By Sundus Abrar

Jan/Feb 25

The Canadian government pledged to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040. Toward this end, Canada has passed multiple legislative acts aimed at supporting Canadians with disabilities including the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) in 2019 and the Canada Disability Benefit Act (CDB Act) in 2023. For its part, the CBD Act establishes a framework for an annual, income-tested benefit for eligible working-age people with disabilities living within the Canadian provinces.

Muslim Canadians are doing their part toward helping those with disabilities, too. An example of these efforts is the Muneeba Centre which, some would say, is tucked away in plain sight. “Everybody misses it the first time,” said Rabia Khedr, CEO of the Disability Empowerment Equality Network (DEEN). DEEN is a fully registered charity that evolved from the Canadian Association of Muslims with Disabilities. 

The Muneeba Centre opened in 2016 after the property underwent a renovation to make the location accessible. Khedr (BA, University of Toronto, MA, York University), is one of four siblings living with a disability, and has long been involved in Canada’s mainstream disability rights. She quickly realized that more needed to be done for this population within the Muslim community.

“There’s this common misconception that if you live in Canada, you are taken care of by the government,” said Khedr.

In fact, benefit funding for Canadians with disabilities is limited, while the services that are offered are often not mindful of the culturally sensitive requirements across Canada’s diverse communities. For instance, same gender support workers are not guaranteed to Muslims with disabilities living in care facilities. During a visit to the Muneeba Centre in Mississauga, Ontario this summer, I saw  a focused service and a determined energy even on a quiet Friday afternoon. I appreciated the artwork created by program attendees that was proudly displayed on the walls which included  handmade cards neatly stacked on a folding table. There was also  a detailed schedule of activities and pictures of past cooking programs pinned on the kitchen bulletin board. While I perused the artwork, the DEEN staff took turns completing training and attending Jummah prayer while ensuring the care of individuals who participated  in programming activities in the facility’s backyard. 

A Subset Minority

Muslims with disabilities experience discrimination that is further amplified given that they constitute a  subset minority. Khedr, who lives with  blindness, recounts taking her brother to urgent care a trying situation which quickly became even more challenging given that  her brother is  limited in expressing his needs. According to Khedr, their attempt to seek medical attention was further aggravated by a nurse’s dismissive approach in ensuring accessibility. Racial bias became clear as she attempted to educate the nurse about her brother and family’s circumstances and was  met with patronizing disdain. Khedr recognized that there was a  gap in the healthcare system for minorities with disabilities that needed to be addressed. Yet despite the severe shortcomings she experienced with her brother, she broached the incident as an opportunity for education and tactfully reported the interaction: “I didn’t want her to lose her job, I just wanted for her and others to be informed about how to accommodate individuals with disabilities,” said Khedr.   

Similarly, when approaching the Muslim community, Khedr’s initial focus was on education. This led her to engaging a khutbah campaign  highlighting the concerns and needs of those with disabilities and their families:  “Disability in the community is an invisible problem – if we don’t see people with disabilities there’s often this assumption that well there must not be any,” said Khedr. Concerns of people with disabilities are often overlooked as lack of access often translates into lack of interaction with the broader community. Khedr also shared her personal experience with this communal invisibility as her own family retracted from attending the  local mosque in Mississauga after a deeply impactful event during her childhood: “My brothers, who have developmental disabilities, made involuntary sounds. The imam announced, “Sisters if you can’t keep your kids quiet, then keep them at home.” My mother took that literally and we didn’t go back for years until my grandfather’s janazah (funeral),” said Khedr. 

Khedr’s focus shifted in the early 2000’s when she realized her shared concerns with other members of the community in similar circumstances. She discovered other community members who either had a disability themselves or  had family members with special needs. Khedr’s family originates from a small village in Pakistan and  she came to Canada as a four-year old. She acknowledges her circumstances would have been different if her family had stayed in Pakistan: “I would have had a very different life living there, probably would have been washing someone else dishes,” she said. However, relatively better circumstances don’t mean that enough is being done to support people with disabilities in Canada. Thus, Khedr and her peers started actively working to address their needs. And while  DEEN has a focus on addressing the specific cultural and religious needs of disabled members of the Muslim community, they welcome people belonging to other faiths as well. 

Initially DEEN planned to rely on area mosques and other community spaces to offer programming, but a lack of consistency in securing these spaces led to establishing the Muneeba Centre. In addition to their Mississauga center, DEEN also operates chapters in Scarborough and  Ottawa and is currently striving towards raising funds for a facility in Scarborough.  

People with disabilities and their caregivers face  a severe dropin support and opportunities to socialize once they age out of the education system at the age of 21. DEEN is dedicated to filling this gap by  supporting adults with disabilities: “It’s not healthy for adults to be around their parents all the time, and its hard on the parents too,” said Khedr. The Muneeba Centre is crucial in conducting DEEN’s ongoing work which consists of several daily, weekly, or biweekly programs. DEEN also hosts special events and webinars to address relevant topics such as filing taxes for disabled adults. DEEN’s programming offer respite to adults with disabilities by creating opportunities for them to socialize, learn essential skills, and interact with other individuals outside their family: “The biggest fear parents have is who is going to look after my child when I am no longer able to,” said Khedr.  These programs aim to overcome the isolation, frustrations, and worries of families whose membership includes adults living with disabilities. 

DEEN has steadily grown  in their ability to meet  the needs of adults with disabilities by employing a wide range of  thoughtful services. But these services are not entirely visible on social media platforms. This is by design. Khedr’s determined patience in educating the Muslim community would not be successful without careful consideration of the hopes and expectations of those that seek support in DEEN: “I am interested in helping people and serving others. I want to be sure that we can meet the needs of people. We don’t want to get their hopes up,” she said. Khedr has been tactful and shared DEEN’s efforts cautiously on social media to avoid any potentially discouraging scenarios so that families and caregivers are protected from potential disappointment. 

Building Capacity

Muslim immigrants have realized tremendous potential and undergone financial growth in Canada, yet there is a lack of sustained focus in addressing the needs of subset minorities within that community.  As a result, DEEN’s focus has been to build and maintain trust by consistently aligning services with the expectations of those that seek support: “Everybody jumps on a headline cause, but we need to build capacity by collaborating on a big picture plan,” explained  Khedr.  

“We don’t build capacity. We build these schools and mosques that only meet the needs of a very specific ethnic group or a very small part of the community. Disabled people are not a priority. No one is willing to commit substantially and even maintaining visibility requires significant resources.”

All of DEEN’s staff and board members either have a disability themselves or have family members with disabilities: “What makes us unique is this is personal to us,” said Khedr. This attachment to and understanding of the cause has certainly contributed to the consistency with which DEEN has continued to grow and serve.  Armed with her trademark patience, Khedr is undeterred and is optimistically moving forward: “The big dream is respite residential services,  an Islamic model of long-term care for folks with disabilities.” Currently Muslims with disabled family members in respite care, a short-term care that provides temporary relief for caregivers,  are not given the assurance that their loved ones will receive care that aligns with Islamic values. For instance, caregivers tending to personal and hygiene needs may be from the opposite gender. 

The challenge that DEEN faces is sustaining funds and visibility. While it has received some government grant funding, it’s not enough. Khedr urges consistent collaboration from other organizations to invest in DEEN to sustain and grow the services to continue offering care and programming which is mindful of Islamic values. 

Khedr holds an acclaimed position in her field. “I work in a space I created.”  In addition to being a mother of four and CEO of DEEN, she currently also serves as National Director of Disability with Poverty. Previously she was a Commissioner with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. She has also been awarded Daniel J Hill Human Rights Award for distinguished service. She is not hesitant in persistently advocating for disability rights and support: “I always say I can’t see any dirty looks people may give, so I will keep at it.” 

To learn more about DEEN Support Services and donate, visit: https://deensupportservices.ca

Sundus Abrar is a freelance writer.

The post Striving for Equality and Empowerment for Disabled Canadian Muslims appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

by Uzma Mirza

Jan/Feb 25

Green buildings are designed and built with a more thoughtful, inclusive, holistic, and systems-based approach that takes long-term environmental and human impacts into consideration and offer a solution. They have been shown to reduce energy use by up to 50%; reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33%; and reduce solid waste by up to 70%, and, and reduce water use by 40%percent. They also and lower maintenance costs by over 10% and can significantly increase the occupant satisfaction with human, economic and environmental benefits. 

Designing a Green Mosque 

The greenest mosque is one that is retrofitted, or an existing building renovated into a mosque. This strategy minimizes the embodied energy of its material use, and helps maximize its inhabitants’ comfort and well-being, while minimizing energy consumed. 

There are four climate regions in the U.S.: cool, temperate, hot-arid, and hot-humid. Understanding climate zones helps determine energy-saving passive design strategies, which vary by region. The following is a brief guide to of what will necessarily be a complex strategy, depending on the climatic region.

• Orientation. This means to position a building in relation to the Sun’s path during winter and summer based on the climate zone to optimize heat gain It should be oriented east/west to improve control of heat gain and shade. A south-facing façade factors heavily in passive designs, especially in cool regions. Having orientation options for a building allows one to reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 80 percent.

• Site/ Landscape features to advantage. A passive solar design considers summer/winter comfort and careful positional location of the structure based on the building’s climate region and shade requirements. Shading and evapotranspiration from trees, shrubs, and ground cover lower surrounding temperatures up 6℉ and reduces the asphalt paving and heat island effects. Use landscape windbreaks (i.e., deciduous trees) for shading, and evergreens for protection against the wind. Xeriscaping for water conservation and landscaping is good in arid regions.

• Energy Efficient Building Envelope. The building’s exterior walls and roof are important in passive design. Depending on the climatic region, use good thermal ratings for exterior walls and to enhance air quality. Use cool roofs or green roofs that feature reflective materials as a light colored, or a garden roof. Manage stormwater runoff from the roof. Vent pitched roofs to avoid heat loss. Install vapor barriers correctly. Use a modular building design.

• Wind. Design the building first to naturally ventilate. Wind generally moves at 10-15 mph, thereby creating positive and negative pressures on a building that impacts air leakage in and out. Use the “Chimney Effect,” which is an internal wind. Hot air rises and cold falls due to the differences in atmospheric pressure. This effect can be used to create a naturally comfortable temperature within the mosque by taking advantage of the movement of air from  the top to the  bottom of the building due to temperature variances. 

Materials and Best Green Practices

High-efficiency windows are those that are properly installed and air-sealed, thereby creating a good thermal performance. Typically, double-glazed or triple-glazed windows with insulating glass composed of air, argon or krypton gas between panes and a low-E coating are considered high-efficiency. By preventing radiant heat from crossing the window plane, they improve window performance and minimize a building’s energy consumption.

Interior materials should be selected with an eye towards low emissions to include low-volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which eliminate material  off-gassing and thus result in healthier indoor air. The interior materials’ recycled content and end-of-life recyclability should also be considered in order to reduce future waste to landfills as well as lower the extraction of virgin natural resources for mosque construction -also called the embodied energy of a product. Using sustainable building materials like bamboo, recycled steel, and low-VOC paints is therefore an essential component in green mosque construction and should be a priority for all new builds as well as retrofit projects. 

Harvested rainwater and site runoff from roofs and other horizontal surfaces can be reused on the property itself. This recycled water can replace grey or black toilet water if permitted by the local jurisdiction. The construction and implementation of systems to collect and reuse rainwater for ablution or irrigation is, therefore, crucial for greening Islamic centers.

These practices can be integrated with purchased energy from fossil fuels, or electricity and natural gas, to keep buildings comfortable. This purchased energy can then be applied to such mechanical system components as air-conditioning, heat pumps, radiant heating, heat recovery ventilators, electric lighting/LED, and Energy Star-rated appliances. 

Integrating energy systems generated from renewable energy sources, such as solar power systems, wind turbines, biomass energy, hydropower, or geothermal sources is an integration strategy that will maximize green energy usage in mosques for the foreseeable future, “[c]onventional electricity generation is a significant source of emissions and the single largest source of U.S. air pollution. Green Power generates less” (EPA). 

Green power refers to environmentally preferable energy and technologies garnered from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal, and hydropower. Biomass, or organic plant and waste materials can also be applied to energy consumption in lieu of coal, oil, natural gas, or nuclear energy. Replacing each kilowatt hour (kWh) of traditional power with renewable power eliminates more than one pound of emitted carbon dioxide (EPA).

Green-e-Energy and Carbon offsets

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) certify energy products as green in a competitive electricity market. These tradable instruments, used to meet renewable energy targets and comply with energy policies, can be purchased directly through a green electricity supplier or via local or state government vendors. An REC certificate represents the generation of one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity from an eligible renewable energy source (Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) | US EPA). Onsite green power systems can be installed directly on site or purchased outright or via a third party  Each method leads to green energy generation or green energy credit via the accumulation of RECs.

Carbon offset practices help organizations lower their emissions by storing carbon to reduce GHC and a different instrument than a RECs., i.e. land/forest restoration used to store GHC in trees/soil, and trees stabilize soils, afforestation increases biodiversity. 

Designing a green mosque should apply a good mix of both passive and active strategies, and should take into account the most appropriate  renewable energy sources based upon the climate and government policies of the mosque’s specific community. This mixed approach should also include, the purchase of green energy certificates and carbon offsets to reach the goal of building a zero-energy mosque. 

Finally, it is highly recommend that community leaders contract professional consultants at every stage of this process. 

Therefore, a green mosque is one that uses as little energy as possible, by first minimizing embodied energy of the building’s materials, and minimizing energy use with passive design and on-site power generation. Then renewable technologies and active design can be applied to generate power for internal use in addition to power pulled from the grid. 

Next, carbon emissions can be minimized by using outside renewable sources to reach a net-zero building via green power as RECs and offsets. Hence, we need to move towards net-zero buildings, remaking the local mosque into a “building that has low embodied energy, energy efficient, does not emit greenhouse gases and powered solely by clean energy.”

Honoring God

Building green mosques reflects the community’s gratitude to God for the gifts He has temporarily blessed humanity with as part of His mercy. The environment in which we live and which we call home is an intrinsic part of these gifts. Thus, we must regain control of our nafs (self) and remember to balance our carbon and ecological footprint when designing our mosques in order to instill green values  in our spiritual centers. In so doing, we would be participating in  a revival of the Prophet’s (salla Allah ‘alayhi wa sallam) sunnah. 

Uzma Mirza a registered/licensed architect and is LEED AP BD+C certified member of the ICC and AIA, and the ISNA Green Initiative team. That team includes Huda Alkaff, Saffet Catovic, Nana Firman, and S. Masroor Shah (chair).

The post How to Create a Green and Eco-Friendly Mosque appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Maariya Quadri

Jan/Feb 25

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the newest technology taking the world by storm, in classrooms, offices, and even our homes. As with any societal change, some people are apprehensive of it and while there are some cons to the rise of artificial intelligence usage, this technology can impact society beneficially as well. 

For instance, when you look something up on Google, you leave a carbon footprint because each search requires electricity. The same is true when inputting a question into a generative AI platform like ChatGPT. However, emissions from an AI search are much greater due to its more complex functions.

A search engine simply shows you all the websites that relate to your question, making you search for the answer yourself. A generative AI platform takes all the information that exists about your prompt and generates a new product entirely, giving you a more direct response. 

For example, when someone types the word “Kaaba” into a search engine, the results show websites that provide more information on what the holy site is, as well as photographs taken over the years. Generative AI, however, takes all the images that already exist of the Kaaba and creates a completely new one based on what it has seen. 

This requires much more energy. According to the International Energy Agency, generative AI sites such as ChatGPT use about 10 times the amount of electricity than a Google search.

Before this AI boom, fossil fuel plants were on the route to closing, cleaning our air and benefiting our environment. Now, big tech companies like Google and Microsoft are ensuring that these large coal plants keep running in order to accommodate their AI systems. However, they continue to make grand promises about the clean future their AI will bring while neglecting to mention the usage of heavily polluting fossil fuel plants required to operate this new technology. These limitations say nothing of the time it will take to get to that improbable future. 

In short, society is moving forward at last in part because of this new technology, but at a great ecological cost. Yet as Muslims, we should make an effort to take care of the planet Allah has provided as the Quran tells us: “It is He Who has produced you from the Earth and settled you therein” (Quran 71:17-18).

Muslims and AI

Some Muslims are cautious of this innovative technology when it comes to learning about their own religion. To raise awareness on the topic, the DarusSalam Seminary in Chicago held a weekend retreat in May that included experts in both Islamic sciences and technology to discuss the implications of artificial intelligence. 

One of the big takeaways from this retreat was that AI, while functional, does not work in every situation. For example, when one has a general question, a simple Google search is enough. When it comes to matters of Islam, though, it is hard to get a clear answer from Google as it has a multitude of results which may or may not be factual or helpful. 

AI, on the other hand, scans the internet for the user and generates a more direct and instantaneous response. As a result, some Muslim AI users have utilized this new technology to seek answers to questions of fiqh (Islamic law). And yet many  Islamic scholars have strongly advised against getting fatwas, or specified rulings, from such platforms.

Mufti Abrar Mirza, the Head Mufti of Darul Ifta in Chicago, encouraged Muslims to turn to human scholars, rather than AI platforms, even if getting the answer takes longer.

“A mufti is not just sharing his own opinion,” he said. “He has extensively studied both academic and spiritual sciences.” 

On the contrary, according to Mufti Wahaajuddin Mohammed of the Tawheed Center of Farmington Hills, AI is not something to be feared. “AI is a tool and can be used responsibly or irresponsibly. But it doesn’t behoove us to turn away from it,” he said.

Waleed Kadous, PhD, chief scientist of California-based AI developer Anyscale, said the benefits of AI outweigh the harm. He cited the hesitation when calculators and cars were introduced as examples of previous new technologies that are now cornerstones of our society. “There is always a fear of a loss of skill with the arrival of new technologies,” he said. 

Mawlana Tahseen Khan, who, while working full-time as a chemical engineer, is pursuing advanced studies in Islamic theology, said it is up to Muslims to be more proactive in learning matters of the deen. “The challenges of today are only going to increase,” he said. “We must ensure we’re equipped to face the fitnah (trials). If you’re connected to the masjid, the ulama, Quran and sunnah, you’ll get through the storm.” 

Khan reminded attendees of the verse of the Quran: “Or have they associated with Allah partners who ˹supposedly˺ produced a creation like His, leaving them confused between the two creations? Say, ‘Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme’” (13:16).

Khan explained God is the only being who can create without any prior material. “No matter how intelligent humans are, no matter how quick the processing of a computer may end up being, the fact of the matter is this creation is not similar to Al-Khaliq, The Creator,” he said.

AI Can Still be Advantageous to Muslims

While Muslims should be cautious about using AI to better understand the deen, they shouldn’t completely dismiss its usefulness. The Tarteel app, for example, uses AI to assist users in memorizing the Quran. It listens to users as they recite the Quran and uses artificial intelligence to alert them when they make a mistake in real time and offers corrections. 

This is a wonderful example of utilizing new technologies to continue to preserve the traditions of our past. This app uses artificial intelligence to preserve the sacred chain of knowledge and hifz all the way back to Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam) in a more accessible way.

Artificial intelligence can also be used for questions about Umrah and Hajj, like Saudi Arabia’s Guidance Robot. There are also virtual reality simulators that can be especially beneficial for people who are unable to visit these holy sites in person. In both these endeavors, AI is helping Muslims become closer to their Lord instead of taking them away. 

During a khutbah about AI and ChatGPT at the Yaqeen Institute in Texas, founder Shaikh Omar Suleiman encouraged the Muslim community to have hope in God and to find joy and reward in doing everything for His sake and the benefit of mankind, even if it is a little less convenient than becoming completely dependent on new technologies. With continued beneficial efforts and intentions, AI has the potential to assist the Muslim community. 

Maariya Quadri, an avid reader and nature lover, lives in Illinois with her family. A pre-law student pursuing communications and technology, she volunteers as a community relations commissioner for her village and works as a youth mentor.

The post AI and Islam appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Marium Zahra

Jan/Feb 25

After Sept. 11, 2001, Muslims across the country faced hate crimes and bigotry. There was an increase in racist attacks, and xenophobia against people who identified as Muslim, came from Muslim countries, or simply looked brown. 

Consequently, the years following 9/11 have been a time of distress, fear, and discrimination for Muslims. But in recent years, as blatant Islamophobic  bigotry is correctly acknowledged as socially unacceptable, this open discrimination has been transformed into microaggressions across the country, especially in school classrooms. 

Microaggressions are a form of inconspicuous discrimination. These are behaviors, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile or negative attitudes toward culturally marginalized groups. In classrooms, microaggressions can look like small jabs or pointed comments singling out the race, religion, or ethnicity of a student or a group of students. These remarks often stem from  essentializing misconceptions, presumptions, and/or stereotypes.

With the rise of Islamophobia in recent months due to the ongoing genocide in Palestine, Muslim high school students living in the West feel the effects in their everyday lives. Many no longer view school as a safe place to learn and grow. Instead, classrooms are tainted with discrete discrimination from peers and sometimes even administration and teachers. For example, Muslim students, especially women and girls across the country, deal with a condescending view of Islam that casts them as oppressed and forced by religious commandment. These stereotypes are both deeply harmful and based on incorrect, orientalist tropes. 

“My peers have made fun of me for practicing salah and for wearing the hijab, mocking my religious practices,” said Homa Massood, a senior at Skyview High School in Billings, Montana. “Some self-proclaimed ‘concerned’ teachers have openly criticized my belief system, calling practices like wearing the hijab and fasting during Ramadan ‘barbaric.’” 

Hana Haque, a senior at Folsom High School in Folsom, California said she has also been attacked with religiously-motivated actions and comments that seek to demean her faith as a Muslim woman.  

“I am more often the target of sexual or lewd comments during school,” she said. “[A male student] taller and bigger than me [grabbed] my arm as I walked by his friends and his table during lunch and [called] me ‘cute’ and [asked] for my number. I wear hijab and have never seen them before in my life. I looked visibly uncomfortable.” 

For some Muslim students, like senior Suleikha Hakim of Columbus, Ohio, academic spaces are more unforgiving when they make mistakes. Discrimination is something they have become used to. 

“I can feel how differently [students] treat me compared to others,” Hakim said. “People will act normal around other people, but when it comes to me, [they’re] harsher.” 

California sophomore Syeda Ali admitted she’s used to this treatment. “Peers and elders often make these religious jabs at me, but I’ve become desensitized,” she said. 

Ali also noted the familiar feeling of being a Muslim in America, as though you should be ashamed of your culture and religion and should feel compelled to suppress your origins to feel accepted and included. 

“I was targeted as a victim of bullying at a young age due to my appearance and identity,” she said. “Growing up, there wasn’t much I could do as. . . I was pretty much an outsider.” 

Some students said that they’ve been classified with incorrect racial categories, ethnicities, or nationalities due to stereotypical assumptions from authority figures. This type of racism, whether intentional, is a result of the ignorance that many Americans have regarding Islam and/or Muslim culture and tradition. This discrete discrimination is also primarily rooted in the way Muslims have been either misrepresented or completely ignored by mainstream media. 

“Teachers and administrators often reference me in discussions about Middle Eastern countries I’m not from, like Iran or Saudi Arabia,” said Massood. “A few have even made comments about me being from ‘the desert’.”

When school officials incorrectly generalize Muslim students, it demonstrates to other students that they can make the same ignorant or harmful assumptions, all of which contribute to making the classroom an unsafe or an unwelcoming place for Muslims.

As a Pakistani American, Muslim high school student from Texas, I know firsthand how damaging microaggressions can be, and how normalized they have become. While working on a portrait of my father in class in December of 2023, an instructor approached me and asked if I “was drawing Hussein” with no other context. At the time, I didn’t even know how to react, so I brushed it off. Later, I realized my teacher had just said the first brown name he could think of. 

Throughout ninth grade, I was threatened by school coaches during Ramadan while participating in my school’s volleyball program. On an out-of-season conditioning day, I let my coach know that I could not run because I was fasting. Instead of allowing me to sit out, he implied that if I didn’t play, some of the newer girls would take my spot.

This experience showed me that my identity as a Muslimah was not respected in my school environment. And I am far from alone in these experiences. High school students across the country say that microaggressions take a toll on both their mental health and their ability to perform in school.

“The constant mockery and disrespect made me feel isolated, misunderstood, and unwelcome in spaces that should have been supportive,” said Massood. “When Muslim students are constantly questioned or belittled for their beliefs, practices, or appearance, it sends the message that their identity is something to be scrutinized.”  

Haque agreed with this sentiment. “They repress Muslim students’ personalities and silence their voices. Muslim students won’t be as comfortable if they’re constantly attacked in school,” she said. 

While microaggressions might be brushed off as harmless by teachers, administrators, or other school officials, they should not be overlooked given their detrimental effects on Muslim students. These actions make students feel like they shouldn’t participate in class discussions, that their opinions don’t matter, or that they simply don’t belong in an American classroom. Most of all, microaggressions against school-aged Muslim Americans make students feel like outcasts in environments that should be inclusive. Worse still, silent discrimination of this kind makes students feel like they can’t respond, fight back, or stick up for themselves out of fear of facing further discrimination or being labeled as overly sensitive. 

“When I reported the incident to my teacher, rather than receiving support or intervention, I was told to ‘get thicker skin.’ This lack of support from school staff only heightened my sense of vulnerability and fear for my safety as a Muslim student,” said Massood.

Combating Microaggressions Against Muslim Students

To make matters worse, in 2024, Republican lawmakers in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina introduced anti-diversity legislation designed to repeal protections for vulnerable groups like Muslim Americans throughout the American school and university system. Predictably, the result of this legislation was that discrimination against marginalized students increased throughout the year. Now, more than ever, we must combat microaggressions against Muslim Americans in our schools.

Educators can help by promoting diversity and inclusivity inside their classrooms instead of ignoring or suppressing racial, or religious, or ethnic differences among the student body. Educators should foster an environment where every student feels like their cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds are recognized, instead of ignored. 

With the recent rise of anti-Critical Race Theory laws and book bans, it is also important to allow students to have open discussions in the classroom. Students should never be silenced for speaking out about their culture. Schools should diversify the curriculum in a way that doesn’t whitewash or antagonize the history of Muslim countries or overlook the unique contributions made by Muslim Americans.  Teachers should discuss the practices and beliefs inherent to Islam while also identifying what microaggressions look like in order to reduce these occurrences and the harm they cause. Most importantly, schools should give students the ability and confidence to take action against discrimination instead of brushing off their experiences. 

“Having a classroom that places diversity and inclusivity at the foundation is paramount. Students need to know that they are valued in their classes. It makes them feel seen, heard, and safe,” explained Rebecca Prado, an educator from El Paso, Texas. 

Microaggressions against Muslim students have been prominent and normalized in classrooms for far too long. The time to end discrimination is now.

Marium Zahra is a 16-year-old independent journalist working from the Frontera in El Paso, Texas. Marium works with local magazines, nonprofits, anthologies, and organizations that protect social justice. Her work has been seen in Business Insider, Yes!, The Nation, PrismReports, Chalkbeat, The Progressive Magazine, El Paso City Magazine, and more.

The post Microaggressions Against Muslim Students Are Taking Over High School Classrooms appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Anmol Irfan

Jan/Feb 2025

If you’re anything like me and simply need to be reading a book at all times, you know that finding a good Muslim-centric book that isn’t racist, problematic, or stereotypical is incredibly difficult. And with the current state of representation of Muslims in mainstream media being what it is, sometimes you just need an unapologetically Muslim story to connect to. Here are 10 Muslim-centric novels that will scratch that itch.

Hidden Fires by Sairish Hussain 

Sairish Hussain’s second novel Hidden Fires is a gripping tale that moves between the 1947 India-Pakistan partition and the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in West London in 2017. Hidden Fires is a story that connects generations. The relationship between grandfather and granddaughter is at the heart of the novel, and it speaks to all immigrant, multicultural families for whom family ties can be a source of both identity and heartbreak. Pain, loss, and trauma in South Asian, Arab and Muslim cultures can sometimes be swept under the rug, and this novel is a reminder of the work we still need to do on our way to healing. 

You Think You Know Me by Ayaan Mohamud

For fans of The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, Ayaan Mohamud’s debut novel follows Hanan, who is considered to be  the perfect Muslim student  by her teachers. When a horrifying attack increases Islamophobic abuse, Hanan decides she’s had enough. Hanan and the characters around her are relatable and well-written which makes the message of the book even more powerful for Muslim teenagers who may be able to see themselves in Hanan’s shoes. By the book’s end, readers come to understand that in this world, hate and violence are unfortunately not far off realities, but instead everyday battles we need to fight. 

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson 

Alif the Unseen is possibly my favorite book on this list because every part of it was so unexpected. Perhaps the only Muslim fiction book out there that links Islamic teachings, the Quran, and Islamic beliefs in Djinns to technology, Wilson’s novel constantly leaves you wanting more. Having a confident niqabi female character as one of the leads only adds to the joy of reading this book and getting swept up in a world that blends the mystique and allure of  Arabian Nights with the harsh, often unsatisfying grind of modern-day politics. 

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

On a lighter note, Love from A to Z is the Muslim romance-com we didn’t know we needed. S.K. Ali has long proven that Muslim stories don’t always need to be doom and gloom. Through Zayneb and Adam, she delivers a love story that soothes a  long-standing need to read a romance we can relate to. Between illness, anger, angst, and the need to make sense of teenage feelings within the context of Islam, Zayneb and Adam will have you rooting for them the whole way through.

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

As the character I can  relate to the most throughout all these compelling stories, Hana holds a special place in my heart. Despite the book receiving mixed feedback, it was a fresh and interesting take on a young Muslim woman starting her journey into adulthood. From her desire to be the “right kind” of fair, to trying to save her family’s failing business from a handsome rival, to dealing with microaggressions at work, to displaying her fashion choices through her hijab, Hana is relatable, realistic, beautifully flawed, and refreshingly lively. The romance is a bonus.

The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood 

Providing equal parts  comedic relief and introspection into the struggles of practicing Islam in a modern world, The Bad Muslim Discount covers what it means to be on the journey of finding faith. This book follows Safwa and Anvar, characters from two families who immigrated to America in the 1990s as they navigate American imperialism, identity, and belonging with humor and sarcasm. 

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

We Hunt the Flame is a young adult fantasy novel set in Demenhur, a land inspired by ancient Arabia. It follows 17-year-old Zafira who disguises herself as a man to hunt and provide food for people in her community who view women as tainted and unworthy. Opposing Zafira is an assassin named Nasir, who, like Zahira, kills for his family. The two characters clash when they’re both sent on a quest to uncover an ancient artifact, but greater forces and an ancient evil make their journey more complicated than either of them were prepared for. This book is well-written, gripping, and full of exciting twists and turns. It’s refreshing to see diversity within the fantasy genre, and to see such a strong female Muslim-inspired lead dominating the story.

The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar

The Map of Salt and Stars is a beautifully written tale of two girls traveling along the exact  same route roughly 800 years apart. The narrative shifts between 13-year-old Nour, who moves to Syria with her mother and sisters only to become refugees during the Syrian Civil War, and 16-year-old Rawiya who dresses up as a boy to become an apprentice to a mapmaker in the 12th century. This book is raw, gripping, and, at times, unbelievably sad. Joukhadar’s writing will make you feel like you are there with both Rawiya and Nour as they look for themselves and a place to call home. 

Six Truths and a Lie by Ream Shukairy

Possibly the most intense book on this list, Six Truths and a Lie follows a group of Muslim teens who find themselves arrested for an act of terror. Secrets threaten to ruin the decisions they make about their lives when they find themselves caught in a system where truth doesn’t matter. This novel explores important issues within Muslim communities like guilt, independence, the rule of law, and  the journey of navigating your religious beliefs alongside your desires. Each character is unique and far from the stereotypical Muslim stock characters we are used to seeing. The uniqueness on the page provides readers  a refreshing diversity in the way young Muslims are represented in contemporary literature. Six Truths and a Lie will play with your emotions throughout the story while the  psychological aspects of this book will thrill you , keeping you hooked until the very end. 

When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Qureshi

When a Brown Girl Flees follows the main character Zahra, whose story starts when she’s faced with an ultimatum after her high school graduation.  As a result, she runs away from home, and in so doing, attempts to run away from her darkest secrets. She soon comes to realize though that not everything in life can be solved by outdistancing your problems.  The main focus of this book is  emotional healing through female friendships, a social dynamic that remains extremely underexplored in Muslim communities. What also stands out is the theme of tawbah that Zahra explores throughout her journey and her own personal attempt at reconnecting with Allah which eventually leads her to finding herself. 

Anmol Irfan is a freelance journalist and the co-founder of Echoes Media, a slow news platform based on the global south. Her work focuses on marginalized narratives within global discourse including topics such as gender justice, mental health, climate, and more.

The post 10 Muslim-Centered Fiction Books To Fill The Void of Mainstream Representation appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Jay Willoughby

Nov/Dec 2024

On Oct. 7, 2023, Christian Zionism once again raised its ugly head in the U.S., this time in the guise of the Biden administration. A self-professed, life-long, practicing Catholic, he seems to have concluded that he can remain as such while violating its core values, such as “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12), “Be merciful” (Luke 6:36), and “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other” (Ephesians 4:32).

As of November 2024, Al Jazeera reports that Israel has killed 41,000+ people, including 11,000+ children. According to Bragi Guðbrandsson, Vice Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, “The outrageous death of children is almost historically unique. This is an extremely dark place in history. . . I don’t think we have seen before a violation that is so massive as we’ve seen in Gaza.” There is surely a staggeringly high number of even more dead in the omnipresent rubble.

Perhaps Biden believes that no Palestinian Christian children exist, or that if they do they are “less-than” and therefore unworthy. One wonders if he has even heard of Bethlehem-born Rev. Munther Isaac (academic dean, Bethlehem Bible College), who pastors Bethlehem’s Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church and Beit Sahour’s Lutheran Church. He states that at times the Christians were a majority; however, many of them left, either willingly or not, during the final days of the Ottoman Empire; the British didn’t allow them to return. Israel has only followed London’s example.

Rev. Isaac relates that, from what he has read, the Palestinian diaspora contains 500,000 or more Christians, and that close to 170,000 or 180,000 more live within historic Palestine – close to 130,000 of them in Israel; close to 45,000 in the Occupied Territories and West Jerusalem, and 900 to 1,000 in Gaza. He notes that 17 years ago there were maybe 3,000, but that the blockade made life so tough that they left whenever they could. 

Biden and the rest of us should watch the “Rev Munther Isaac says Palestinian Christians are under attack; that the West Bank is not livable” and “Christian Palestinian delegation describe ordeal of living under Israeli military occupation.” Christian Zionists and perhaps Western Christians in general appear to be unfazed that Jesus’ birthplace and Christianity’s homeland might one day contain no Christians. This unconcern might be generational, but it also reveals the power of ideology over the world’s largest religion.

Definition and a Little History

In her book, “Christian Zionism: Navigating the Jewish-Christian Border”, Faydra Shapiro, founder and executive director of the Israel Center for Jewish Christian Relations, writes, “In [Christian Zionists] reading of the Bible, God has decreed a special role and status for the Jews sealed in an eternal covenant, together with a promise to restore them to their land. Thus, Christian Zionists see their own solidarity with the Jews and the modern nation of Israel to be paying homage to the God of Israel.” 

Genesis 12:3 records Yahweh as saying that He will bless/curse those who bless/curse Israel. Christian Zionists contend that this statement is eternal and unconditional. In short, Israel can ignore its supposedly divine mission or not. Denise Bruno’s Aug. 22, 2024, article for the Times of Israel summarizes Israel’s mission as “to help the world see who God truly is: loving, just, merciful, and holy.”

According to Richard D. Land, writing for www.christianpost.com/ on March 23, 2015, “we are also admonished to support the Jews if we want to be blessed individually and collectively as a nation.” Just an aside to the Biden administration, Land also states that “If we really care about Israel, we are compelled to tell her when we believe she is acting wrongly or contrary to her self-interest.” 

Palestinian-Israeli History Didn’t Begin on Oct. 7, 2023

In fact, according to Netanyahu, it bean thousands of year ago. “You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible. And we do remember.” According to Exodus 17:8-16, the Amalekites ambushed the Hebrews after they left Egypt. An enraged Yahweh swore, “I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven” and “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

One should ask who the Amalekites are today, for “Forty-seven percent of Israeli Jews said in a poll conducted last month that Israel should ‘not at all’ consider the ‘suffering of the civilian Palestinian population in Gaza’ in the next phase of fighting. Casting the enemy as Amalek reinforces that attitude.” Reporter Noah Lanard uses the following formation as his subheading: “His [Netanyahu’s] recent biblical reference has long been used by the Israeli far right to justify killing Palestinians.”

Rabbi Jill Jacobs (head of T’ruah, a rabbinical human rights organization) notes that “rabbis generally agree that Amalek no longer exists, and that references to it do not provide a morally acceptable justification for attacking anyone.” She further asserts that historically it has been seen as a metaphor commonly understood as to “stamp out evil inclinations within ourselves.” 

And yet, she continues, “it remains common for Israeli extremists to view Palestinians as modern-day Amalekites.” For example, in 1980, “Rabbi Israel Hess wrote an article that used the story of Amalek to justify wiping out Palestinians. Its title has been translated as “Genocide: A Commandment of the Torah,” as well as “The Mitzvah of Genocide in the Torah (Ibid).

Washington’s Blindspot 

According to the Jewish Virtual Library, from 1949-2023 the U.S. has given Israel $160,552.96 billion, $112,277.10 billion of which has been for “military” – the chart’s category – aid. Of course that figure has now increased by a quite a few more billions. 

The Biden administration announced Friday that it was “reasonable to assess” that Israel violated international law using U.S. weapons in its military campaign in Gaza. Perhaps the administration also believes that the best way to “mow the grass,” à la the Zionist entity, is to kill off the mothers so they can’t produce the next generation and to slaughter as many children as possible before they have a chance to reproduce. 

Or maybe this is Netanyahu’s version of the Great Replacement theory so beloved by certain Americans. After all, as Arnon Soffer (professor of geography, Haifa University), points out in the Times of Israel, “When the number of non-Israeli nationals is taken into consideration, it leaves the Jewish proportion at between 46% and 47% of the total.”

Maybe they’ve taken Josep Borrell’s (foreign policy chief, EU) Oct. 13, 2022, comment – since apologized for – to heart, “Most of the rest of the world is a jungle, and the jungle could invade the garden. The gardeners should take care of it, but they will not protect the garden by building walls. . . A nice small garden surrounded by high walls in order to prevent the jungle from coming in is not going to be a solution. . . The gardeners have to go to the jungle.”

Stanley L. Cohen, an attorney and human rights activist who has done extensive work in the Middle East and Africa, identifies  an often overlooked fact: “In accordance with international humanitarian law, wars of national liberation have been expressly embraced, through the adoption of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, as a protected and essential right of occupied people everywhere.” Israel has not signed it; the U.S. has signed but not ratified it.

As University of North Texas professor Elizabeth Oldmixon remarks, “When we talk about the Holy Land, God’s promise of the Holy Land, we’re talking about real estate on both sides of the Jordan River. So the sense of a greater Israel and expansionism is really important to this community.”

Bump mentioned another interesting statistic found by The LifeWay poll: 80% of evangelicals believed Israel’s creation of Israel was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy that would bring about Christ’s return. A 2003 Pew Research Center poll revealed that about a third of Americans hold this view, while more than 60% evangelicals agreed.

Moreover, “What kick-starts the end times into motion is Israel’s political boundaries being reestablished to what God promised the Israelites according to the Bible,” Pastor Nate Pyle told Newsweek in 2018. The previous month, President Trump had recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and ordered the embassy moved there, much to the delight of countless Evangelicals.

A Major Christian Zionist Voice

Evangelical pastor John Hagee (founder, John Hagee Ministries; founder and chairman of Christians United for Israel), is “America’s most prominent Christian Zionist [known] for his controversial and violent views.” After all, how could he not be after making such a sensational statement [recorded by NBC] during the Nov. 14, 2023, “March for Israel” on the National Mall as “‘God sent a hunter’” and that Jews were killed “’because God said my top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel.’” 

This was not just an off-the-cuff remark spoken in a moment of enthusiasm, for in a 1999 sermon he declared, “God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land” (He apologized almost a decade later, saying that “I grappled with the vexing question of why a loving God would allow the evil of the Holocaust to occur…I regret if my Jewish friends felt any pain as a result.”)

These comments reveal what really drives Christian Zionism: “Evangelicals believe that the rebirth of Israel is hastening not just the second coming of Christ, but a particular kind of second coming, one that includes fire, fury, and war that will consume the Jewish people … Evangelicals support Israel to hasten the apocalypse, while Israelis … humor the Evangelical community and milk that support for tourist dollars and political power.”

Jay Willoughby, former Islamic Horizons copyeditor, has retired to the Virginia Home for the Permanently Bewildered.

The post The Hold of Christian Zionism on American Evangelicals appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Nadia B. Ahmad

Nov/Dec 2024

In recent times, we have witnessed a troubling trend within some mosques and Islamic institutions: The prayer mats are turned toward Makkah, but the hearts and minds of certain leaders and imams seem to be oriented toward the political powers in Washington and Tel Aviv. This misalignment reveals a profound betrayal of the very principles upon which all mosques were/are founded.

Traditionally, these sanctuaries of truth, justice, and spiritual growth are meant to be bastions in which the oppressed find solace and the ummah’s voice resonates against injustice. However, when their leadership fails to fulfill such duties, they reduce the mosque to a hollow shell, transforming it into a place where the congregation is subtly coerced into complicity through silence.

In short, these leaders are betraying Islam’s core teachings. When a mosque’s leadership cannot oppose injustice, the institution becomes purposeless. In the eyes of many, it transforms the congregation into mere sheeples – sheep that follow the leader without question. This analogy, though harsh, underscores the gravity of the situation. Our mosques are meant to be places of enlightenment, where the faithful gather to pray and seek guidance, support, and inspiration to live righteous lives. When this mission is compromised, the mosque’s value is profoundly diminished.

Islamic teachings are clear about the sanctity of life and the imperative to uphold justice. Supporting the killing of the innocent, including one’s own kin in faith, is considered a grave sin and strongly condemned. Here’s how Islam categorizes those who support such acts:

• Disbelievers. Supporting the killing of innocent people, especially fellow Muslims. Such actions can strip a Muslim of his/her faith. Quran 17:33 states, “And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except for a just reason.” This directive underscores the sacredness of life and the severe consequences of unjust killing.

• Polytheists. Although this category specifically refers to associating partners with Allah, supporting unjust killings is also seen as a severe deviation from monotheistic principles, as it involves disregarding divine commandments on justice and compassion. In this form of spiritual and moral polytheism, allegiance to political power supersedes allegiance to divine justice.

• Hypocrites. These people may outwardly support the Muslim community while secretly endorsing or supporting acts that harm it. Supporting the killing of fellow Muslims fits this description. Quran 4:145 warns us about these people, “The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire; no helper will you find for them.” Hypocrisy undermines the community’s integrity and erodes trust.

• Sinners. Those who support or commit murder are committing a major sin. Islam strictly prohibits taking innocent lives, and those who support such acts must repent sincerely. Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The most grievous sins are to associate something with Allah, to kill a human being, to be undutiful to one’s parents, and to bear false witness” (“Sahih Bukhari” 6675). Supporting the killing of people cannot be taken lightly.

• Oppressors and Tyrants. Supporting the killing of people is a form of oppression and tyranny. Those who endorse such violence are warned that “Indeed, Allah does not like the oppressors” (3:140). Islam teaches us to stand against all forms of physical, emotional, and spiritual oppression.

• Arrogant and Prideful Individuals. Arrogance can lead individuals to justify the killing of others because their cause or perspective is “superior.” However, Quran 17:37 states, “And do not walk upon Earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear Earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height.” Arrogance blinds individuals to the value of life and the importance of humility.

• Deniers of the Day of Judgment. Supporting the killing of people indicates a lack of belief in accountability and the afterlife. Quran 83:1-6 warns, “Woe to those who give less [than due], who, when they take a measure from people, take in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss. Do they not think that they will be resurrected for a tremendous Day – the Day when humanity will stand before the Lord of the worlds?” Belief in this Day is central to maintaining ethical behavior and accountability.

• Rejecters of Prophets and Their Messages. The prophets’ teachings emphasize mercy, justice, and protecting innocent lives. Supporting the killing of fellow Muslims is a rejection of these teachings and therefore condemned. Quran 57:25 says, “We sent aforetime our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that people may stand forth in justice.” Upholding justice is a fundamental aspect of prophetic teachings.

Quran 5:32 explicitly states, “Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain humanity entirely.” This verse underscores the gravity of taking an innocent life and equates it to killing all of humanity. Therefore, supporting such killing, particularly of fellow Muslims, severely violates Islamic principles. Those involved are warned of severe punishment in the afterlife unless they sincerely repent and seek God’s forgiveness.

The mosques must reclaim their role as centers of moral and spiritual leadership, where justice is championed and the oppressed find their voice. When leaders fail to uphold these values, they render the mosque purposeless, reducing it to nothing more than a building where prayers are offered but the spirit of true submission to God is absent.

This crisis of leadership reflects a larger problem: The decision of certain Muslim leaders to betray the ummah by aligning with those political powers that perpetuate injustice and violence against Muslims worldwide has caused countless innocent people to be injured or killed in the ensuing conflicts. When Muslim leaders fail to condemn these injustices, they lose their credibility and their communities’ trust.

We must ask ourselves: Are we planning for the hereafter, or are we merely content to live forever in this world at the cost of our souls? Our answer will determine the future of our mosques and communities. We must hold our leaders accountable and ensure that our mosques are places in which Islam’s true spirit is upheld. This includes standing up against injustice, speaking out against oppression, and protecting the innocent.

A mosque that does not oppose injustice has no value. Its leaders may turn the Makkah in prayer, but if their hearts are aligned with Washington and Tel Aviv, they have lost their way. Muslims must demand better. We must insist that our mosques and their leaders adhere to Islam’s bedrock principles of justice, compassion, and truth. Only then can we reclaim our mosques’ true purpose and value.

We are done with the Zionists in our midst and those who cry for Palestine but stand by the deceptively labeled “Abraham” Accords. No Justice. No Peace.

Nadia B. Ahmad, a PhD candidate at Yale University and an original signatory to drop Emgage, is a law professor based in Orlando, Fla.

The post When a Mosque Has No Value appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

By Najia Shuaib

Nov/Dec 24

Josh Berer, initially interested in graffiti, got his formal exposure to calligraphy during one of his college Arabic classes. When the professor played a video of a calligrapher writing the Arabic alphabet,  the written word immediately spoke to him, and he became determined to learn the craft by himself. He has never looked back. 

English-German on one side, and Hungarian-Russian on the other, born to a mother who was a professor of Islamic art history, Berer seemed destined to become an Islamic traditional artist. 

Among a few handful practitioners of Arabic calligraphy in the U.S Berer graduated in Arabic and Islamic Studies (University of Washington) and completed his Master’s in Central Asian languages (Indiana University). His timeline goes like this: a 2005 venture to major in Arabic at the university level, a 2007 move to Yemen to study Arabic full-time while taking beginner’s calligraphy sessions, and a 2009 trip to Istanbul that eventually turned his interest into a real passion. 

During his stay in Istanbul, a chance meeting with one of the calligraphy world’s most respected voices changed the course of his life. He said, “Josh! If you’re serious about this art, look up [America’s master Islamic calligrapher] Mohamed Zakariya when you get back to America.” Upon return, Berer packed up his bags and moved to the District of Columbia to be a full-time apprentice under Zakariya’s guidance and teaching. 

His 18-year journey, traveling through four countries and three languages, finally culminated in July 2020 when Zakariya awarded him Ijazah (master calligrapher’s license) in the Thuluth and Naskh scripts.

Exhibitions

Josh has exhibited his work extensively. However, two experiences stand out as remarkable in his memories. First, the Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial of 2022, where he exhibited alongside some of the most engaging and creative Arabic calligraphers working today, including Yemeni master calligrapher Zeki al-Hashemi, one of his earliest mentors. Driving across the UAE and visiting calligraphy festivals spread over three of the emirates was quite an experience for him. 

The second was the Reed Society for Sacred Arts show “Living Line, Living Legacy,” which showcased the works of Zakariya and his graduated students Nihad Dukhan (professor of mechanical engineering, University of Detroit Mercy),Elinor Aishah Holland (a New York-based freelance lettering artist), Nuria Garcia Masip (a Spanish calligrapher of Arabic calligraphy), Pablo Khalid Casado (a Spanish master calligrapher), Manzar Moghbeli (a noted practitioner of Nasta’liq), Deniz Öktem Bektaş (an internationally recognized and classically trained Arabic calligraphy artist), and Berer himself — an exhibition by an extremely honorable group of calligraphers about which, he says, he was honored to be a part of.

The Journey Begins

Berer shares some great insights about learning Arabic calligraphy in this country. After starting his journey, he soon realized that “here in America no tools or ready-made supplies could be bought, so anything required must be made from scratch, at home. This requires a fair bit of innovation, alongside the traditional strategies, as the means and proper materials are not always available.” So, one must improvise. He also had to learn the fundamentals of the other, related art forms: the dyeing of paper, making of ink, paper marbling, etc. “That comes slowly, over time, and through much experimentation and waste.”

His first lesson with Zakariya will always be a captivating memory. He began with the traditional Ottoman curriculum by writing a du‘a (Rabbi yassir wa la tu‘assir [O Lord make it easy and not difficult) and the first half of the alphabet’s letters in the Thuluth and Naskh scripts. Zakariya cut two reed pens for him, one for each script, and wrote the lesson out with added measurement dots in red, while Josh carefully watched the master’s hand movements. The assignment was to attempt to copy it and bring it back the following week. 

In the next session, he would correct his lesson to attempt it again. That practice continued week after week until it was written more or less perfectly, as are the letters. This system has reliably taught calligraphers for 500+ years. 

After the rest of the alphabet, he needed to practice a long series of prescribed phrases, verses, and hadiths before getting his Ijazah in 2020. Berer is currently preparing another Ijazah piece for the Taliq script, the most difficult style to master. Given this reality, students are often advised to wait until one is an accomplished calligrapher before embarking upon it.

Why He Pursues Calligraphy

Discussing the responsibilities to preserve this sacred art in North America, Berer elaborates openly, “I work an extremely analog job in an extremely digital world. I cannot preserve traditional calligraphy techniques if the next generation of artists is not interested in learning them.” He and other North American traditional Islamic calligraphers are trying their best to produce quality work and continuously writing or speaking about these processes on different platforms. However, he believes that the next generation must be interested in learning this sacred art. 

He admits that working with these techniques isn’t easy. It also takes a lot of steadfastness and resolution to keep practicing. But in the end the ultimate reward is producing decent art pieces by following the path of great masters, working days and nights to keep this sacred art alive, and leaving a good legacy behind to inspire future generations — a long hard road with no shortcuts, but it’s worth the effort. 

Berer has also done extensive graphic design for clients to produce calligraphy for digital applications (e.g., websites and logo design, etc.) in the past, but now prefers to handle just the calligraphy portion and then pass it on to a professional graphic designer who can integrate it into its final context. He thinks that instead of consuming his time on the computer, he should focus more on calligraphy.

He adds that there is limited exposure/knowledge of traditional Islamic arts in the U.S., but there is also tremendous public curiosity and interest, which means that “when people go looking for someone who can practice these arts, they often end up in contact.” Though, a relatively small group of artists is practicing these traditional arts in North America, but everyone is very supportive and helpful. He believes that the future of Islamic art in the U.S. depends on what Muslim Americans want it to be. “The Muslim community is still young in this country, and the arts are often less of a focus for younger communities when it comes to where to direct resources.” 

As a result, interested budding artists often face difficulty in finding the right resources for guidance, people who can help or direct them, and see very few inspiring examples around them. It isn’t anyone’s fault, he says. There’s just an absence of guidance. But there is a large degree of interest in learning Islamic traditional arts, and that must be encouraged and nurtured. “This means bringing in artists from outside to conduct workshops, as well as a strong will in students to travel and learn languages to pursue this form of art. It also means parents willing to support their children in non-STEM career paths as well.” 

In a detailed piece of advice for interested people, Berer recommends looking at what they’re hoping to get out of it and the level of commitment (both time and money) they’re ready to devote. “For those just looking to get their feet wet and see how it goes,” he suggests taking an online course with the Deen Arts Foundation can be a great start. “For those interested in devoting a little bit more to it, several organizations or individuals are offering two-week summer traditional art tours of Istanbul. 

“They arrange visits to the studios of calligraphers, Tezhip (ornamentation) artists, paper marblers, and bookbinders across the city for workshops and lessons. These tours help [one] to get acquainted with the city and its art scene. Staying an additional two weeks to make personal contacts with the calligraphers and artists one met along the way can prove to be very beneficial in the long run.” 

Istanbul is a vibrant, international community of people who have moved there to learn the Islamic arts. After a month of doing art there, one can make sufficient contacts and formulate a path to move forward as an apprentice student of the classical arts, even from abroad. 

For those interested in a career change or a life devoted to the traditional Islamic arts, Berer highly recommends either pursuing a degree program from Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University (Istanbul) or from the Kings Foundation School of Traditional Arts (London). He also suggests that moving to Istanbul for three or five years to apprentice with a teacher full-time can make this journey quicker, smoother, and more fruitful.

Najia Shuaib is a multifaceted freelance writer, visual artist, calligrapher, and Arabesque designer with a deep passion for Islamic traditional art. Her career has been dedicated to exploring the art, architecture, and archaeological history of the Middle East and Southeast, West, and Central Asia. She is now turning her attention to North America’s Muslim artists and the rich Islamic art collections featured in its museums.

The post Learning Islamic Calligraphy in North America  appeared first on Islamic Horizons.

Many people think that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are very different. In fact, however, they have many shared beliefs, customs, and traditions. For example, they consider Abraham (‘alayhi as salam) a prophet of God and believe in philanthropy, cleanliness, and each other’s religious dietary laws such as kosher and halal (Editor’s note: Christianity has no dietary laws).

Quran 5:5 refers to Jews and Christians as the People of the Book, for they have a special place in Islam because of their similar beliefs, “This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you, and yours is lawful unto them (5:5).

However, much has changed over time. Today, only about 24% of Conservative Jews say they keep kosher in their homes. According to another report, Kashrut (ritual suitability) regards their wines kosher and people consume kosher alcohol on special holidays and occasions such as Shabbat, Hanukkah, and Passover. Hence food items and drinks, despite displaying the kosher symbol, may contain alcohol and therefore are not halal.

Halal and kosher are based on the principles of each faith’s dietary laws, along with the specific slaughtering methods to identify allowed and prohibited animals, and how they should produce and handle certain foods. The requirements of halal are embodied in the Islamic concepts of halal (the permitted life practices), tayyib (pure, wholesome), and haram. Kosher (Hebrew: “fit and proper” or “properly prepared”) foods comprise into meat, dairy, and pareve (all other kosher foods, including fish, eggs, and plant-based foods). Trief corresponds to haram.

Kosher and halal describe a wide range of foods and beverages, but here we are focusing more on meat.

Background Information

In olden days, people knew how local animals were raised, blessed, and slaughtered. Today, our food comes from the global marketplace. The global demand for halal and kosher products continues to rise primarily due to population increase, urbanization, and increasing income, despite some countries banning the relevant slaughtering methods as “cruel.” As globalization continues, food producing companies compete via producing more products in less time and at cheaper costs. This has resulted in the use of vertical integrated farming, concentrated animal feeding operations becoming the predominant method of food animal production, and slaughtering and processing establishments using faster production lines.

Much has changed in the past half century, including the working of certification organizations. In the absence of large, dedicated halal slaughtering and processing establishments, Muslim countries continue to import meat and poultry products from non-Muslim countries that produce halal meat and poultry products on an as-needed basis. The complexities of modern food manufacturing and international trade have caused importing countries to require halal certification.

Individual halal and kosher certification organizations, not the USDA or some other national body, certify halal or kosher meat and poultry products. In the U.S., its logo is applied only after the animals have passed the USDA’s ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections and received the “USDA Inspected & Passed” stamp. This indicates that the product is wholesome, prepared under sanitary environments, properly packaged, labeled, and is fit for human consumption. The halal and kosher certification organizations’ logos go beyond those steps by certifying that all of the relevant religious requirements have been met as well. 

However, the certification industry is self-regulated and certification requirements vary from organization to organization. Thus, no overall entity has the authority to enforce uniformity, verify traceability, and hold a producer to account. 

For example, according to a 2023 ResearchGate.net study, halal certification and labeling are abused. And according to Ab Talib et al., “most of the companies implement halal certification for the competition with their rivals, not for the motivation of the assurance of halal food authenticity. Therefore, a clear understanding of halal certification system is needed.”

A nearly similar situation exists in the kosher certification sector. A 2005 article in the OU Kosher states, “Many food products that were never-before kosher certified are now appearing with kosher symbols. An unfortunate side effect of this proliferation has been an increase in the number of products that are misrepresented to the public as being kosher certified.” For example, as far back as 1925, the New York City Department of Markets estimated that 40% of the meat sold as kosher in the city was non-kosher.

A 2024 article in the “Cornell Chronicle” states, “in the United States Jews account for roughly 2% of the total U.S. population. Yet, some 40% of packaged food and beverages in a typical supermarket are certified kosher. While Muslims account for about 1% of the U.S. population and have relatively less impact on American markets.”

Similarities Between Halal and Kosher 

The most singled out similarity – animals must be alive, not stunned, prior to being slaughtered – is the reason for banning these slaughtering methods in certain European countries. The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (1958) and similar laws elsewhere require that animals be stunned before slaughter. However, animals slaughtered in accord with religious dietary laws are provided “religious exemption.” Nevertheless, some groups and politicians target these methods as “cruel” in the belief that they cause pain to animals. 

Both methods consist of completely draining the slaughtered animal’s blood by a swift, deep incision with a very sharp knife on the throat, cutting the esophagus, trachea, jugular veins, and carotid arteries of both sides, but leaving the spinal cord intact. This results in a profuse instantaneous bleeding and loss of blood, which ensures a quick drop in blood pressure to the brain and an almost complete loss of sensibility. Curiously, so much emphasis is placed on using pre-stunning methods (captive bolt gun, electrical, and CO2 gas), while neither they nor halal and kosher methods are completely free of stress or pain (Religious Exemption is No Bar to Animal Welfare, Islamic Horizons, March/April 2018).

Other similarities are that animals with cloven (split) hooves and/or those that chew their cud are allowed, animals with fangs are prohibited, and consuming pork and blood is prohibited in both

Differences Between Halal and Kosher

And yet their many small differences cause them to diverge in profound ways. For example, kosher prohibits meat and dairy pairing – halal does not. Camels and rabbits are halal but not kosher as they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves. Sea animals that have no fins and scales are prohibited (Deuteronomy 14:3-10), whereas in Islam they may be consumed. Kosher slaughtering (shechitah) is carried out by a Shochet, trained in the laws of kashrut, whereas any able-bodied Muslim man can be a butcher; the shochet is required to make one blessing when doing a day’s worth of work, whereas, a Muslim butcher must say the “tasmiah” before killing of each animal. The Jewish inspectors (bodeks) examine certain organs, including blowing up the lungs to see if they will hold air – if they can, the meat is kosher, and to be ‘glatt kosher’ the animal’s lungs must be smooth and adhesion-free – not so in Islam.

Furthermore, an animal’s hindquarters are not considered kosher because it contains forbidden fats and the sciatic nerve. Removing this nerve is time consuming; Islam does not require this. However, both slaughtering methods face the same set of challenges.

Challenges      

A 2009 headline from The Independent (U.K.) read, “End ‘cruel’ religious slaughter, say scientists – Beasts should be stunned before their throats are slit, Jews and Muslims are told.” In October 2017, Lancashire (U.K.) became the first council to ban un-stunned halal meat in state schools. On Feb. 27, 2019 the EU’s highest court ruled that halal and kosher meat cannot be labeled organic if the animal was not stunned before being slaughtered.

In 2017 and 2018, two of Belgium’s three regions banned slaughter without stunning, saying that it was cruel to animals. According to a 2021 report in Times of Israel, “Jewish leaders in Europe say the EU is not only banning some methods of kosher and halal slaughter, but also telling them how to practice their religions.” 

Kosher Isn’t the Same as Halal

Kosher and halal carry a different meaning and spirit. While some kosher products can be halal, halal products cannot be kosher unless they are certified kosher. 

In terms of Quran 5:5 one must understand that preceding the permission is a reiteration of “All good things have been made lawful to you.” This indicates that if the food and beverages of the People of the Book include things prohibited to Muslims, then the latter should avoid them.

Consumers should carefully read the ingredient statement on the halal – as well as kosher-certified products, acknowledge the differences to ensure respect for individual beliefs, and work together to preserve the “religious exemption” – a good example of non-interference in religious matters in a multi-religious society.  

Mohammad Abdullah, DVM, who retired after serving 29 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the agency that regulates the meat industry, is the author of “A Closer Look at Halal Meat from Farm to Fork” (2016).

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By Anime Abdullah 

Nov/Dec 2024

The horrific and savage carnage the world painfully witnessed during the fall of Bangladesh’s fascist regime under the ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in July was beyond belief. Thousands of young lives from infants to college students were brutally killed. Their bodies, dreams, and futures were hastily buried in unmarked graves to conceal the gruesome reality of fascism. Death registries were removed from hospitals to obscure the true extent of the dictatorship’s cruelty. Thousands more vibrant, promising young lives were assaulted and permanently disabled to scar and mar a nation’ future forever. This sheer massacre was not a result of any foreign invasion, like Palestine’s occupation by Israel, but a state-sponsored atrocity carried out by a ruthless, power-obsessed regime, hellbent on maintaining its grip on power with a callousness bordering on madness.

The suffocating stench of these deaths sickened humanity across continents. Their blood-soaked images of bodies strewn on streets seared into the memories of the diaspora worldwide. The heart-wrenching cries of grieving families reverberated across the Atlantic. Millions of American Bangladeshis spent sleepless nights glued to social media, scrolling through harrowing updates, praying for an end to the violence.

Yet there was one exception. 

Standing atop a mountain of corpses, bathing in their blood, and inhaling their dying breaths, Hasina Wajed remained untouched and unmoved. Her insatiable desire to cling to power eclipsed all else. To crush any remnants of youth resistance, she sought to unleash more military force on August 5, when she sensed the risks of her own life and cowardly fled to India. Nothing – destroying a 16-year dynasty, abandoning all complicit cabinet members in danger, or leaving behind a nation in utter ruin –  could stop her.

More appalling was the fact that all this violence, destruction, and downfall of the Hasina Administration erupted over a seemingly trivial and non-political issue: the job quota system, which was designed in 1972 as a temporary recognition for the 1971 war veterans, who constituted less than 0.25% of the population. However, 50 years later, this administration, notorious for its staggering corruption, crafted a controversially long list of “freedom fighters” and expanded the allocation 120-fold through a 30% quota to disproportionately benefit the mostly party supporters. What was once a tribute to veterans became a convenient backdoor for party loyalists to secure government jobs.

The Bangladesh Awami League (BAL), which led the 1971 war, had long capitalized on its war legacy, seizing the role of the sole spokesperson for the nation’s war sentiment. Overtime, this legacy was weaponized to create a single-party democracy. The BAL government even executed several leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and other opposition figures, branding them as “war criminals” through a controversial “kangaroo court“. Millions from opposition parties were imprisoned with a label of religious extremist to silent dissent. Indeed, the legitimacy of both the trials and convictions remain controversial. Such continued exploitation of religious and war sentiment created a societal cult and left ordinary citizens too terrified to speak out, lest they be labeled traitors.

However, the students remained defiant. Since 2008, they have been protesting the exploitation of the veterans’ quota which gained momentum in 2018. Desperate to quell that unrest, Hasina overstepped her authority and abruptly canceled the total quota system. When the protesters sought a revision, such wholesale cancellation seemed merely a ploy, which became evident by the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of the quota system in July 2024, claiming “justice takes its own course.”

Whereas, the pervasive lack of transparency in thousands of cases involving murder, crossfire killings, and harassing innocents has already exposed the judiciary’s complicity in propping up the government’s tyrannical rule. The courtrooms still echo with the anguished cries of the families of over 900 forcibly disappeared individuals. Being aware of judicial independence as a facade, designed to deflect the government’s responsibility while secretly advancing its agenda, the students continued to protest the job quota system. 

Their non-political and non-violent protest could have easily been addressed through dialogue and discussion, which unfortunately didn’t exist in the Hasina Administration’s democracy. The government opted for force over dialogue. It responded to the protests with derogatory remarks and threats and unleashed its militant student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), to brutalize the demonstrators with police backing. 

These tactics were not new. For 15 years, BAL has systematically silenced dissent, eroding democracy bit by bit, and cementing its autocracy. The tipping point came when an unarmed student, Abu Sayeed trusted the administration and raised his hands in surrender to avoid violence, still he was gunned down in cold blood. Disbelief etched on Sayeed’s face as his body shuddered after the first shot. He tried to stand, but another bullet came, and then another, and yet another, all from close range. 

Sayeed was not alone. Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, another unarmed student, was shot in the head while offering water to fellow protesters. Within days, hundreds of students met the same fate and fell victim to the regime’s bullets. 

Abu Sayeed and others’ televized murders became a damning indictment of a rogue government that had long lost its legitimacy. Its common pattern in cracking opposition became evident, which reignited the rage of past massacres, including the 2013 killing of madrasa students in the name of Hefazat Islam extremists, and the 2009 killing of 57 high-ranking Army officers in the name of the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles mismanagement. On top of these, Hasina’s demeaning tone and cold disregard for these fallen lives, not even pretending to show remorse, laid bare the deep-rooted fascism festering within the government. 

Ali Riaz is a professor at Illinois State University, aptly stated, that Hasina’s regime embodied “the arrogance of autocracy” that numbed and blinded the ruling party government to the nation’s pain and to the pulse of its younger generation. Without addressing grievances, the BAL government doubled down, shutting down the internet and mobile networks countrywide, deploying border forces and the military, and imposing a curfew. On July 18, a “shoot on sight” order was issued.

What exacerbated this tragedy was the government’s attempt to justify the killing by branding these students as “Razakars”— a term loaded with the highest treachery, referring to collaborators with Pakistan during Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Independence. This attempt to frame the protestors as traitors backfired and unarmed citizens from all walks of life joined students in solidarity, which morphed the veteran quota-based protest into a broader challenge to the government’s authority. The nation became split into two factions — BAL loyalists and those seeking justice. 

The quota movement, while justified, was merely the tip of the iceberg, that revealed the deep-seated autocracy and fascism rooted in corruption, suppression of citizens’ rights, and manipulation of religious sentiments for 15 years. The perceived injustice of guaranteeing jobs to pro-Awami League supporters was further exacerbated by rising inflation, a dismal job market for university graduates, and rampant corruption. Hasina even boasted about her office helper amassing $40 million and traveling only by helicopter — an outrageous example of corruption among pro-government individuals. 

Most of the banks are ‘owned’ by influential businessmen and leaders of the ruling party, which allowed the BAL government to smuggle over $150 billion over the last 15 years. 70.9% of households reported being victims of corruption, and 40.1% having paid bribes to receive any service. The obvious consequence was prices of essential goods skyrocketed, pushing the people to the brink. 

But there existed no way to express their discontent through free elections, as the Election Commission scandal had unveiled widespread electoral fraud. The people had no choice but to take the streets to bring down the BAL government. Unlike typical political defeat, this was the collapse of a regime — epitomized by Sheikh Hasina’s humiliating flight to India. Her escape drew striking parallels to the hasty run away of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to the UAE in 2021, and Sri Lanka’s Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022. Although the context could be different, future of these dictators may not differ. 

Ousted for corruption, injustice, and inhumanity, Hasina’s exile was met with widespread joy. Even sweets were distributed which mirrored the celebrations that followed the assassination of her father and family on August 15, 1975 for similar dictatorship and fascism. It wouldn’t be surprising if BAL is eventually banned in Bangladesh, or if Sheikh Hasina faces execution by the very “kangaroo” court system she established to exterminate her political opponents. Indeed, history seems to have its own way of serving justice to those who abuse power. 

Exposing every facet of the Hasina administration’s fascism is vast, and many organized efforts are already dedicated to documenting it. 

In the background looms the larger geopolitical involvement of U.S.-China to disrupt India’s influence. These global power plays will continue to shape the political landscape, and the region will continue to witness the changes.  They will make governments rise and fall, but the grief of mothers waiting for their martyred sons and daughters will never end. The longing of spouses for their brave partners will remain eternal, and orphaned children will forever bear the scar of loss. The laypeople pay the ultimate cost and remain long after political shifts. 

So, this is a moment of reckoning. Sheikh Hasina alone is not responsible for the irreparable losses suffered by the nation. Her enablers — those who stood by silently, those who looked the other way as illegal and undemocratic actions unfolded, and those who ignored the killings in 2009, 2013, and the random casualties in between — are equally complicit. Every life lost, every drop of blood spilled, matters. Let our collective conscience awaken to hold every government, even our favorite one, accountable (4:135). Our religious ruling makes it a fard stance, even if it involves a Nobel laureate like Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the current chief of the interim government of Bangladesh.

Anime Abdullah is a freelance writer.

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