Great piece! I agree with all you have said here and would add that there is no one American culture it’s an amalgamation of many different cultures together especially today. I would also like to point out that many of us American Muslims come from families with roots in the older Islamic societies as we are immigrants and the children of immigrants who are culturally as American as any white or black American Muslims and we absolutely also have a role in shaping our collective practices. Secondly I will echo your point that this comes from American exceptionalism which is of course a form of nationalism and nationalism as well as racialism actually have no place amongst our ummah. These are false idols of self worship and ego that must be done away with. I say this to white American black American and immigrant American Muslims. We are all guilty of these things we need to own that and smash these idols. They are a western creation and they will destroy our ummah as they have done since the 1400’s. Ego is a disease of the heart and antithetical to Islam. I hope my ramblings make sense and thank you for writing this piece.
Excellent post. Well done. I agree that Muslim culture is interdependent, carrying with it the seeds of the past but also sampling the geographic uniqueness of wherever Islam takes root.
Love this. Do you think there’s any other thing’s specific to American Muslim culture? For some reason everything else I can think of only relates to consumption like Yemeni coffee shop culture and velas.
Key term: being able to integrate without assimilating.
As a Turkish Muslim living in America, what I’ve observed over the past 10 years is that the first-generation immigrants—parents—often tell their children they are “American” so they won’t fall behind, neglecting cultural and native language education.
What they fail to realize is that in many Muslim communities, culture and religion are deeply intertwined; when one is lost, the other tends to be lost as well.
So I agree with an American Islam culture idea for the young generation!!
At the same time, it can feel that we live with each individual as a tribe of one. It can feel we don’t have anything in common with those whom we share a tube carriage or prayer space. Such is the nature of the atomised, individualistic, unholy secular liberal realm we inhabit.
There can be two extremes in how we organise ourselves: a communal society where each member is replaceable with another, or an isolating society where each member in a pod is replaceable by the other - it’s that horseshoe effect that extremes do. Softer versions of each could be the Amish constructing a barn together or day out in the city where everyone minds the own business but gives up a seat to an elderly passenger.
The crisis of marriage among Muslims - both contracting as well as sustaining - is perhaps witness that they are susceptible to the worse in their environment. The adherents to Abraham’s covenant are not immune to these trends but they weather them and strike with their staff to clear a passage through them.
I’m left to wonder, however, about the opposite side of the coin: the large crowd (particularly from our own religious circles) that seemingly aims to restrict the development of a new western-Muslim culture, instead equating Arab and Desi-ism with Islamic identity.
Would you say that blockading new practices and norms for western Muslims is just as big of an issue as inorganic cultural development?
Great piece! I agree with all you have said here and would add that there is no one American culture it’s an amalgamation of many different cultures together especially today. I would also like to point out that many of us American Muslims come from families with roots in the older Islamic societies as we are immigrants and the children of immigrants who are culturally as American as any white or black American Muslims and we absolutely also have a role in shaping our collective practices. Secondly I will echo your point that this comes from American exceptionalism which is of course a form of nationalism and nationalism as well as racialism actually have no place amongst our ummah. These are false idols of self worship and ego that must be done away with. I say this to white American black American and immigrant American Muslims. We are all guilty of these things we need to own that and smash these idols. They are a western creation and they will destroy our ummah as they have done since the 1400’s. Ego is a disease of the heart and antithetical to Islam. I hope my ramblings make sense and thank you for writing this piece.
Excellent post. Well done. I agree that Muslim culture is interdependent, carrying with it the seeds of the past but also sampling the geographic uniqueness of wherever Islam takes root.
Love this. Do you think there’s any other thing’s specific to American Muslim culture? For some reason everything else I can think of only relates to consumption like Yemeni coffee shop culture and velas.
True. Cultures are vibrant, dynamic and multi-layered. And they develop organically. Any top-down approach should be seen as an affront.
Love your writing 🩵🩵
Would love to connect on Insta 🫶🏻
@sarah.o333
Key term: being able to integrate without assimilating.
As a Turkish Muslim living in America, what I’ve observed over the past 10 years is that the first-generation immigrants—parents—often tell their children they are “American” so they won’t fall behind, neglecting cultural and native language education.
What they fail to realize is that in many Muslim communities, culture and religion are deeply intertwined; when one is lost, the other tends to be lost as well.
So I agree with an American Islam culture idea for the young generation!!
I agree ! Loved it!
Ie take the adab and Sunnah of our beloved Prophet pbuh adapt it to American culture or adapt American culture to it and run with it!
Another one knocked out of the park, bāshā/bhai/bruv…
Two words came to mind that for me summarises what you’re advocating: cosmopolitanism localised.
Perhaps I should join this Substack thing to share my thoughts bigger than a tweet but smaller than an article…
At the same time, it can feel that we live with each individual as a tribe of one. It can feel we don’t have anything in common with those whom we share a tube carriage or prayer space. Such is the nature of the atomised, individualistic, unholy secular liberal realm we inhabit.
There can be two extremes in how we organise ourselves: a communal society where each member is replaceable with another, or an isolating society where each member in a pod is replaceable by the other - it’s that horseshoe effect that extremes do. Softer versions of each could be the Amish constructing a barn together or day out in the city where everyone minds the own business but gives up a seat to an elderly passenger.
The crisis of marriage among Muslims - both contracting as well as sustaining - is perhaps witness that they are susceptible to the worse in their environment. The adherents to Abraham’s covenant are not immune to these trends but they weather them and strike with their staff to clear a passage through them.
Truly a wonderful read!
I’m left to wonder, however, about the opposite side of the coin: the large crowd (particularly from our own religious circles) that seemingly aims to restrict the development of a new western-Muslim culture, instead equating Arab and Desi-ism with Islamic identity.
Would you say that blockading new practices and norms for western Muslims is just as big of an issue as inorganic cultural development?