The Islamic Society Of Tampa Bay

Being a Muslim-American in post 9/11 America has been turbulent. Like most children, I longed to fit in and be accepted, but I also wanted to preserve my native cultural roots. The odds were against me as I struggled to find balance in a place that could barely tolerate me as a child, and would hold deep seated fear of me as an adult. In an attempt to combat this growing reality, I tried looking to the mosques. However, the local mosques were, instead of religious areas, cultural centers, and when the Afghan community in Chicago is non-existent, I remained confused as a Muslim in and out of the mosque.

On December 1, I attended a program called “Stories of Black Muslims in America” sponsored by Damietta Cross Cultural Center. As a white Muslim, I haven’t experienced any racism toward my skin color so it was interesting to see how black Muslims in America have embraced both sides of their identity. “Black” and “Muslim” are terms often not associated with one another. In fact, most Americans have a hard time understanding the concept.

In the article “An Imam in America”, author Andrea Elliott (2006) argues that flexibility and creativity should be given higher priority in Islam or other religions when it comes to the assimilation to the modernity of America. Her article is a fine illustration and narrative of the life an imam has to endure in America. Elliot (2006) mentions that in Egypt, where the imam was raised and educated, "imams are appointed by the government and monitored for signs of radicalism or political dissent."(Elliott, 2006). Consequently, there job is spiritual as well as political. However, his life in America proves to be the exact opposite of the training and environment he gained in Egypt. The liberality and modernity of America is a stark contrast to

The main idea of this article is to bring insight to the reader about how islam is being remolded by the youth Islamic community within America. To illustrate this revolution the author uses personal accounts from the Muslims she interviewed. One of the main elements portrayed in this article was the idea of Muslim assimilation in the modern western world. The millennials within the Muslim American community often still adhere to the basic tenants and values of their religion however they often follow the religion more loosely in order to blend the two diverse cultures. Another main point this article focused on was religious temperance to allow for a more progressive and flexible practice of the faith. Lastly this article focused on the increased acceptance and reduced judgement from family members and those who are

The message of liberation is addressed quite often the book Islam in Black America. Unlike the scholarly articles, this book goes into depth on the subject of viewing Islam in a broader sense. This allows Curtis to include the Nation of Islam in what Sunni Muslims would consider non-traditional. By doing so, it allows Curtis to portray the Nation of Islam in regards to developing a strategy of liberation for all Muslims around the world.

She always dreamt of building her own mosque one day. Growing up, Hasna had a wonderful experience attending the mosque with her family. However, over time, she became aware of gender disparities that no embodied the spirit of inclusivity she longed for. Upon the completion of her education at University of California Berkeley and University of Southern California, Hasna decide to begin the initiative for a women’s mosque that would highlight and empower female scholars. “According to a Gallup Poll, Muslim women are the second most educated female religious demographic in America,” said Hasna. She began by documenting her ideas, gathering support by giving talks on the need for the space, and held a townhall meeting to gather opinions address concerns. With a board forming and the help of the Pico Union Project, the women were able to organize their first Jumah prayer, led by Edina Lakovic, on January 30th, 2015. Being a highly acclaimed speaker, “her involvement has brought a lot of attention to the mosque” Hasna

“An Introduction to Muslim Women’s Rights.” Windows of Faith: Muslim Women Scholar-activists in North America. Gisela Webb ed. (Syracuse: Syracuse UP, 2000).

The Nation of Islam is a subsection of the Islamic religion which aims to enlighten and engage Black Americans, in hopes of freeing them from the oppression of their white counterparts. Though the NOI make efforts to uplift Black people and teach respect for all people, it is often contemplated whether or not the organization has pure intentions at its core. This can be due to the fact that there have been leaders of the organization that teach ideologies that are those of hate, which goes against what the NOI teaches as a whole. One such leader is Louis Farrakhan, the chief spokesman of the Nation of Islam. An article revolving around Farrakhan’s recent activities were the topics of the article I chose to present for my Religion in the News

Islamic studies has become a subject of strategic importance in our multicultural society. With all of the political upheaval and ever present fear of extremism and terrorism in the world today, it is essential to promote the understanding of Islam and the role Muslims have in the contemporary world. To do this, one must first have an understanding of the culture and religious tenets surrounding Islam, compare and contrast these beliefs with Christianity and Judaism, and discuss how the perceptions or

Ever since I was young, the Jewish value of Tikkum Olam (or repairing the world) has been important. My upbringing emphasized the importance of service to my community and the world around me. I volunteered in my Jewish, local and regional communities beginning in elementary school. It was natural for my passion for community service to strength as I grew older. I have never felt that spending time helping others was a chore, because it just never occurred to me that volunteering was unusual. In my local community I have volunteered with Us together, an organization that works towards easing the transition of refugees to Ohio through employment health and other services. Also on my Israel trip this summer I had the privilege of visiting a senior

The expansive of Islam is my historical subject that interests me. I want to learn, explore, discover and understand more about the Islam and Muslim traditions. I believe that there is so much that people can learn the Islam’s culture. I was so interested about the subject that I decided to read a book based on it to learn more about this wonderful religion Islam. According to the book,.................................................... , the author discusses about the Islam’s traditions. The author, Tanya Gulevich was born and raised as a child in a beautiful place called San Francisco Bay area and this area was filled with different kinds of cultures so this was pretty much a place that was known to be a very cultural, traditional and very diverse place which I find really fascinating. As Tanya Gulevich grew up she really enjoyed listening to the stories of her immigrant grandparents. Tanya Gulevich also went to college which was at Oberlin College. This was the college where she pursued interests in European history, sociology, and Asian Studies. The author Tanya Gulevich had many qualifications about her. For instance, later on in her life Tanya obtained an M.A. and Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the University of Michigan. As of right now, Tanya Gulevich lives in a very beautiful place called San Francisco, California. As a reader I found the authors qualifications and her background very interesting. Now that I had learned some information about the author’s

Souheila Al-Jadda is a Muslim American television producer and journalist who currently is a writer for USA Today and the editorial director for The Islamic Monthly. Together with being a reporter, she has also been a producer at Link TV, where she created a Peabody winning daily news program. Her passion for writing started when she got her Bachelor of Arts at The George Washington University in Journalism and Political Science. She went on to get her Master’s degree from John Hopkins University in Economics and Middle East Studies. Due to her personal experiences to the daily life of being a Muslim, her feelings are slightly biased. The varying topics she discusses in her articles are avant-garde in American society because they involve American Muslims, Islam, the Middle East, politics, and women’s rights. Even though Souheila Al-Jadda discussed her position in a slightly biased manner, she effectively discusses political and religious affairs with her use of

The region of the Middle East and its inhabitants have always been a wonder to the Europeans, dating back to the years before the advent of Islam and the years following the Arab conquest. Today, the Islamic world spreads from the corners of the Philippines to the far edges of Spain and Central Africa. Various cultures have adopted the Islamic faith, and this blending of many different cultures has strengthened the universal Islamic culture. The religion of Islam has provided a new meaning to the lives of many people around the world. In the Islamic world, the religion defines and enriches culture and as a result the culture gives meaning to the individual. Islam is not only a religion, it is in its own way a culture. It may be this very

The objective of this work is to examine Islam, a highly controversial sensitive issue in today's world and specifically to examine the misconceptions, beliefs, and values of those of the Islamic faith. Most people think that the majority of Muslims live in the Middle East, while in reality there are more people of the Islamic faith living in Indonesia. Islam, just as Judaism and Christianity, is practiced in various cultures, serves to shape, and is shaped by those cultures. This study examines the perceptions of those of the three faiths in various countries and how they view one another and seek to answer how a level of threat is felt by those belonging to these three religious groups in various countries. Countries examined in this study include those of the United States, Great Britain, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. The depth of understanding or the teachings of Islam among the various religious groups in these various countries will also be examined in terms of how these understandings impact the ways that Muslims and non-Muslims interact and communicate with one another.

“My goal is to engage Muslims in their communities. I want to change their mindset. They have to live their religion not only practicing it,” confirmed Zamir Hassan, the founder of Muslims Against Hunger in a hotel room in Washington D.C. via Skype video. Hassan is a retired software engineer who grew up in Pakistan and moved to the United States in 1973. He studied at Cornell University, lived in New York, and currently live in New Jersey. “I was in IT before there was IT. So, I had a good life as I did well economically and financially,” said Hassan with a smile in retrospect while moving his face towards the window, and the sunlight reflected on