Archive for the ‘American Muslim history’ Tag
Capturing the Minnesota Muslim Experience Through Oral Histories
Filed under: Onder Uluyol | Tags: Ahsan Ansari, Almanac, American Muslim history, Charles El-Amin, diversity, Ferial Abraham, ghulam haniff, IRG, Islam, Kathy Wurzer, Makram El-Amin, Minnesota, Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota Muslims, Muhammed El-Akkad, Muslims, Muslims in Minnesota, Nathaniel Abdul-Khaliq, oral history
Comments (1) By Onder Uluyol, Engage Minnesota
“Really?” was the first question Kathy Wurzer of the Almanac asked me when she featured the Muslim Experience in Minnesota oral history project on her popular TV show on TPT. Does the Muslim experience in Minnesota really go back to 1880s?
I think there are two main misconceptions about Muslims in Minnesota: one is that Muslims are new and alien to this land, and two is that they are monolithic. The oral history project that was carried out by the Islamic Resource Group demonstrates that neither are true.
Rebuilding a Legacy
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: American Muslim history, American-Muslim identity, Asma Saroya, cair, CAIR-MN, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Muslims, Flood Relief, Imam Taha Tawil, Iowa Muslims, Mother Mosque, Mother Mosque of America, Muslim youth
Comments (2) By Asma Lori Saroya, Engage Minnesota
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| Flood damage at the Mother Mosque. |
On our first visit to the Mother Mosque of America, my family and I were greeted by an eager imam. He came outside to welcome us.
Imam Taha Tawil, Executive Director of the Mother Mosque, showed great passion for history and for the American Muslim identity as he gave us a two-hour tour of the tiny mosque. We were presented with stories, history lessons, photos, documents, and other artifacts from–with the exception of the slave trade–some of the earliest Muslim immigrants to America.
We returned, many times. My family and I attended monthly halaqas there and, as a teenager, I always found that Imam Taha boldly fielded my questions. I attended meetings in the Mother Mosque with Muslim youth from across the state.
I gave tours to visitors, who watched us pray in shifts in the small prayer area. I got married there. Read more »
