Our latest and penultimate Muslim Journeys event, an interfaith panel discussion, went even better than I had hoped. Everyone, including the panelists, had a great time. Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz of Temple B’nai Brith, Rev. Jeff Mansfield of the First Church of Somerville, UCC, and Dr. Ghiath Reda of the Islamic Center talked about what their…
Since our Muslim Journeys series began at SPL, I’ve been reading quite a bit about Islamic history and culture and taking note of events in the Islamic calendar. As with Christianity and Judaism, the Islamic year is based on a lunar calendar. Ramadan, the period when Muslims must fast between sunrise and sunset, ended recently….
Boston University professor Linda Heyw0od gave a great talk last night on Prince Among Slaves, one of the titles in our Muslim Journeys bookshelf. Prince is the story of Abdul Rahman, a Fulbe prince captured and sold into slavery in Mississippi and his quest for freedom. The book is also a fascinating portrait of antebellum…
One of the most interesting books I’ve read this year has been Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an: Islam and the Founders. I would have been drawn to it anyway because of my love of history, but I was especially intrigued by the book’s subject because I’m in charge of the library’s programming series Muslim Journeys. Thomas…
For the next few months we will continue our series of NEH/ALA-sponsored programs Muslim Journeys, an effort to educate the public about Islamic history and culture. In keeping with the spirit of Muslim Journeys, I thought I should note that Mawlid, the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, begins at sunset today. Observances…
Last night’s Muslim Journeys event was great. Harvard Divinity School professor Leila Ahmed participated in a discussion of her book, A Quiet Revolution: The Veil’s Resurgence, from the Middle East to America. We had a good turnout, and everyone who participated in the discussion had interesting questions and shared well-informed opinions. The conversation ranged from …
The Somerville Public Library is introducing a new collection, Muslim Journeys, which is currently available for browsing and checkout at the Central Branch of the library. This bookshelf collection aims to familiarize residents and visitors with the places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the U.S. and around the world. It is intended to…
