Background

While this list is not comprehensive, it intends to introduce a lay Muslim to the basic historical, sociological, and theological framework for anti-racism work in the Muslim community, particularly educational institutions. Although classical Muslim scholars wrote about and created theories of race and culture, scholars and leaders have recently begun to look at the methods for addressing community divides. Muslim anti-racism work is a challenging topic that requires some general background knowledge to help make sense of the complex intersections of race, class, culture, language, religious identity, and gender. In addition to reading MuslimARC introductory material, we encourage you to read the following works to gain a better understanding of how race and racism are understood, the history of Muslim societies, in particular Muslim communities in the West, and standard methods for anti-racism.  

Objectives

1. To provide lay readers with a general overview of sociological theories on race, historical developments of race in Muslim societies and communities, and anti-racism practice
2. Create a shared language for MuslimARC supporters
3. Create a general understanding of MuslimARC’s work  

General Works on Racism

• Bonilla-Silva, B. (2003). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in America. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
• Desmond, M., &  Emirbayer, M. (2009). What Is Racial Domination? Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, 6 (2), 335-355. Retrieved from http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~emirbaye/Mustafa_Emirbayer/ARTICLES.html
• Johnson, A. G. (2006). Privilege, power, and difference. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
• Lake, M.  and Reynolds,  H. (2008).  Drawing the Global Color Line: White Men’s Countries and the International Challenge of Racial Equality. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

General Works to Understand Race and Muslim Communities

• Aidi, H.D. (2014). Rebel music: Race, empire, and the new Muslim youth culture. New York: Pantheon.
• GhaneaBassiri, K. (2010). A history of Islam in America: From the new world to the new world order. New York: Cambridge University Press .  
• Grewal, Z. (2013) Islam is a foreign country: American muslims and the global crisis of authority. New York: NYU Press.
• Hunwick, J. O. & Powell, E. T. (2002). The African diaspora in the mediterranean lands of Islam. Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener Publishers.
• Iyer, D. (2015). We too sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh immigrants shape our multiracial future. New York:The New Press.
• Jackson, S. A. (2005). Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking for a third resurrection. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Karim, J. A. (2009). American Muslim women: Negotiating race, class, and gender within the ummah. New York: New York University Press.
• Lapidus, Ira M. (1988).  A history of Islamic societies. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
• Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative. (2015). Study of Intra-Muslim Ethnic Relations: Muslim American Views of Race Relations. http://www.muslimarc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/MuslimARC-InterEthnic-Study-2015.pdf

Anti-Racism Resources

• Derman-Sparks, L. & Ramsey, P. (2011). What if all the kids are white? Anti-bias multicultural education with young children and families, 2nd edition. New York: Teachers College Press.
• Flower, T. (2001). Long-term anti-racism strategies: A guide to developing effective community projects.” University of Victoria. http://www.icavictoria.org/sites/default/fs/Long%20Term%20Srategies%20Anti-Racism.pdf
• Lee, E., Menkart, D. & Okazawa-Rey, M. (1998). Beyond heroes and holidays: A practical guide to K-12 anti-racist, multicultural education and staff development. Washington, D.C.: Network of Educators on the Americas.
• Parker, R. & Chambers, P. S. (2005). The Anti-racist cookbook: A recipe guide for conversations about race that goes beyond covered dishes and “kum-bah-ya” Roselle, NJ: Crandall, Dostie & Douglass.
• Pollock, M. (2008).  Everyday antiracism: Getting real about race in school. New York: The New Press.
• Sue, D.W. (2015) Race talk and the the conspiracy of silence: Understanding and facilitating difficult dialogues on race. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
• Williams, D. (N.D.). Beyond the golden rule: A parent’s guide to preventing and responding to Prejudice.Teaching Tolerance Website. Retrieved from http://www.tolerance.org/publication/beyond-golden-rule

A R C L I N K S

Words possess profound power, shaping our understanding of the world and influencing our actions. Their significance is often underscored in sensitive issues like race and identity discussions. Recognizing the impact of language in the discourse of anti-racism, MuslimARC has meticulously curated a glossary of anti-racism words. This endeavor not only fosters clarity and constructive dialogue but also aids in dispelling misconceptions, promoting inclusivity, and guiding informed discussions within and outside the Muslim community.

MuslimARC’s series

From Sea to Shining Sea: Organizing in the Time of Genocide

Be a part of our education and awareness campaign aimed at responding to the genocide in Palestine and the surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, and erosion of Muslim American and Arab American civil liberties. The series aims to fill a critical gap by providing a space to gather stories of solidarity,  build shared analysis, and provide education and narrative resources. Further, it aims to offer a corrective, including the erasure of Palestinian American voices in responding to systemic Islamophobia since October 7th.  Throughout the globe, from sea to shining sea, Muslim communities are targeted by ethno-religious states, subjected to dehumanizing political and media discourses, criminalized, and dispossessed. Since our founding in 2014, MuslimARC has worked to raise awareness about other genocides in Burma, Sudan, Tigray, XianXan, and more. We must connect the dots: Christian dominionism, Hindutva, Han Supremacy, and Zionism. We can develop a root cause analysis and organize for a better world.  As the leading organization bridging racial justice and anti-Islamophobia organizing, MuslimARC provides an anti-racism/n framework that is rooted in solidarity and anti-oppression. 

Check our page often as we update regularly. 

In-person

MuslimARC joins Muslim Latino Unity and Black Lives Matter LA for Black & Palestinian Solidarity. Saturday, December 23, 2023 at La Cienega Park. If you’re in Los Angeles, see you there!

Webinars

Healing for Collective Liberation: Palestine, Sudan, India, and the US

Black Liberation Theology in the Time of Genocide: a Multi-faith approach

Bystander Intervention and CARE Model for Coalition Building

Online Resources

Have you Been Targeted?

A Storytelling initiative aimed at illustrating the everyday impact of political and media discourses, discrimination, and hate.  

Click Here To Share Your Story

MuslimARC Sea to Shining Sea toolkit

Join MuslimARC and our partners by co-sponsoring and attending our webinars. Email us at [email protected]