Spoleto's Exploring Omar discussion series is a free companion to this year's new opera | Spoleto Buzz. On Thurs. March 12 head to the Main Library at 6 p.m. for: Islam and Enslaved Africans in Early Charleston. Brenda Tindal of the International African American Museum moderates a discussion between Charleston... Continue reading

Spoleto's Exploring Omar discussion series is a free companion to this year's new opera | Spoleto Buzz. On Thurs. March 12 head to the Main Library at 6 p.m. for: Islam and Enslaved Africans in Early Charleston. Brenda Tindal of the International African American Museum moderates a discussion between Charleston County Public Library's historian Nic Butler and The New Schools' professor Hussein Rashid. This year the city celebrates 350 years, which makes it an apt time to discuss all of the city's history, including the influences of enslaved Africans on the introduction of Islam to the Lowcountry. Continue reading

Belief without evidence, that’s faith. It’s the cornerstone of religion. For many, it is a centering force that’s essential for navigating life’s mysteries and challenges. But for others, ever-increasing access to information, science, advanced technology has meant a loss of faith, or at least a reckoning with what it means. https://www.thegreenespace.org/watch/do-we-still-need-faith-in-the-21st-century/ Continue reading

Belief without evidence, that’s faith. It’s the cornerstone of religion. For many, it is a centering force that’s essential for navigating life’s mysteries and challenges. But for others, ever-increasing access to information, science, advanced technology has meant a loss of faith, or at least a reckoning with what it means. Continue reading

Do We Still Need Faith in the 21st Century? | The Greene Space. Belief without evidence, that’s faith. It’s the cornerstone of religion. For many, it is a centering force that’s essential for navigating life’s mysteries and challenges. But for others, ever-increasing access to information, science, advanced technology has meant... Continue reading

Do We Still Need Faith in the 21st Century? | The Greene Space. Belief without evidence, that’s faith. It’s the cornerstone of religion. For many, it is a centering force that’s essential for navigating life’s mysteries and challenges. But for others, ever-increasing access to information, science, advanced technology has meant a loss of faith, or at least a reckoning with what it means. Continue reading

This week we feature selections from the December 8, 2019 Sounds of Faith concert at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. According to Dr. Hussein Rashid a religious literacy expert and cultural competency consultant who teaches at the New School in New York, if you don’t appreciate the religious... Continue reading

This week we feature selections from the December 8, 2019 Sounds of Faith concert at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. According to Dr. Hussein Rashid a religious literacy expert and cultural competency consultant who teaches at the New School in New York, if you don’t appreciate the religious and spiritual dimension of music you miss the depth of the genre. Continue reading

Smithsonian Events - Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra presents "Islam and Modern Jazz" - December 8, 2019, 7:30 – 9:30pm EST. The undeniable link between Islam and jazz music led one critic to proclaim that the faith was the "unofficial religion of bebop." Alongside early converts such as William Evans (Yusef Lateef), Frederick Russell Jones (Ahmad Jamal), Leo Morris (Idris Muhammad), and Art Blakey (Abdullah Ibn Buhaina), many jazz musicians discovered a spiritual foundation that inspired strength and dignity through Islam. From Eastern modes to Western melodies, the impact of Islam on the soul of American jazz ranks second only to... Continue reading

Scholars of religion and biblical literature object to having conference badges coded and scanned. Hussein Rashid, independent scholar of religion, also tweeted that he’d seen nothing in his conference registration documents to suggest QR codes were a possibility. The society was therefore retroactively changing its terms of attendance, he said,... Continue reading

Scholars of religion and biblical literature object to having conference badges coded and scanned. Hussein Rashid, independent scholar of religion, also tweeted that he’d seen nothing in his conference registration documents to suggest QR codes were a possibility. The society was therefore retroactively changing its terms of attendance, he said, raising the possibility that someone could refuse to be scanned, be denied entry and later challenge the academy legally. Continue reading

My new co-edited book is available for pre-order. Ms. Marvel’s America | University Press of Mississippi. This distinct collection brings together scholars from a range of disciplines including literature, cultural studies, religious studies, pedagogy, and communications to engage with a single character, exploring Khan’s significance for a broad readership. Continue reading

I served as a reader for this project. Sesame Workshop Identity Matters Study | Sesame Workshop. Building a positive sense of identity is critical to children’s healthy development and, ultimately, to their futures. Seeing characteristics like their race, gender, and religion in a positive light gives kids a pathway to success in school and in life—and research shows that valuing their own identities helps children grow into more confident and accepting adolescents and adults. Continue reading

I served as a reader for this project. Sesame Workshop Identity Matters Study | Sesame Workshop. Building a positive sense of identity is critical to children’s healthy development and, ultimately, to their futures. Seeing characteristics like their race, gender, and religion in a positive light gives kids a pathway to... Continue reading

My new co-edited book is available for pre-order. Ms. Marvel’s America | University Press of Mississippi. This distinct collection brings together scholars from a range of disciplines including literature, cultural studies, religious studies, pedagogy, and communications to engage with a single character, exploring Khan’s significance for a broad readership. Continue reading

NYCC ‘19: Wilson, Shammas, Alfageeh & Henderson on Orientalism in comics & the White, Western gaze - The Beat. Rashid began proceedings by citing theorist Edward Said and describing Orientalism as “a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient.” The othering that Orientalism does to Asian... Continue reading

NYCC ‘19: Wilson, Shammas, Alfageeh & Henderson on Orientalism in comics & the White, Western gaze - The Beat. Rashid began proceedings by citing theorist Edward Said and describing Orientalism as “a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient.” The othering that Orientalism does to Asian and Arab cultures, he continued, is “a tool of colonization, a means of convincing people that some people are less worthy of their humanity.” The panellists nodded along, taking this definition as their starting point for discussion. In turn, each panelist presented some examples of where we see Orientalism in... Continue reading

GIA Podcast | Grantmakers in the Arts. Narrative Change Through Satirical Storytelling (podcast #17): Zeyba Rahman, senior program officer for The Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art's Building Bridges Program; Josh Seftel, filmmaker and creator of “The Secret Life of Muslims” series; Hussein Rashid, adjunct faculty member in the Department of Religion at Barnard College who focuses his research on Muslim and American pop culture; and Negin Farsad, Iranian-American writer and comedian who you can find on Netflix, HBO, and other media platforms, are interviewed by Nadia Elokdah, deputy director and director of programs of GIA. They discuss their recent... Continue reading

GIA Podcast | Grantmakers in the Arts. Narrative Change Through Satirical Storytelling (podcast #17): Zeyba Rahman, senior program officer for The Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art's Building Bridges Program; Josh Seftel, filmmaker and creator of “The Secret Life of Muslims” series; Hussein Rashid, adjunct faculty member in the Department... Continue reading

Abe's Eats I Our Advisors. Our advisors teach us a thing or two about a thing or two. Learn more about their work below. Continue reading

Discovering Islam in New York City: a tour of its Muslim History | the.Ismaili. Hussein Rashid, professor at Columbia University and himself once the coordinator for CPOI, said he arranged this tour for Jamati members in order to “seize opportunities to expand our knowledge,” following Mawlana Hazar Imam’s general guidance. “As an Ismaili Muslim, I believe it’s important that we learn about and engage with our history in ways that do not isolate us but recognize our role in the world. As a result, I look for opportunities that allow [me] to experience my history and faith and try to... Continue reading

Discovering Islam in New York City: a tour of its Muslim History | the.Ismaili. Hussein Rashid, professor at Columbia University and himself once the coordinator for CPOI, said he arranged this tour for Jamati members in order to “seize opportunities to expand our knowledge,” following Mawlana Hazar Imam’s general guidance.... Continue reading

My Salaam - Bringing comics to heal and preserve culture in Syrian refugee camps. CYRIC’s founder, A. David Lewis, is himself a comics and graphic novel author. He started the organisation as a way to help Syrian refugee children by preserving their cultural heritage. “Specifically, it focuses on traditional Syrian stories,” CYRIC board member Hussein Rashid explained. “It helps the children, and hopefully will aid in making sure some part of Syrian story culture persists.” Continue reading

My Salaam - Bringing comics to heal and preserve culture in Syrian refugee camps. CYRIC’s founder, A. David Lewis, is himself a comics and graphic novel author. He started the organisation as a way to help Syrian refugee children by preserving their cultural heritage. “Specifically, it focuses on traditional Syrian... Continue reading

Breaking fast and drawing together: The iftar at Ramadan with Hussein Rashid - Religion News Service. The holy month of Ramadan is marked by a well-known 30-day fast from sunup to sundown. When the sun goes down, the fast is traditionally broken with water and three dates. To unpack some deeper meaning behind this rigorous and difficult ritual fast, Beliefs producer Jonathan Woodward sat with Dr. Hussein Rashid, Islamic scholar and educator. Continue reading