MOSTResource.org

Resources on Muslims for the Entertainment Industry

  • Story Bank
    • Business & Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Medical
    • National
    • Faith
    • Sports
    • Women
    • World
  • Resources
    • Faces & Places
    • Statistics
    • Infographics
    • Research / Reports
    • Quick Takes
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Parent Organization
    • Videos
  • Story Bank
  • Business & Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Medical
  • National
  • Faith
  • Sports
  • Women
  • World
mostresource storybank video

Explored Our Story Bank Yet?

Our curated collection of thousands of stories has helped top Hollywood writers, producers, and creatives. Watch our brief video to learn more.

Culture and Lifestyle, Faith — February 25, 2019   

Muslims Get Educated On Racial Justice

Original article by Aysha Khan published in the Religon News Service on 02/20/2019

Photo Credit: RNS
Photo Credit: RNS

Namira Islam, a Bangladeshi-American lawyer living in Detroit, wanted to do something about the many misconceptions about the Black Muslim communities. In 2014, as Black History Month approached, she brought together a group of activists and scholars, launching a new social media hashtag, #BeingBlackAndMuslim. “We wanted to reflect on the erasure of black Muslims in the conversations we were seeing online, as well as in our communities and institutions,” recounts Ms. Islam. “Because those erasures reflect what we’re seeing everywhere else.”

The hashtag trended on Twitter, both domestically and globally, with respondents showcasing their black Muslim pride and joy in their culture and personal experiences. It also brought to light stories of racism and xenophobia within Islam’s own communities

Ms. Islam joined forces with educator Margari Aziza Hill, and together they saw an opportunity to expand into a long-term resource for Muslims, and soon launched the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, now commonly called MuslimARC. The group developed training sessions and consultations, educating fellow Muslims about racial justice and combating Islamophobia. They produced a toolkit to help Muslims understand how to respond to police brutality and become involved with activist groups like Black Lives Matter. They also hosted online courses, webinars and meetups.

Islamic studies professor Kayla Wheeler says that she first became aware of MuslimARC when she found a series of interviews on Twitter which had been conducted by Muslims of different racial backgrounds, and that these interviews have become invaluable in the way she teaches about Latino and Asian Muslims. “For me it’s a space to not only see myself recognized but also to challenge my own assumptions about what Islam is and who is involved in Islam. It does a disservice to graduate students when we teach about Islam in a way that is Arab-centric and ahistorical.”

MuslimARC clients and partners have included the Council on American-Islamic Relations, MPower Change, Faith in Action, the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, Take On Hate, the Chicago Regional Organizing for Anti-Racism and Pop Culture Collab.

Read more ...

Our Experts Are Here To Help

Contact Quick

Want to start a conversation with our experts for help with your project?

Related Articles

  • M Film Lab Now Accepting Applications for Screenwriting Program
  • American Eid – Interview with Director Aqsa Altaf
  • Post vaccine, Muslim travelers are heading to… Israel

More From The Story Bank

M Film Lab Now Accepting...

Applications are now open for the inaugural M Film Lab: a free-to-join screenwriting workshop and mentorship opportunity for storytellers and creators committed to fair artistic representation of … [Read More...]

American Eid – Interview...

American Eid is a new, short film on Disney+ about two sisters from Pakistan adjusting to their new reality in America when they are unable to take off school to celebrate Eid, the festival after the … [Read More...]

Post vaccine, Muslim travelers...

Last year the Abraham Accords were signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. This marked a public normalization of relations not seen in decades. And with this new … [Read More...]

Meet the first Muslim head...

As new head coach for the New York Jets, Robert Saleh is making history as the first Muslim American to lead a team in the National Football League. The Lebanese American is also the third Arab … [Read More...]

Meet American’s Youngest...

According to The Hill, Bushra Amiwala "is part of a new generation stepping into politics." In 2019, she was elected to the Skokie Board of Education in Illinois, making this Pakistani-American … [Read More...]

Enter your email to receive periodic updates

Sign Up Quick

Sign up to receive periodic updates

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy© 2002–2025 MOST ResourceMOST Resource globe


We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and to collect anonymous data to enable us to manage our website. Our Privacy Policy is a complete disclosure of our data collection policies, including the choices you have to control information we might collect. Your use of this site represents your consent to our Privacy Policy.