Even if you’re not watching them, it seems that certain shows still creep onto your consciousness these days, thanks to your friends on social media feeds who won’t stop talking about them (This Is Us fans, I’m looking at you). Some of the most popular shows reflect modern anxieties and elucidate a fear of an oppressive future if we aren’t more careful about who we elect into political office and how we use our technology. Shows like Black Mirror and... Read more
2017 has demonstrated the havoc poor leadership can wreak on communities. The corruption of many an elected official, entertainment mogul, journalist, and religious scholar has been unveiled and all year long, I have ruminated on what leadership means. As always, I am compelled by the Quranic ethos of justice and mercy, in which the Prophetic model is rooted. The Prophetic model of leadership may be known in modern parlance as servant-leadership. One of the most revealing examples showcasing the Prophetic character... Read more
Exploring faith, race, and Sudanese identities in Black History Month By Guest Author Mariam Babiker, Ph.D. Growing up in Eastern Sudan, I was never really aware of my identity in respect to the larger diaspora of Sudan and the world as a whole. The perception of a Sudanese or black African identity is unique to those in the east. Historically, the word Sudanese is related to the concept of slavery and subjugation, and many of the elders of east Sudan did not... Read more
“Being Sudanese means being too African for the Arabs, and too Arab for the Africans.” Khaedega Mohammed had this to say about the Executive Order banning travel from 7 Muslim-majority countries. “9 years ago, my family and I arrived on American soil at the JFK airport, the same airport where the 2 Iraqi men were recently turned away after Trump’s #MuslimBan…We genuinely thought we would be welcomed with open arms and will build a home here, and we were and did…I never... Read more
Exploring faith, race, and Sudanese identities in Black History Month By Guest Author Mona Hagmagid The Iftars hosted by the sudanese community Are my annual attempts at preserving my african roots The smells of Sudan race through the American built public elementary school we rent out on those Ramadan Saturdays. We sit around, eating good food that reminds so many of home. We sit around counting the hours we have left to make this hall sacred. Long lines and mobs of youth... Read more
Exploring faith, race, and Sudanese identities in Black History Month By Guest Author Hana Baba ACT 1: African Booty Scratcher ‘Why your mama got that thing on her head? Looks like a Pizza Hut tablecloth.’ I knew I wasn’t like the other Black girls because they made sure I knew. I looked like them, but my mama didn’t. My Strawberry Shortcake metal lunchbox carried the same bologna and cheese sandwich, but never ham. And most significantly, I didn’t talk like them. Something... Read more
Exploring faith, race, and Sudanese identities in Black History Month Republished by Guest Author Isra El-Bashir, whose original interview can be found here. A wanasa1 with Safia Elhillo on Art, Identity and Belonging I often reflect on the ominous state of racial tensions in the U.S. and how it helped to solidify my identity and engagement with society. As a Sudanese American anthropologist and an educator, I began to reexamine my priorities and commitments because much of my research and personal struggles... Read more
Exploring faith, race, and Sudanese identities in Black History Month By Guest Author Walla Elsheikh In my identification with Blackness around my Sudanese identity, it has been crucial for me to explore the history of African Americans in the US and its impact on and relevance to me. It’s not emphasized enough that without the Civil Rights movement and achievements for African Americans in the 1960s, my family along with thousands of other families from Sudan and other nations in Africa, would... Read more
Exploring faith, race, and Sudanese identities in Black History Month By Guest Author Aya Elmileik “Where are you from?” “I’m from Sudan.” “Wait, from where?” “From Sudan. In Africa. Near Egypt.” “No way! But … you don’t look Sudanese.” “I don’t know what to tell you, I’m definitely Sudanese.” “Well … you just don’t look like them. You look lighter … different …” This isn’t a scenario. This is my reality. At the age of 10, my family and I moved from Japan,... Read more
Had a Muslim guy entered a church or synagogue and shot up the place, murdering 6 worshipers as they prayed and injuring more, anywhere in the Western world, we would still be talking about it. It would dominate the nightly news for weeks. Profile pictures would be changed into the fleur de lis or the maple leaf. We would declare #NousSommesQuebecCity. We would would hold vigils in solidarity with the victims and survivors. We would know their names. Ibrahima Barry.... Read more
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