Talk about the end of innocence. My 12 year-old brother interviews my 24 year-old brother about going to Islamic summer camp.
I remember seeing an inscription on the wall next to my bunk bed. It was very simple and straightforward. It said: On this bed, a boy became a man and a girl became a woman.
12 year-olds have the funniest reactions. Hear the complete, 5 minute audio online here.
Also featuring my father. Soundtrack by A.R. Rahman. A different version of this story will be presented by SpeakeasyDC in the coming months.
Muslims pray five times a day, even if they happen to be stuck in Harvard Square on a hot June day. My aunts use the sun to figure out the direction towards Mecca.
Basically, it usually rises to your left. -No, it sets on your left. -No, towards your left is the east, and towards your right is the west. -That was in England. -But England is also in the east…I could be wrong.
qibla = the direction Muslims face while praying (i.e. towards Mecca) namaaz = any of the five daily prayers hijab = Muslim headscarf sajdah = lying prostrate during prayer side room = a private-or-not-private space that Muslims occupy for prayer when away from home
I met Abdul Shabazz at a flea market in New Haven; he was distributing the latest issue of the Muslim Times. A month later, I went with him to Muhammad Islamic Center, a predominantly black mosque. It had been years since I had let go of my own Pakistani Muslim faith, but in this setting I talked with people about the history of black Islam and the problems facing urban youth, and I became re-acquainted with Islam through a new community.
Damn, Brother! I didn't know you was pretty like that. What you going through the sisters' side for, boy? Huh? You pretty? You pretty boy?
