Documentary: Living In a Food Desert (Video)

Across Virginia – from Hampton to Richmond, Petersburg to Lynchburg to Wise County and all points in between – approximately 17.8 percent of Virginia’s population live in food desert. This documentary was produced by VSU as part of a study on food insecurity in the College of Agriculture.
Produced by Jesse Vaughan & Cedric Owens – Co-Producer Dr. Jewel Hairston – Narrator Daphne Maxwell Reid

One of the earliest Muslims in America: Yarrow Mamout

On 19 January 1824, one of the earliest Muslims in America, Yarrow Mamout, died in Georgetown Virginia.

He was enslaved in West Africa and brought to Maryland in the late 1700s. He eventually received his freedom in 1796 and went on to live, as a Muslim, in Washington DC until he died.

More Lost Islamic History…

Virginia’s First Veiled Firefighter

Source: onislam.net

RICHMOND – Taking up her new job as Virginia’s first veiled Muslim firefighter, the Richmond Muslim mother of two Kae Asima knew it will not be an easy task.

“I understand that people have questions and I embrace them,” Asima told ABC News on Wednesday, September 24, referring to daily questions about her religion.

CHURCH ALLOWS NUDE WORSHIP

By: Lilufa Uddin

Source: http://r2imedia.tv

Modesty is something many of us appreciate and aspire to, regardless of our religious and/or social backgrounds. It is often thought highly as a human attribute as well as activity. Those who show modesty are praised and looked up to. Unfortunately for some people, modesty is not inclusive in their vocabulary or lifestyle.

Ramadan in Central Virginia, USA: An Insider’s Perspective

By: Mahasin Shamsid-Deen

Source: http://productivemuslim.com/

Have you ever wondered how your brothers and sisters in the USA are experiencing their Ramadan? How is their experience similar/different from yours, and what could be the lessons learned for their fellow Muslims around the world?

In this article, we will discuss how Ramadan is like for a Muslim in Central Virginia, USA.

How Do Muslims in Your Area Prepare for Ramadan?

Alhumdulillah, the Ramadan experience in the US is as variable as the community. After residing in different parts of the country over a number of years, some consistencies have become the norm. Muslims themselves are made to be responsible for making Ramadan relevant and important since the US does not have a predominant Muslim population. There will be no advertising and promotion on the radio or television to either remind or enhance the experience.

However, in Central Virginia and many other areas of the country the local Imam will begin to devote a Friday khutbah to the subject and preparation of Ramadan usually the week before. If there is an Islamic school in the area, the staff will usually have it on the calendar and begin activities with the children.

The start of Ramadan is anticipated but always a bit chaotic as there is no governmental agency or television announcement of its start.

Muslims wait around their phones and computers for the sighting of the hilal to begin the month. Many Muslims who have migrated from different parts of the world and now reside in the US often hear from family members and pass information along. Nonetheless, most of the time a message is left on the answer machine of the local masjid/Islamic centre that people are asked to call after midnight. Some will use the internet to update with mass emails and even some smaller or technologically advanced communities will send out mass text messages. Some years, the evening news will announce that Ramadan has begun in whatever Muslim country is at war or in the news at the moment.

Not surprisingly, the end of Ramadan in the united states follows the same ritual as the beginning as far as informing people when and where the Eid-ul Fitr prayer will be held. In every city that I have lived in the US, at least one masjid/Islamic centre is observing this Eid prayer on a different day. As many masjid/Islamic centre have become very ethnically divided over the past 20 years, some Eid prayers will be almost exclusively one nationality or if there is a ‘unified’ Eid prayer, the community will splinter into ethnic subgroups for Eid activities. This is especially disconcerting to new converts or those Muslims who do not have Muslim families as they are often alone.

It seems that community support really means a lot over here. How does the community help those less well off during Ramadan?

During the month of Ramadan many local mosques will sponsor either nightly taraweeh or have ‘weekend’ taraweeh prayers. Also, some localities will have restaurants and individuals sign up in advance to sponsor an iftar and dinner for anyone attending the mosque at night, while smaller communities will usually only have a potluck or family sponsorship of food once a week. In recent years in many locations, especially Central Virginia – Ramadan has become synonymous with fundraising. Islamic schools, individuals building a masjid, the Islamic centre itself and Muslim groups/initiatives will pick a night usually a weekend and bring in a guest speaker while they provide food to breakfast and serve dinner for those at the mosque – for a fee. The speaker will spend the time between Maghrib and Isha discussing the benefits and needs for those in attendance to donate. Usually, those in the mosque may breakfast for free, but must pay to eat. This practice can and has led to congregants being subjected to a fundraiser every Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the month. Since attendance at the masjid is higher on the weekend evenings some here in Central Virginia have begun to complain that this practice takes away from the spirituality of the month,

Brotherhood and congregation within the home is less specific. Many use the masjid/Islamic centre as their sole social source while others have gatherings in their homes for those within their own ethnic group or madhab. New converts are usually not invited to breakfast with Muslims at their house unless they are in the ‘known’ crowd, so their only iftar is usually within the masjid/Islamic centre. This is often true of those Muslims who do not have Muslim family members as well.

What about taraweeh? What are your tips to attend regularly and make the most out of it?

When Ramadan is in the summer and the fasting days are 15+ hours, Muslims are more able to have an iftar at their home and then go to the masjid for Taraweeh. When Ramadan is in the winter, and the days are so short, iftar and dinner seems to revolve around the masjid only.

American Muslims will usually read the Qur’an during the month of Ramadan, usually taking in one-thirtieth each day. Interestingly, this is done in addition to going to the nightly taraweeh where the Quran is recited in Arabic. Many will read the translations each day so they can understand exactly what is being recited to them at night.