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Prof.Eddie Redzovic is the man behind The Deen Show — an educational talk show dedicated to bringing people closer to understanding the beauty of Islam — and a remarkable example of someone who has overcome significant obstacles to become an inspirational voice in the fight against prejudice and religious stereotypes related to Islam.
Born in Buffalo, NY to parents who immigrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1970s, Eddie was surrounded by sports and martial arts throughout his early life. Still, Eddie got caught up with bad influences during his teenage years that quickly took him down an unruly path.
When he realized where the path of gangs and bad friends would take him, he found strength within himself for change and found his love in martial arts once again. However, besides Jiu-Jitsu being his way to a better life, Eddie also found solace in religion. By the year 2005, he became a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Professor. He later started a Self-Defense jiu-jitsu academy in Chicago which would become one of the most famous jiu-jitsu academies in the US.
His mission was to help others become better human beings through the art of Jiu-jitsu and find their place in the world, and set them on a path to a better future. But tragedy struck the United States — the September 11 attacks. Following the horrible event that inflicted a devastating emotional toll on all Americans, some citizens started lashing at everyone remotely connected to Islam — Eddie was part of that religion.
In the following years, Eddie started seeing more and more stereotypes and prejudice rising against Muslims. So much so he decided to fight back. As a member of a peaceful religion, he wouldn’t fight with violence but with words and dialogue — that’s how The Deen Show was born. 17 years and 1000 plus episodes later, Eddie now hosts The Deen Show as one of the most popular TV shows in the genre, with over 7.5 million followers across multiple social media platforms.
Eddie believes that knowledge is power and educating others through open dialogue is the only way to help break down negative stereotypes associated with Islam. As he explains, there have been many wrong pictures presented in the media about Muslims and Islam over the years —stories full of hatred instead of facts — which led people to believe these misconceptions.
Through his talk show, Eddie strives to present the actual picture of Islam by discussing everything related to it — from religious beliefs and practices to purpose, history, culture, society, science, health, and more.
By doing this, he hopes not only to change this wrong picture of Islam and help people understand that Muslims are just like everyone else — ordinary human beings with individual thoughts and emotions. He also wants to spread awareness about how all people should be treated with respect no matter what their Religious background or beliefs are.
“Islam is beautiful and more and more people continue to embrace it after getting properly educated on it. “But due to the media painting all the wrong pictures about Muslims and Islam over the years, many people have come to hate everything associated with it. That’s the picture I want to change. I want to show people what Islam is really about, and then they can decide if they still want to hate it.”
In addition to hosting The Deen Show, Eddie also frequently speaks at universities, conferences, mosques, churches, and other public forums around the world. He promotes dialogue by engaging with different communities and speaking out against injustice wherever it may be found. Through his words and actions, Eddie hopes to create a more tolerant world where everyone can live in harmony regardless of their faith or background.
Eddie Redzovic’s noble path of fighting against prejudice and stereotypes is one we should all admire and strive for, as he is determined to fight against prejudice and bigotry in any way he can.
“We need bridges between cultures, not walls. We must understand how important it is for us all to work together toward mutual understanding instead of division. I believe it’s time for us all to join forces against hatred so our world can become a better place for everyone.”
