On Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the 89th Academy Awards, Mahershala Ali became the first Muslim to win an Oscar for acting. Ali was awarded the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the film Moonlight, which also won for Best Picture. During a recent interview, Ali described how he converted to Islam after a visit to a mosque in 1999, saying, "I just had such a strong reaction to the prayer. I felt really grounded at that time, and so to be in this prayer and the imam is doing the ...
New Photo Exhibition Explores Muslim Life in New York City
Muslim in New York is a new photography exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), which aims to capture and celebrate the New York Muslim community. Featuring 34 images by four photographers who have documented Muslim New Yorkers from the mid-20th to the early 21st centuries, the exhibition showcases the vital role Muslims have played and continue to play in the life of the city. The exhibition runs through July 30, 2017. Read more (Newsweek) ...
Muslim Community Raises Thousands to Help Repair Vandalized Jewish Cemetery
After a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis was vandalized, the local Muslim community stepped up, starting an online fundraiser to collect money for needed repairs. Within only a few hours of its launch, the page exceeded its goal of $20,000 and, at the time of this writing, has raised over $85,000. According to one of the campaign organizers, raising money to help the Jewish community rebuild after such a hateful attack "is a great way to show respect and honor for our Jewish cousins." Read more ...
How You Can Help Refugees in the United States
New Filmmaking Grant Works to Counter Bigotry
In the current social and political climate of heightened anti-Muslim bigotry, Michael Morgenstern, a Jewish filmmaker in California, wanted to find a way to support the American Muslim community. He reached out to the Islamic Scholarship Fund and suggested creating a fund for Muslim filmmakers. Together, they launched the American Muslim Storytellers grant and started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to support several projects. Read more (Denver Post) ...
