Islamic Heritage Month in Washington D.C.

Islamic Heritage Month will be celebrated throughout the month of October, and held at the Eighth Annual America’s Islamic Heritage Festival.

Collections and Stories of American Muslims, Inc. (CSAM) and America’s Islamic Heritage Museum and Cultural Center will be hosting the festival. Since April 2011, the Museum, located at 2315 Martin Luther King Ave. SE, Washington, D.C., has opened its doors to the general public. The theme of the festival, “connecting people using culture,” aims to engage the community through partnering fun activities with education.

Mayor of the District of Columbia, Vincent C. Gray, issued a proclamation Oct. 1 declaring October Islamic Heritage Month as a time to acknowledge the history and contributions of Muslim Americans in the District of Columbia, as well as across the country.

In his address to D.C. residents, Mayor Gray encourages residents to acknowledge the contributions made by Islamic peoples. Public schools in the D.C. metropolitan area are also encouraged to learn about “America’s rich Islamic history, to teach tolerance and understanding,” he said.

What the proclamation was missing was an explanation as to how or why this came to be. The reputation of Islamic peoples and their position in America is commonly and inaccurately associated with terrorist attacks.

Arjadah Akram, 18, is confident that dedicating the month for D.C. residents to get an idea of Islamic people’s beliefs and culture will better combat any misconceptions and establish a greater sense of community. “I’m Muslim and a lot of time people make up ideas about me based on how I dress and what they see on TV,” Akram said.

Akram and her family attend the festival every year, and she hopes this year will attract more people to learn and gain a better understanding of Muslim traditions and roles in American history.

Source: thehilltoponline.com