What if the histories we were taught left out the connections that matter most?
Over the next three months, we are tracing connections that link Africa, Asia, and the broader world. From the African roots of SWANA, to the Indian Ocean world, to the sacred journey of Hajj, these stories reveal a deeper truth:
Our histories have always been connected.
This series explores how trade, migration, faith, and resistance shaped communities across regions and how those connections continue to matter today.
Across moments like the Bandung Conference, Nakba, Hajj, Juneteenth, and Ashura, we see how communities have long been linked through shared struggles for justice and dignity.
Follow along as we roll out this three-month series.
April -Black Roots and the African Diaspora in SWANA
May - Indian Ocean ROUTES and African–Asian Solidarity
June - Sacred Journeys and the Making of Global Solidarity
New posts will be added throughout each month.
Bookmark this page and come back as the story unfolds and we release resources.
#ManyHistoriesOneStruggle
Dhul Hijjah is a sacred time that invites Muslims around the world into remembrance, reflection, sacrifice, and collective responsibility.
The sacred rituals of Hajj are not disconnected from the world around us. They carry lessons about dignity, migration, equality, perseverance, solidarity, and moral courage that continue to speak to the crises of our time.
At MuslimARC, we believe these teachings call us not only to spiritual reflection, but also to action rooted in justice and compassion.
“Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”
They are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is they who are rightly guided.”
Qur’an 2:156–157
Heartbroken by the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego during one of the holiest times of the Islamic year, our prayers are with the victims, their families, the injured, and the entire San Diego Muslim community.
Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nader Awad are not strangers to us. They are our teachers, our elders, our children, our neighbors, and our community members. May they be surrounded in mercy and their loved ones be granted comfort, healing, and strength during this painful time.
Yesterday’s attack marks another painful reminder of the growing threat of hate-fueled violence targeting sacred spaces and marginalized communities.
For over a decade, this work has been built by a community. From our founding in 2014, through the leadership of Margari Hill and co-founder Namira Islam, to the AMEL and AMAL fellows, partners, volunteers, and supporters who shaped this organization along the way.
This work has always been collective.
