without stressing the outer diversity. Divine guidance, he reminded attendees, can be accrued only by engaging the entire community through welcoming each other and overlooking their diverse conjectures.
HAJJ MUSTAFA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IMAM) STATED THAT THE LEAST SIGN IN THIS REGARD IS A WELCOMING MOSQUE, WHERE ANY MUSLIM CAN WALK IN AND PERFORM PRAYER WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE.
Time Capsules of Islamic Heritage: Beyond Andalusia Millions of vanished Muslim descendants are living in Latin America BY WENDY DÍAZ
CALL FOR GREATER PARTICIPATION Hajj Mustafa (executive director, IMAM) stated that the least sign in this regard is a welcoming mosque, where any Muslim can walk in and perform prayer without any trouble. He also hinted at two of SSAF’s immediate goals: a much larger national retreat and regional retreats with local scholars.
AWARENESS OF ELDERS TO INSPIRE YOUTH Sanober Yaqoob (principal, ADAMS Taleem ul-Quran program), said that ADAMS embodies solidarity and tolerance and named a few of the center’s founding pioneers. Sarah Silmi (Rising Islamic Social Expression) expanded on the role of interaction between elders with youth.
REEXAMINING HISTORY WITH INNOVATIVE LENSES Dr. Aziza Al-Hibri (founder and chair, Karamah; http:// karamah.org) shared her long legacy toward unity and explained how Karbala can be seen as a constitutional lesson.
URGENCY OF UNITY AND INDIVIDUAL POTENTIALITY Jaffer noted how our focus on superficial differences weakens Muslims and helps the negative agendas of anti-Muslims. Latif stressed developing individual influence as a vicegerent of God to embrace the differences and complement the community’s combined efforts. Overall, this conference was a summons to carry forward the truth that while Shias and Sunnis may follow different roads toward the goal of human fulfillment in God, their goal is one and their roads have many meeting points. ih Rasheed Rabbi, an IT professional who earned an MA in religious studies (2016) and a graduate certificate in Islamic chaplaincy from Hartford Seminary, is also founder of e-Dawah (www.edawah.net); serves as a khateeb and leads the Friday prayers at ADAMS Center; and works as a chaplain at iNova Fairfax, iNova Loudoun, and Virginia’s Alexandria and Loudoun Adult Detention Centers.
M
y elementary school’s fifth-grade class sought to pass down some of our traditions by burying a time capsule deep in the ground and labeling the place carefully so that future fifth graders could unearth it years later and learn about us. But sometimes time capsules are lost or forgotten, as is the case when our ancestors’ knowledge isn’t passed on via storytelling and keeping their culture and family traditions. When that happens, we gradually forget ourselves, as is the case with those Latin Americans who have Muslim blood coursing through their veins and yet know nothing of Islam. I remember meeting Musa during an intensive 12-hour WhyIslam Dawah Summit in Princeton, N.J., on a brisk fall day with about 60-70 ICNA and WhyIslam employees and volunteers from all over the nation. As I walked in and out of the conference room, I noticed two contractors placing blue tape on the hallway’s baseboards. One was a stocky, fairskinned older man with salt-andpepper hair and a moustache; the other one was a younger man who sported a black moustache, darker skin and black, curly hair under a baseball cap. Working diligently and quickly, they avoided eye contact with guests. In an adjacent room, sheets had been laid over the dark blue carpet for attendees
to pray. At zuhr, the congregation formed. The two men continued working. As there were only three other women, we decided to pray together separately in the conference room. Standing close to the doorway, I overheard the contractors speaking to each other in Spanish. They must have thought I was Arab or South Asian, so I stood silently waiting, half smiling. “Mira como los hombres rezan solos y ellas separadas” (Look how the men pray alone and keep them [the women] separated), the older gentleman remarked. The younger man shrugged and continued to work. “Las dejaron aquí!” (They just left them here!), he continued, his tone implying that we were being excluded. I decided to interrupt. “No. No nos separan. Nosotros preferimos estar aquí” (No. They didn’t separate us. We prefer to be here), I explained, smiling. Startled, he exclaimed, “Oh, you speak Spanish!” That’s the typical response I get in these situations. “Of course, I do. I’m Latina,” I said. “Oh! I thought you were…” he fumbled for words. His friend continued working, without looking up. “Arab?” “Yes, I get that a lot.” I asked them where they were from. The older gentleman replied “Honduras,” and the younger one said he was Puerto Rican. Saying that I was also Puerto Rican, I began
MAY/JUNE 2020 ISLAMIC HORIZONS 47
