Exploring faith, race, and Sudanese identities in Black History Month By Guest Author Mawada Abdalla Elmahgoub On Being An Immigrant I was brought into this world lost between two lives. My body, a sandy vessel that crossed the red sea and crept its way into the crevices of the Nile. But I opened my eyes in a foreign land, with the blood of two immigrants running through my veins. And denial. Is all I ever felt then. I denied the skin, I... Read more
It was nearing the close of the workweek on Friday when President Trump signed an Executive Order banning refugees and citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. Ostensibly designed as a way to prevent terrorism, the Executive Order wrought chaos in airports across the country and around the world this weekend, as people with visas and green cards were denied entry into the United States. Many travelers affected by the so-called #MuslimBan are Legal Permanent Residents of the... Read more
When my parents registered me for kindergarten, my father stopped at the race question. How can we “check the box that applies,” when we don’t fit into any boxes? He wondered aloud why the school wanted to track their students by race, and they assured him it was not for nefarious purposes. Dad decided we should mark “Other,” because none of the options seemed to precisely reflect our identities. That was when the administrator asked him what language we spoke at home.... Read more
Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Kameelah Rashad, founder and president of the Muslim Wellness Foundation. By Kameelah Rashad As we continue to process the impact, consequences and implications of #RIS2016 and the comments made by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf (and ensuing discussions that overtook Muslim Facebook and Twitter), I strongly recommend every mosque, Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Muslim-led organization in the U.S. pledge to do the following. These are tangible, concrete steps that can increase us all... Read more
Millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating the Mawlid this weekend, commemorating the birthday of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Muslims celebrate our Prophet’s birthday by fasting, reciting Quran, learning more about his character and life, and often attending communal gatherings where songs and poetry are recited in his honor. Every year, I compile a list of praise songs and share with my readers. I try not to share the same poem twice (unless it’s a classic), so if your favorite is... Read more
Embed from Getty Images Dear White America, Hi guys! I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you, but I spent most of last week checking in on my Muslim, Latinx, Jewish, Sikh, Black, Asian, Undocumented, and LGBTQ friends. I know it’s already been about 2 hours since the last segment was aired on white America’s role in the election of Donald Trump, so I wanted to check in on you guys and see how you’re holding... Read more
Embed from Getty Images Exciting news, friends and social media fiends! I will be live-tweeting the election and results throughout the day tomorrow. If you’re not a Twitter-person (frankly, I don’t blame you), don’t worry! You don’t have to go that bad, mean, place – just bookmark this link to read my views about the news, pollercoaster freakouts, and snarky/salty comments about what’s happening around the country throughout the day. I’ll also be paying attention to Senate races, especially... Read more
Embed from Getty Images It’s been an emotional roller coaster of a week for American Muslims. This weekend, the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks overlapped with the Day of Arafah, the culmination of the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the holiest day of the Muslim calendar. Monday, millions of Muslims across the country awoke on the holiday of Eid-ul-Adha, to news of a Florida mosque being burnt down in a case of suspected arson. The floodgates opened and news... Read more
“Jump in – I’ll catch you!” My swim teacher is patient. I am 7 years old. My new bathing suit is shiny. My hair is in a bun under the swim cap. This is my third false start. I take a deep breath, close my eyes. Finally, I jump. Freckled shoulders, dark eyes, a supportive smile. “You did it! Now let’s learn how to float!” She’s so enthusiastic because she loves swimming and wants me to love it, too. I’m a Polligwog, the starting level for... Read more
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of news and many of us are still reeling from what is turning out to be a particularly bloody and disturbing summer. We’ve been witness to terror attacks throughout Ramadan, the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, the shootings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, the attacks against civilians in France and Germany, the protests in Kashmir, aerial bomb attacks against civilians in Syria, and the Republican National Convention It... Read more
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