State Department. He served appointed as the US Delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland and briefed senior State Department and White House Officials on issues related to Islam. Kronemer was awarded a commendation for organizing the first State Department "Iftar Dinner" that was hosted by former Secretary of State

Madeleine Albright Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democratic ...

. After working with refugees for three years, from November 1989 to May 1999 Kronemer worked in the

US Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemploym ...

, where he worked for ten years performing economic research. He prepared reports and briefings for the Commissioner for the

Bureau of Labor Statistics The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of t ...

. Kronemer also facilitated and led various project teams including one that insured the Department's readiness for Y2K. Upon completing his masters, from August 1986 to June 1989 Kronemer took a position with the Refugee Education and Employment Program, where he directed the training and job placement services for newly arrived Vietnamese, Cambodian, and former Soviet Union refugees. In an article published by ''Christian Science'' in 2003, Kronemer describes his motives for having accepted the post by stating how, "It was my moral duty to do what others had failed to do..."

Filmography

'' Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet'' – August 2002 *Domestic reviews–

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

National Broadcast *International reviews–

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

International, Nile TV, SBS Australia, Danish Television, NPO Netherlands, Medi1sat Morocco, History Channel Spain, National Geographic Asia *Awards–ine Special Jury Award- 2004, Marharba Special Prize - 2005 *Domestic reviews–

National Broadcast, *International reviews–Al Arabiya, SBS Australia, ZDF Germany, YLE Finland,

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

, History Channel Spain, SRL Italy *Awards–"Gold" Intermedia- Globe; Hamburg World Media Film Festival- 2008, "Best Documentary"; ITV/ADC Peer Award, Documentary over 30 Minutes- 2008, "Grand Goldie Film Award"; For Excellence in Film- 2007 *Domestic reviews–

National Broadcast *International reviews–

, Al Arabiya *Live Screenings: **2007–Cincinnati, Dayton, New Brunswick, NJ, Chicago, Detroit, Charleston, WV, Philadelphia, Raleigh, NC, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, DC, Indianapolis **2008–Boston, Miami, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Houston *Film Festivals:

American Black Film Festival The American Black Film Festival (originally called the Acalpulco Black Film Festival) is an independent film festival that focuses primarily on black film—works by Black members of the film industry. It is held to recognize achievements of film ...

– October 2007 *Awards–"Gold" Intermedia-Globe; Hamburg World Media Festival- 2008, Telly Award- 2008, "Best Documentary"-

- 2007, Cine Golden Eagle- 2007, Grand Goldie Film Award- For Excellence in Film- 2007 *Domestic reviews–PBS through American Public Television *Film Festivals: Official Selection - Seattle Film Festival, Official Selection - Globians Film Festival, Official Selection – Atlanta Film Festival *International reviews–YLE Finland *Awards–"Silver" Intermedia-Globe; Hamburg World Media Film Festival- 2008, Telly Award- 2008, Cine Golden Eagle Award- 2007, Grand Goldie Film Award, For Excellence in Film - 2007 *Domestic activity–Commercial release through

Truly Indie Truly Indie is an "innovative distribution program" providing independent filmmakers the sales and marketing tools necessary to distribute their films by-passing traditional distribution companies. By providing a way for self-funded distribution, Tr ...

and Landmark Films – October 2008 *Domestic–Executive Program Services – June 2009 *Domestic–Executive Program Services – January 2010 *International– Al Arabiya – September 2009 *Screenings: **World Premiere –

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

– June 3, 2009 – Keynote Address by Former Secretary of State

. *Awards–Cine Golden Eagle Award- 2009, Grand Goldie Film Award, For Excellence in Film - 2009 '' Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World'' - July 2012 *Domestic reviews–PBS - July 7, 2012 *International reviews–Al Hura '' Enemy of The Reich: The Noor Inayat Khan Story'' - September 2014 *Domestic reviews–PBS - September 2014 '' The Sultan and The Saint'' - December 2016 *Domestic reviews–PBS - December 2017 *Nominated for Best Lighting Direction and Production Design at the 39th News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

Grants

Kronemer's work has been supported by numerous grants, including the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Montgomery County Commission on the Humanities and a Halberstam Writing Fellowship: * The

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Doris Duke (November 22, 1912 – October 28, 1993) was an American billionaire tobacco heiress, philanthropist, art collector, horticulturalist, and socialite. She was often called "the richest girl in the world". Her great wealth, luxurious l ...

–outreach funding – 20,000 dialogues – 2009, 2008 * The El-Hibri Charitable Foundation production funding for ''Inside Islam'' – 2009, ''Prince among slaves'' – 2006, ''Cities of Light'' – 2004, ''Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet'' – 2002 * One Nation, a special project of the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors–outreach funding – 20,000 Dialogues – 2008, production funding – ''Allah made me funny'' – 2007, ''Talking through'' – 2007, ''On a wing and a Prayer'' – 2007. * U.S. Institute of Peace–Companion website – Cities of light – 2007. *

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is an American publicly funded non-profit corporation, created in 1967 to promote and help support public broadcasting. The corporation's mission is to ensure universal access to non-commercial, ...

–production funding: ''Cities of Light'' – 2006, ''Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet'' – 2004 * The

National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...

–production funding: ''Prince among slaves'' – 2006, 2005, Research and development – ''Prince among slaves'' – 2004, 2003. * The National Black Programming Consortium–production funding – ''Prince among slaves'' – 2005. * The David and Lucille Packard Foundation–production funding – ''Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet'' – 2002 * Carnegie Corporation–joint outreach project on ''Muhammad: Legacy of a prophet'' and ''Muslims''

Publications

Kronemer has published in newspapers and journals, including ''The Southern Quarterly'', ''

The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...

'', the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', the '' San Jose Mercury News'', ''Beliefnet.com'', and ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''. His articles have been included in several anthologies, including the September 11 memorial book, ''Up From the Ashes'' (2001) and Wilber Prize winner, ''Taking Back Islam'' (2002). *"Decoupling Crime and Identity after 9/11" - syndicated through Common Ground News Service, September 2011. Reprinted in several Pakistani newspapers including: ''The Daily Abtak'', ''The Daily Aftab'', ''Daily Gulf News'', ''Takmeel Pakistan'' and ''Al Oamar''. * * * * *Passion Transformation,
Belief Net
March 10, 2004 * * * * \* *

Washington Post. June 10, 1997.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Jan. 22, 1995.

Beliefnet.com.
Other articles by Alex Kronemer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kronemer, Alex 1950 births Harvard Divinity School alumni American Muslims Converts to Islam Living people American documentary filmmakers American non-fiction writers American University School of International Service alumni