Scholar Speaks on Influence of African American Muslims

Zaheer Ali, scholar and former vice president of the Harvard Islamic Society and the Black Students Association, spoke about the increasing influence of African American Muslims on American culture at a talk at the Barker Center Thursday evening.

The talk, sponsored by the Harvard Islamic Society, marked the beginning of the “Islam in America” series, which Lana A. Idris, the director of internal relations for HIS, characterized as an “attempt to express our own Muslim American narrative.”
Following an introduction from Idris, Ali began his talk. “African American Muslims have altered and remixed the meaning of American freedom and the story of America,” he said.
Ali presented the ways in which he said African American Muslims have remixed America across four categories: history, identity, justice, and spirituality.
Ali also took questions from the audience. When asked about ways to improve the quality of Muslim student life at Harvard, he advised students to work for parity across cultural groups in terms of access to resources and administrators.
“Do not be afraid to ask important questions,” he said, adding that it is “important for people to know that you are thinking about these issues.”

Source: thecrimson.com