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African- American Muslim Women and the Changing Face of the American Mosque

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African- American Muslim Women and the Changing Face of the American Mosque From Erasure to Emergence: African- American Muslim Women and the Changing Face of the American Mosque The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Riaz, Freeha. 2017. From Erasure to Emergence: African-American Muslim Women and the Changing Face of the American Mosque. Master's thesis, Harvard Extension School. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:33826757 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA From Erasure to Emergence: African-American Muslim Women and the Changing Face of the American Mosque Freeha Riaz A Thesis in the Field of Middle Eastern Studies for the Degree of Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies Harvard University March 2016 Abstract This thesis aims to consider one aspect of religiosity of African-American Muslim women—who now constitute the majority of the converts of the fastest growing religion of America—and the praxis of their faith vis-à-vis their engagement within the mosque and its affiliated communites. The primary intent of this ethnography is to understand the “essence” or conscious effort from the perspective of African-American Muslim women of their experiences of engaging within the mosque and its affiliated communities. Secondarily, this study attempts to tease out how and why the mosque, instead of another locus, become an important performative space for African-American women. The distillation of the narratives of my informants, reveals to me, that Islam for the women is a liberatory “worldview” within which they find agency. Stepping into the new worldview of Islam compels them to negotiate an identity that validates their gender in the context of their religious framework. These permutations range from issues of gender segregation, to hijab, to polygyny—all gendered issues that must be negotiated by the indigenous Muslimas. As I have found, for the women, their approach to their Islam and its praxis finds its genesis in notions of equity. Furthermore, the praxis of their faith seeks to validate the women with an identity that is “authentically” Islamic and American. This in turn affords the women agency to read their Islam in the manner they deemed most fit—an endeavor which they continuously strive to perfect. The mosque for the women serves as a conduit through which the women not only empower themselves, via mastering their faith, but also forge bonds within the sisterhood of the ummah—a community of believers. As the women tell me, the mosque and those who practice the faith play a profound role in facilitating their transformation. The mosque is not merely a venue for the praxis of their individualized Islam—rather it is a living model which contributes immensely to their Islamic worldview. The mosque serves as a point of convergence where a Muslima can convene a framework which merges her newfound deen and its actuation into a permutation that has a profound effect on how she encounters the worldview of Islam. Dedication To my father, Riaz-ul-Haq Whom I only knew for four years of my life, but who instilled within me the value of education. This is for you! v Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and THANK Sister “Joyce,” who was the first African-American Muslima with whom I discussed this project. In May of 2015, Sister Joyce agreed to meet with a stranger who called her to solicit some advice and help. As a result of this meeting, I was invigorated and reassured that this perhaps was doable and most importantly—needed to be done. Sister Joyce passed away a few weeks before the completion of this thesis—I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart for being such an ardent supporter from day one. In our last email exchange, she wrote to me about this endeavor: “as old African-American grandmas used to say: ‘hope you on!’” With this in mind, Sister Joyce, I hope you on to the beloved! It is my hope to not only do justice to her story but that of all the Muslimas who chose to share their spiritual journeys with me. I have spent countless nights lying awake, contemplating each and every one of you and your words. You have all lived in my head. I have dreamt of you, I have attempted to stand in your shoes—and some of you have even become my friends. For all this, I thank you! I hope the precious stories with which you have entrusted me shine through the academic jargon. If I have made any errors in the interpretation of your words, I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I have tried my best to do justice to your words and stories. I humbly thank you! Thank you! Thank you! After the women, I would like to thank Jihad Turk, whose Arabic class at UCLA made me fall in love with the study of our rich Islamic heritage, nearly eight years ago. Jihad has always been the most open minded imam I have ever known, so much so, that I vi do not even think of him as an imam—he is my friend and I thank you Jihad for your friendship. I would like to thank Gail Kennard for being a vital resource and sounding board for this project. I would also like to thank Professors Joe and Doug Bond. Joe, you are sorely missed and I hope my thesis makes you proud up in heaven. Doug, thank you for always believing in me and giving me great opportunities to work with you—it is always a pleasure. I would also like to thank Dr. Jocelyn Cesari, whose classes have been the most brilliant and engaging at Harvard. Last but certainly not the least, on the academic side, I want to thank Dr. Marla Frederick, who has been the most patient thesis director. Thank you for your willingness to join me on this journey and for offering brilliant guidance and assistance. I am forever grateful. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with you. Next I want to thank the other imam in my life, Imam Timothy Patrick McCarthy. Thank you Tim for being a wonderful friend and most importantly, being such a wonderful teacher who teaches. Harvard is very lucky to have you! I want to thank Miss Melinda Mohamed for always being a great research assistant along with being an excellent babysitter. On that note, I want to thank my eighteen-month-old son, Cyrus, who has been deprived of a mother for the last few months. I hope you read this thesis one day and then you will surely understand the importance of this work. I want to thank all of my family and friends for being so supportive and understanding. Again, I want to thank all of the women, the mosques and the affiliated communities who welcomed me into their spiritual hearts. I have learned so much from you. vii Table of Contents Dedication ……………………………………………………………………………… v Acknowledgments ……………………………………………………………………….vi I. Prelude ……………………………………………………………………......1 II. Background ………………………………………………………………….11 III. Methodology ………………………………………………………………...26 Geography ……………………………………………………………….26 Logistics …………………………………………………………………27 Sampling ………………………………………………………………...28 Interviews ………………………………………………………………..29 Questionnaires …………………………………………………………...30 Field Research …………………………………………………………...31 Limitations ………………………………………………………………32 IV. First Generation: Transitioning to Islam …………………………………….36 Entre to Islam: the NOI ………………………………………………….37 A Primordial Urge: Narratives of Surrender to Islam …………………...42 Praxis: Doing Islam ……………………………………………………...47 Encountering the Global Ummah ……………………………………….54 Nafs: The Second Conversion …………………………………………...58 Striving for Islam Today: Dawa ………………………………………...66 V. Second Generation: A Nation Within A Nation ……..……………………...71 Masjid and Community ………………………...………………………..78 viii Inheritance ……………………………………………………………….82 Mastery and Appropriation of Pure Islam………………………….……87 Piety and Practice ………………………………………………………..92 Encountering Cultural Baggage …………………………………………99 VI. Converts: Islamic Worldview and Gendered Issues ……………………….107 Avenues to Islam: Conversion Stories …………………………………116 Mosque Selection ………………………………………………………127 Gendered Issued and Body Politics ……………………………………139 Mosque Leadership and Culture of the Mosque ……………………….146 Feminism in an Islamic Worldview ……………………………………152 Polygyny: Liberation or Coercion? ...…………………………………..159 VII. Interlude: Alternative Spaces and Sisterhood ……………………………...176 Sisterhood ……………………………………………………………...187 VIII. Conclusion: Third Generation ……………………………………………...191 Appendices …………………………………...…………...…………............................199 Appendix A: Mosque Profiles .………………….………………..…………..……199 Appendix B: Khutba by Elinor ……………………………………………….........203 Bibliography ………………………………………………………......……………….213 ix Chapter I Prelude On a balmy Saturday night in November, a tall, green-lit minaret in the middle of an expansive traffic jam helps center me on the occasion. Stuck at the intersection of Malcolm X Boulevard and Massachusetts Ave, I cannot help but notice the juxtaposition of this soaring Islamic symbol, which can be seen from at least a mile away, with the shivering cheerleaders who pile out of a minivan ahead of me. I can see that the young ladies have chosen to suffer through the slight chill rather than to wait for the light to turn green. Leaving the driver to the mercy of traffic gods, the teen girls run across the street for what I assume is a Saturday night football game at the high school set across from the very large mosque—the Islamic Center
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