Biography

In the days following 9/11, Rais was shot by a white supremacist in a brutal hate crime. He forgave his attacker and eventually led an international campaign trying to save him from death row. From this movement and the manifestation of his deathbed promise, Rais founded the non-profit World Without Hate. His work focuses on utilizing the transformational power of personal narrative and empathy education to help prevent and disrupt hate and violence. 

In addition to World Without Hate, Rais is a highly regarded international public speaker, having engaged with hundreds of thousands of people around the world. From corporate board rooms to college campuses, classrooms, conference auditoriums, maximum security prisons, and refugee camps, Rais shares his extraordinary story of survival and the transformational power of mercy and forgiveness with audiences and participants of all ages, backgrounds, professions, religions, cultures, and languages. Rais inspires and motivates others around a variety of topics relating to his story and experiences of forgiveness, compassion, empathy, understanding and acceptance, as well as hate-crimes, race relations, equity and social justice, intolerance, faith, and leadership.

Rais donated his story, chronicled in The True American: Murder& Mercy in Texas by Anand Giridharadas; the 2014 New York Times Book Review Notable Book and Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. His story is chronicled in an episode of the Emmy-nominated documentary The Secret Life of Muslims.  

More recently, in September 2022, Rais was honored with an invitation to speak at the White House’s bipartisan United We Stand Summit. This notable recognition included a personal letter from President Biden, expressing deep appreciation for Rais’ dedicated efforts in combating hate-fueled violence and transforming his pain into purpose. He worked with the Obama Administration’s Domestic Policy Council, receiving a personal letter from the President thanking him for his courage and efforts. And he continues to serve on the U.S. Department of State’s speakers’ bureau, supporting efforts for peace and understanding. He served as a founding member of the King County Equity Cabinet, King County, WA and as a 2021-2023 speaker’s bureau member with Humanities Washington.

Rais delivered a TEDx at Emory University in 2016. His anti-hate contributions have been widely recognized, receiving such acknowledgements as the Excellence for Human Service Award (United for Change); 2011 American of the Year (Esquire Magazine); 2014 American Heritage Award (American Immigration Council); 2014 Human Relations Award (Muslim Public Affairs Council Foundation); 2018 ADL Concert Against Hate Honoree and Kay Family Award, among others. World Without Hate is the recipient of Seattle’s Human Rights Commission’s 2021 Human Rights Organization award.