Understanding Orientalism Orientalism is the idea that people in the West are very quick to make assumptions and judgments about Easterners when they are not able to fully understand and identify with their way of life. Due to the fact that Western scholars made assumptions [...]
Is Being an American Muslim a Big Part of Your Identity? Yes, being an American Muslim is a big part of my identity. I am not just an American, I am also a Latina. My Latino heritage is also a big part of my identity. I was born [...]
Unraveling the Misconceptions Over the past several decades, Muslims have been portrayed as “mysterious” and "radicalized" in different platforms from news to entertainment. Political officials have used international events and organizations to highlight extremism and violence. Early examples like the Iranian hostage crisis, mujahideen, and the Gulf Wars [...]
Is Being an American Muslim a Big Part of Your Identity? Absolutely. I teach American history and I'm very open about being a Muslim. My students are usually quite perplexed that a white American can be a Muslim of strong faith. I answer a good [...]
By: Habeeba Husain From the NFL to Hajj and Advocacy I remember the day my family and I gathered around a screen to watch the video news report on two NFL players who took a leave from their career to perform Hajj, the mandatory pilgrimage to Makkah. I felt [...]
A Description of the Ultimate Reward in Islam Our human nature is one that acts based on pain and pleasure. Everything we do is either to avoid some kind of pain or attain a pleasure. Knowing this, God has encouraged humans to make the right decisions with the promise that [...]
Everlasting Nature of Paradise Even if one were to experience pure pleasure in this world, there is still the pain of separation from the things we love. We all fear death because it takes us away from the things we love, our family, wealth, homes, and comforts. So even if [...]
By: Habeeba Husain The Inspiring Journey of Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir I had the pleasure of speaking with Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir on multiple occasions over the last few years. Hailing from the birthplace of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts born to two African American Muslim reverts, Abdul-Qaadir is the youngest of eight. The [...]
By: Habeeba Husain Transforming Perceptions of Islam and Inspiring Change I cannot recall the first time I heard of Heraa Hashmi, a 20-year-old Muslim woman of Indian background, currently studying Molecular, Cellular, and Development Biology and Linguistics at the University of Colorado in Boulder. It [...]
