National Arab American Book Prize for “Muslims of the Heartland”

In the summer of 1936, Arab American Muslims from across the Midwest arrived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to celebrate the first anniversary of the Rose of Fraternity mosque, also known as the Moslem Temple. It was a joyous affair. Local community members Elaine Graham, Lucille Mann, and Margaret Hamad sang, “To a Wild Rose.” Participants belted out Arabic songs, too. Several speeches were given in … Continue reading National Arab American Book Prize for “Muslims of the Heartland”

Why My New Edited Volume Features Students of Vernon Schubel

More than any other factor, the reason why I became a professional scholar of Islam and Muslim cultures is because of my undergraduate adviser, Prof. Vernon Schubel of Kenyon College. As a first-year student at Kenyon in the fall of 1989, I enrolled in a course on classical Islam. Vernon, as he invited us to call him, used Marshall Hodgson’s magisterial Venture of Islam to … Continue reading Why My New Edited Volume Features Students of Vernon Schubel