Islamophobic fearmongering about Muslims in the United States ignores the ways they have influenced the country from its inception. Dr. Hussein Rashid, a professor of religion at Barnard College, chronicles this history from 1492 to today in an animated short from The New York Times yesterday (December 17).
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Oh hey, I’m on the front page of the @nytimes with a little history lesson of Muslim in the United States… or rather, an animated version of me & the smarty pants @islamoyankee. You’ll be surprised by how far back we go in this country! https://t.co/JF951Rsowb pic.twitter.com/icuJwbboQE
rnt— Negin Farsad (@NeginFarsad) December 18, 2018
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rntWatch as Rashid and comedian Negin Farsad ("How to Make White People Laugh") discuss the Muslims who traveled with Christopher Columbus, endured enslavement, influenced the U.S. Marine Corps’ dress uniform and more. Rashid connects this narrative to individual Muslims of the past century like Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, whom he notes incorporated tenets of the religion into their visions for African-American liberation. The pair also discuss the present era of prominent Muslim figures, including Ibtihaj Muhammad and members of A Tribe Called Quest.