The American Muslim
Encyclopedia
The American Muslim began as a quarterly print journal, in print from 1989 to 1995. Founded by Editor Sheila Musaji
, The American Muslim featured original art, Islamic calligraphy
, diverse articles and prose. The journal covered a wide range of topics and interests, and though centered in Islam
, The American Muslim is notable for focusing on interfaith
and intercommunity dialogue to “promote peace, justice, and reconciliation for all humanity”. Each issue of the magazine included an original piece of calligraphy by Mohamed Zakariya. TAM is considered an important Islamic organ speaking out against terrorism.
The publication was produced entirely by volunteer effort.
In 1992 and 1994, The American Muslim produced the first Resource Directory of Islam in America, which included the first Who’s Who Among American Muslims.
The list of individuals who contribute to The American Muslim includes many well-known American Muslims.
After print publication ceased, The American Muslim continued as an E-mail newsletter with a relatively small circulation for some time, and then on January 1, 2002 The American Muslim went online with over 5,000 unique articles. Updated daily, the website has expanded coverage to breaking news, events, and new publications. It remains a volunteer effort with no paid staff.
In 2002, Daniel Pipes
began the Campus Watch
program which, among other controversial aims, sought to blacklist educators, programs, and colleges which it deemed a threat. Several contributors to The American Muslim immediately published responses to the program, seeing it as a threat to free speech
at the best, and sinisterly McCarthy
-esque at the worst.
In January 2004, Daniel Pipes found fault with the logo of The American Muslim which is an outline map of the United States with the basmala
("In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful") superimposed in Arabic. Pipes saw this as proof of Islamist
intentions for the United States.
Sheila Musaji
Sheila Musaji is the founder and editor of The American Muslim quarterly journal , the Muslim Resource Directory of America , and most recently The American Muslim online publication ....
, The American Muslim featured original art, Islamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy, colloquially known as Perso-Arabic calligraphy, is the artistic practice of handwriting, or calligraphy, and by extension, of bookmaking, in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage. This art form is based on the Arabic script, which for a long time was used by all...
, diverse articles and prose. The journal covered a wide range of topics and interests, and though centered in Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, The American Muslim is notable for focusing on interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
and intercommunity dialogue to “promote peace, justice, and reconciliation for all humanity”. Each issue of the magazine included an original piece of calligraphy by Mohamed Zakariya. TAM is considered an important Islamic organ speaking out against terrorism.
The publication was produced entirely by volunteer effort.
In 1992 and 1994, The American Muslim produced the first Resource Directory of Islam in America, which included the first Who’s Who Among American Muslims.
The list of individuals who contribute to The American Muslim includes many well-known American Muslims.
After print publication ceased, The American Muslim continued as an E-mail newsletter with a relatively small circulation for some time, and then on January 1, 2002 The American Muslim went online with over 5,000 unique articles. Updated daily, the website has expanded coverage to breaking news, events, and new publications. It remains a volunteer effort with no paid staff.
Controversy
In 2000, an organization calling itself The Muslim American Society, in no way affiliated with The American Muslim, began a magazine also called The American Muslim. This has caused a large amount of confusion as there is no affiliation between the two publications. Similarly, the name “The Muslim American Society” was the previously well-established name of W.D. Muhammad’s organization.In 2002, Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes
Daniel Pipes is an American historian, writer, and political commentator. He is the founder and director of the Middle East Forum and its Campus Watch project, and editor of its Middle East Quarterly journal...
began the Campus Watch
Campus Watch
Campus Watch is a web-based project of the Middle East Forum, a think tank with its headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to its website, Campus Watch "reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North America with an aim to improving them." Critics of Campus Watch say that it is a...
program which, among other controversial aims, sought to blacklist educators, programs, and colleges which it deemed a threat. Several contributors to The American Muslim immediately published responses to the program, seeing it as a threat to free speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
at the best, and sinisterly McCarthy
McCarthyism
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by...
-esque at the worst.
In January 2004, Daniel Pipes found fault with the logo of The American Muslim which is an outline map of the United States with the basmala
Basmala
Basmala or Bismillah is an Arabic noun used as a collective name for the whole of the recurring Islamic phrase b-ismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīmi, It is sometimes translated as "In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful"...
("In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful") superimposed in Arabic. Pipes saw this as proof of Islamist
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
intentions for the United States.