Harvard Conference (Re)Presenting American Muslims: Broadening the Conversation Conference Team Host and Co-Convener Co-Convener Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program Institute for Social Policy and at Harvard University: Understanding (ISPU): Dr. Ali Asani Kathryn M. Coughlin Farhan Latif Zeba Iqbal Professor of Indo- Executive Director, Prince Chief Operating Officer ISPU Research Team Muslim and Islamic Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic & Director of Policy Editor and Report Religion and Cultures; Studies Program Impact Author Director, Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program Co-Organizers Facilitators Maria Ebrahimji Hussein Rashid, PhD Nadia Firozvi Asim Rehman Journalist, Consultant, Founder, Islamicate, L3C Attorney in Former President, & Co-Founder, I Speak Washington, DC Muslim Bar Association For Myself Inc. of NY ISPU would like to acknowledge the generous supporters whose contributions made this report possible: Mohamed Elnabtity and Rania Zagho, Jamal Ghani, Mahmoud and Nada Hadidi, Mahmood and Annette Hai, Fasahat Hamzavi and Saba Maroof, Rashid Haq, Raghib Hussain, Mohammed Maaieh and Raniah Jaouni, Khawaja Nimr and Beenish Ikram, Ghulam Qadir and Huda Zenati, Nadia Roumani, Quaid Saifee and Azra Hakimi, Abubakar and Mahwish Sheikh, Haanei Shwehdi and Ilaaf Darrat, Ferras Zeni and Serene Katranji Participants (listed alphabetically) Zain Abdullah, PhD, Shakila Ahmad, Debbie Almontaser Sana Amanat, Shahed Amanullah Saud Anwar, Associate Professor President, Islamic President, Board of Editor, Marvel Founder, Multiple Mayor of Windsor, in the Religion Center of Greater Directors, Muslim Comics Non-Profits & former Connecticut Department, Temple Cincinnati Consultative State Department University Network official Urooj Arshad, Celene Ayat- Makram El-Amin, Ahmad El-Khatib, Maryam Eskandari, Tannaz Haddadi, Associate Director, Ibrahim Lizzio, Imam, Masjid Founder, Nur Architect & Artist; Founder, Next Wave Advocates for Youth Islamic Studies An-Nur Center, Falls CEO & Founder, Muslim Initiative Scholar-in-Residence Church, Virginia MIIM Designs, LLC at Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School Altaf Husain, Farhan Latif, Hind Makki, Rizwan Manji, Ayesha Mattu, Nadeem Mazen, Assistant Professor, Chief Operating Muslim Anti-Racism Actor Author/Editor, Entrepreneur, School of Social Officer & Director Collaborative Love Inshallah and Educator Work, Howard of Policy Impact, & founder, Salaam, Love and (elected) University, ISPU Institute for SideEntrance Cambridge City Felllow Social Policy and Project Councilmember Understanding Fatima Shama, Haris Tarin, Yusufi Vali, Pej Vahdat, Actor Habib Yazdi, Former Director, Muslim Executive Director Filmmaker and Commissioner of Public Affairs of the Islamic Society Producer, Sheikh & Immigrant Affairs, Council (MPAC) of Boston Cultural Bake Productions New York City Washington DC Center, Boston, Office Massachusetts Introduction n Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, 2014, the Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University hosted a two-day workshop (Re)Presenting American Muslims: Broadening the Conversation to discuss the ways in which American Muslims define Othemselves, and are defined, in the twenty-first century. The workshop brought together a diverse slate of American Muslim activists, artists, scholars and advocates in a constructive dialogue on a wide range of issues affecting Muslims in the United States. In five sessions over two days, the group addressed challenges regarding the ideas of American Muslim identity and representation while encouraging a discussion of the opportunities and a broader view of the communities encompassed in the umbrella term ‘American Muslims’. On Friday morning, Dr. Ali Asani, Director of the Alwaleed sessions and no individual audio- or video-recording in Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University (Alwaleed the room was permitted. Several participants submitted Program) welcomed the workshop’s 25 participants post-conference insights, which are included at the end and guests. The concept for this workshop arose from of this report. conversations at the conference, Perceptions and Realities of Muslims: New Paradigms for Public Policy, Media and Over the course of the two-day workshop five 90-minute Academia hosted by the Alwaleed Program, in partnership sessions were hosted: with the British Council, USA in December 2013. 1. American Muslim-led Organizations; This workshop continued and broadened conversations 2. American Muslim Storytellers; started during the Perceptions and Realities of Muslims 3. American Muslims in Public Service; conference while also offering a unique opportunity and 4. American Muslims Making Inclusive Space; and format for American Muslim change makers to come 5. American Muslims Seeking Inclusion. together. They were able to address important and potentially emotional issues around the complex ways in Nadia Firozvi and Asim Rehman facilitated the discussions which Muslims are represented in society, and to explore among the 25 participants. Ms. Firozvi and Mr. Rehman opportunities to represent Islam through effective navigated each of the discussions from initial remarks by storytelling and narrative building. five pre-selected participants (‘panelists’) to a longer and broader conversation among all participants building on The Alwaleed Program’s role as host and co-convener those initial remarks. of the workshop was to offer a facilitated and supportive environment for open and honest conversations among To identify participants, a list of potential invitees was the participants, and to provide funding and staffing. developed based on geographic, religious, ethnic The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) diversity and the individuals’ ability to contribute to the as co-convener has captured and translated those themes and topics included in the workshop. The 25 discussions into this document as both a snapshot of participants selected were individuals who met these the workshop, as well as a framework and starting point criteria and were willing to participate in the two-day set for future conversations. of discussions. To encourage open conversation and free discussion, In addition to participants, approximately 20 observers the workshop honored Chatham House Rules. including Harvard undergraduate and graduate students, Comments have not been attributed to participants. faculty and visiting scholars and fellows attended the No live tweeting or social media was allowed during the workshop. 4 Harvard Conference | (Re)Presenting American Muslims: Broadening the Conversation Session 1: The discussions were broken Muslim-led into three parts: Institutions/ 1. Level setting: Organizations Five panelists in each session set the stage by addressing the group for 2 minutes on the topic. “Faith-based organizations play an important role in social service provision, advocacy, public education, 2. Whiteboarding: community development and organizing, and other All workshop participants ‘flared’ for approximately arenas within the American public square.” 30 minutes responding - Brie Loskota and Nadia Roumani, to panelists’ comments, ‘Enhancing Impact in the Public Square’1 uncovering additional issues and delving into the topic further. The Constitution’s guarantee of “freedom of thought and worship” supports a “religiously diverse and vibrant society.”2 Achieving religious pluralism in the 3. Digging deeper: United States is challenging, but faith-based organizations are the vehicle All panelists and participants by which many minority religious groups navigate their way to the American then identified high- level public square.3 As American Muslim-led organizations continue to establish trends, refocused and fleshed their place in the American public square “institutional development will be out those issues along with integral to how American Muslim communities will operate in the American recommendations. public square.”4 Each discussion was rich and In this discussion, a Muslim-led organization can be best defined as an thought-provoking and covered organization or institution that is founded, run or led by American Muslims. a great deal of material in a short These organizations are faith-baseda and to date focus primarily on the needs amount of time. Due to time of American Muslims. constraints, numerous critical issues were identified, but not The invited panelists were from a range of institutions but did not and were all issues were fleshed out. The not meant to, represent all American Muslims or all American Muslim-led discussions are summarized in organizations. Their role was to share insights, establish a broad context for this document and have been the group and start the conversation on the state of American Muslim-led organized according to the major organizations. themes discussed. a Faith-based: Affiliated with or based on religion or a religious group. Harvard Conference | (Re)Presenting American Muslims: Broadening the Conversation 5 Representation The United States’ several million Muslims are diverse and decentralized.5 Two- thirds of American Muslims are under 40, and are culturally, ethnically, ideologically and socio-economically diverse. 6 American Muslims and their communities are not monolithic. Their make-up and needs vary, and thus no one organization can or does represent all American Muslim communities and organizations. However, many of the older and more established national American Muslim organizations were founded for the sake of identity formation. They