The first nine days of Dhul Hijjah (the ninth month in the Muslim calendar) are upon us, a most blessed time leading up to the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Millions are converging in Makkah and its surrounding areas for the pilgrimage. For other Muslims worldwide, these days are blessed as well, with promises of multiplied rewards for good deeds done during these days. We are encouraged to fast, especially on the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah – the day of Arafat. This... Read more
By Shazia Kamal Farook I recently met author Sam’n Iqbal and artist Uzma Sabir to discuss the newest children’s book on the block, “Allah to Z: Activity Book.” Meeting at Sam’n’s home, I instantly picked up on the inspiration behind this book: a vibrant home dotted with artwork produced by her three adorable children. Uzma and Sam’n, themselves an energetic pair, sat down to discuss their book. When we think of great American contemporary children’s books we think of Dr.... Read more
By Misha Fazal Dear Mr. Secretary, Thank you for your kind words. September 11 is among the saddest days in recent U.S. history, with regards to the senseless loss of good, hard working people; a day I hope sincerely never repeats itself. But while the half-staff flags remind you of the enduring work of the U.S. government, it reminds me of the 12 years of indiscriminate killings around the world, which we have justified using the tragedy of 9/11. Sir, the blood we have shed in the name of the September 11 victims... Read more
By Kinza Khan I have always been fascinated with the subjects of law, politics, history and sociology. The more I learn about history, the more I realize that Islam has played an important role in shaping American history. Many slaves were African-American Muslims and introduced America to Islam. Many jazz musicians in Chicago were Muslim and African-American as well, and their spiritual beliefs and moral values reflected in their music contributed to shaping Chicagoan and urban culture. One of the... Read more
By Sheila Musaji In 2009, Dean Obeidallah wrote The Muslims Are Coming! in which he talked about an early Muslims Are Coming efforts: … In an effort to speed up the Muslim take over of America—which on some level would probably help my comedy career because I’ll get even more bookings by Muslim groups—my fellow Arab-American comedians Aron Kader and Maysoon Zayid went out to the streets of NYC with me to see if we could recruit Americans to Islam. (We did this a... Read more
Editors’ Note: This article is part of the Public Square 2014 Summer Series: Conversations on Religious Trends. Read other perspectives from the Muslim community here. By Marwa Aly Just pray. This was a text sent to me by my dear sister, Sameera, an hour before my talk with Imam William Webb of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC), Dr. Muzammil Siddiqui a pioneer in Islamic scholarship and activism in the United States, and Usama Canon founder of Ta’leef Collective. I was charged with... Read more
It seemed like all the (American and other) Muslim heavyweights came out for the 50th annual Islamic Society of North American convention this past Labor Day weekend in Washington, D.C. From Sh. Hamza Yusuf to former ISNA President Dr. Ingrid Mattson to Ta’leef Collective’s Usama Canon — it was a weekend for deep conversations (and respectable disagreements) about the future of Muslims in America and how to build a more beloved community. A number of current and former Patheos and... Read more
By Rushain Abbasi I passed by the shadowy garbage cans and the mysterious sounds of a muffled ruckus greeted my ears, probably the mewing of ravenous cats searching for an early breakfast, wrestling each other for the last piece of wasted kinafah. As a rationalist Muslim I didn’t care much for ritual, so I rarely attended my religion’s morning meal in its sacred dining hall. That day, however, I decided to give the mosque a try for the dawn prayer.... Read more
By M. Salman Ravala As the sun sets to finish the last few days of Ramadan, Islam’s holiest month, Muslims around the world should reflect–have we achieved our goals of service and fellowship? Have we achieved a renewed faith in our community? Are we agents of change in a world filled with oppression and strife? During the holy month, Muslims worldwide engage in practices of deep devotion, personal self-reflection, and prayer. Through disciplined fasting and worship, Ramadan enlivens our sense... Read more
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Here She Is, Miss America – A Look Behind the Bigotry
By Abrar Qadir The racist reactions to Nina Davuluri’s Miss America pageant victory were indeed alarming. Nonetheless, there is much to unpack from the incident, and considered compassion can and should be as much a part of the American Muslim reaction as outrage. For purposes of this analysis, let us consider racism as stemming largely from two places. One – racism as a function of power and greed. Two – racism as a function of vulnerability and relative helplessness. I... Read more