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‘Muslims in America’ reviews historical events
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With the account of an African medieval mariner, Islamic Speakers Bureau Representative and Stanford University graduate Imam Maskatia presented “Muslims in America” Thursday, Oct. 25 in the Student Union Building.
The Muslim Student Association of Boise State University, in cooperation with the Islamic Speakers Bureau, sponsored Maskatia’s presentation, which traced the accounts of the earliest known and contemporary Muslim contributions to American culture.
According to Maskatia, the evidence of whether or not Muslim adventurer Mansa Musa explored the Americas in the early 1300s is inconclusive.
“But fragmentary archeological finds to support this theory held by some prominent archeologists include terracotta facial figures with African facial features found in southern Mexican archeological sites and records of his voyage from historical writings of the court records of Mali, Sultan, Abu Bakr II,” Maskatia said.
Early success stories of Muslims in America included Ayyub Ibn Salayman, a Maryland resident who gained his freedom and returned to Africa after making the first translation of the Koran into English; and Yarrow Mamout, also a Maryland resident, became a banker and land owner after gaining his freedom at the age of 103.
“It is known that some of the slaves brought over from Africa were educated Muslims who were able to buy their freedom and make their contribution to America as businessmen and professionals during the 1700s to mid 1800s,” Maskatia said.
Israihim Ibn Abdur Rahman, otherwise known as Prince Mississippi or a Prince Among Slaves, spoke of being a prince in Africa before he was captured and enslaved. Ultimately Rahmen, bought his freedom and that of his family before joining the abolitionist movement in the early 1800s.
A few years ago a postage stamp was issued commemorating the Saint Louis Worlds Fair of 1904 and the invention of the ice cream cone by Anan Hamawi, a Syrian Muslim who was selling a traditional pastry at the fair when a neighboring ice cream concessionaire had run out of dishes for his product.
Hamawi promptly designed a pastry cone to serve the refreshing treat and thus the ice cream cone was born. Hamawi went on to found the Western Cone Company.
Maskatia said there are cultural links to blues and jazz music from West African Muslim culture and a 21-stringed African instrument called a cora.
“Two well known Chicago sky scrapers, the Sears tower and the Hancock Building were designed by Muslim Architect, Fazlur Rahine Khan. For many years the Sears Tower was the world’s tallest building. Kahn, has been called one of the greatest architects of the 20th century,” Maskatia said
According to Maskatia, the Muslim faith is the fastest growing religion in the United States.
“At 7 million members . this faith is represented in virtually all American ethnic groups with Afro-Americans, Asian-Americans and Arab-Americans
comprising 80 percent of the total,” Maskatia said.
Boise resident Marisa Kaali, a recent convert to Islam, said she has found peace and order in Islam.
“After converting to Islam, I was called a terrorist, my car was stolen, my dad did not speak to me for six months, but my mother has been very supportive. She wears the hijab, a Muslim head scarf when she goes with me to the Mosque,” Kaali said. “Iraq is an unfortunate situation; our government is playing in religion. Islam and democracy are compatible but there are inherent difficulties.”
According to BSU professor Said Ahmed Zaid, the Boise Muslim community is larger than one would guess.
“We estimate there are over 6,000 Muslims in Boise, mostly recent immigrants from Afghanistan, Bosnia and Kurdistan,” Zaid said.
CLAUDIO BEAGARIE AND DARCIE NUTT
Arbiter Staff
