By Kulsum Tasnif Losing my mind. There’s this odd tap that comes from chair legs hitting cold concrete floor, but I try not to think about it because it reminds me of my own shaking legs, leading to thoughts of those legs being broken, leading to thoughts of my face smashing against that floor. There’s a mark on the floor that looks like a dried blood stain, and as I sit handcuffed waiting, I wonder if my blood will spill... Read more
By Hakeem Muhammed True Black history has been obfuscated and replaced with nefarious Eurocentric myths. Africa is portrayed as a place without history: primitive, inferior and impoverished. The noble descendants of Africa are by extension portrayed as incompetent and inconsequential actors in world history. To counter these Eurocentric tall-tells that masquerade as objective history, Carter G. Woodson first proposed Black History Week, which later expanded to a month. Muslims, who have been duty-bound to submit to Quranic revelations of getting to... Read more
By Sebastian Robins Mid-winter in New England sees about seven hours of daylight, and that’s only when the sun is shining. More often than not the skies are grey or spitting rain, and it feels like everyone and everything is contracting into itself, pulling up collars against the onslaught of winter, and keeping eyes down. It was into this darkness several weeks ago that my family and I arrived at my mom’s house south of Boston to help her recover... Read more
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles and reflections for Black History month. By Margari Aziza Hill Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go. — James Baldwin I was in sixth grade when first learned of Black History month. My teacher turned to me, the only identifiably Black student in class, and asked, “Margari, were any of your ancestors slaves?” I shrunk... Read more
By Reema Kamran “Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution.” — Khalil Gibran At the end of 2015, friends, community members and family were discussing the state of the world. They were particularly concerned about the sadness and the fear that surrounded us. The conversation circled around how to take back the narrative, shift the paradigm in our community and our country back towards hope and love. Eman Hassaballa Aly wrote to... Read more
By Khurram Dara Who speaks for Islam in America? After tragedies like the ones that occurred in Paris and San Bernardino, the dearth of central leadership in Muslim America has become increasingly apparent. While a host of Muslim organizations, communities and thought-leaders routinely condemn violence committed in the name of Islam, their voices are often dispersed and drowned out. When we move beyond mere condemnation to talk about what action can be taken to curb the radicalism crippling Islam, who... Read more
By Farouk Peru In our current socio-political milieu, the world of Islam is coming under close scrutiny by the rest of the humanity, especially the West. Islamophobia is a veritable industry and many individuals make their fortunes by generating racial hatred towards Muslims. In this climate, one can only expect there to be criticism towards sources of the Islamic tradition. Rather than this being a source of despair, I think one should welcome it, especially by those who have insider’s... Read more
By Susan Campbell Score one for the letter of the law and immaturity of spirit. On Tuesday, evangelical Wheaton College announced it had started a procedure that could result in the firing of Dr. Larycia Hawkins, who’d announced on Facebook late last year that she would wear a hijab during Advent to show solidarity with Muslims. She’d also said that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. In a statement posted on the school’s website, administrators said they’d reached an... Read more
By Altmuslim Editors Sure, we could talk about the Paris attacks, Charlie Hebdo, Isis, San Bernardino, Donald Trump, Islamophobia, anti-Muslim rhetoric and other things that made 2015 a difficult year for Muslim news, but why not end 2015 and look to 2016 by focusing on the positive? Because a lot of good things happened in 2015, from charity initiatives to the recognition of Eid as a holiday in various school districts to Muslim heroes responding to terrorism and violence to... Read more
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#OurThreeWinners: What Muslims Still Need to Learn One Year Later
By Saud Inam I remember three times in my life where I was shaken to my core and moved to tears. The first was when I lost my childhood friend to suicide in 2004, the second was when I survived my car accident in 2011 and the third was at a vigil for #OurThreeWinners, Deah Barakat and Yusor and Razan Abu-Salha. The three young Muslim Americans were murdered in a hate crime by their neighbor Craig Hicks. The media initially... Read more