Media Appearances

Believer, religious studies, and the public « The Immanent Frame

Believer, religious studies, and the public « The Immanent Frame. When we ask what sort of religious studies work Believer does, we are truly asking, what is the nature of our field and what sort of work do we do? As Edward Said, amongst others, noted, we are now academics, not intellectuals. We talk in guild-speak for ourselves, and are not invested in public engagement, even to our first public, our students. We have a conflicted relationship with public engagement. On one hand, we recognize the need to share our knowledge, but on the other we fear being in the…

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Media Appearances

Is It Hateful To Believe In Hell? Bernie Sanders’ Questions Prompt Backlash | UPR Utah Public Radio

Is It Hateful To Believe In Hell? Bernie Sanders’ Questions Prompt Backlash | UPR Utah Public Radio. Hussein Rashid, founder of the religious literacy consultancy Islamicate L3C, doesn’t agree that the belief itself is a problem.   “I think we have to accept that there are theologies that are what I would call exclusionary, that only certain people will go to heaven and certain people will go to hell. They are not inherently Islamophobic or anti-Semitic,” Rashid said. “It’s when it turns into action that we start getting worried. “

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Media Appearances

Trump’s statement on Ramadan is almost entirely about terrorism – The Washington Post

Trump’s statement on Ramadan is almost entirely about terrorism – The Washington Post. “He could not recall the honor of being on stage with one of the icons of American life, but could remember to deny part of America’s story,” said Hussein Rashid, founder of islamicate, a consultancy focusing on religious literacy. “With his depth of understanding of religion, and the company he keeps, I fully expect him to honor the Ku Klux Klan as representatives of Christianity during his Christmas message.”

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Inter-faith Intra-faith

Tweeting the Qur’an #Quran #Ramadan #ttQuran 2017/1438

Traditionally, Muslims read the Qur'an in its entirety over this time, in a section a day. The Qur'an is split into thirty sections, called juz', and one section is read each night.  This year is the 9th year I am inviting people to tweet the Qur’an for Ramadan. I will be tweeting @islamoyankee. To see how the call has (not) evolved, here are the six call outs: 2009 Windsor Star Article 2010 (despite the title, which says 2011) 2011 USA Today Article 2012 2013 Storify (including press stories) 2014 A piece I did on Immanent Frame The Background [from the 2009…

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Books

Hajj: The Pilgrimage | The Practice of Islam in America

Hajj: The Pilgrimage | The Practice of Islam in America. “Hajj: The Pilgrimage”   by Hussein Rashid   Chapter Summary   This chapter takes us on a journey to Mecca, site of the hajj, or annual pilgrimage. Hussein Rashid depicts this often once-in-a-lifetime experience for several Muslim Americans who represent a wide variety of ethnic, racial, and sectarian backgrounds. We learn about the pilgrimages of Khizer, a health care professional from Washington, D.C.; Zahra, an attorney from California; Debra, a college professor from Wisconsin; Suehaila, a professional recruiter from Dearborn, Michigan; and other Muslim Americans. They walk counter-clockwise around the Ka‘ba; pray outside…

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Current Affairs

Rikers: An American Jail

There is a new film on Rikers, called Rikers: An American Jail, and I’m quoted in the interfaith discussion guide. As a Muslim, when I hear about prison, I think to the Story of Joseph, told in Chapter 12 of the Qur’an: are we punishing difference, rather than actions, and putting the innocent in jail? Do we seek to turn people to repentance, or are we fulfilling our needs for revenge? One of the clear commandments in the Qur’an is to maintain the balance of justice, and to not give into our own desires and call it justice (55:9, 4:135).…

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Inter-faith

G?D TALK: A Shabbat Potluck Dinner Series – “Hospitality” | Romemu

G?D TALK: A Shabbat Potluck Dinner Series – “Hospitality” | Romemu. G?d Talk Potluck Shabbat Dinner: “Hospitality” from Muslim, Jewish and Christian Perspectives  Friday, May 12th, after services, 8:15PM, but you MUST register Led by Rev. Eleanor, Rabbi Jill Hammer, and guests Dr. Hussein Rashid and Rebekah Forni  Tonight we explore the topic of “Hospitality” from biblical, theological and social perspectives with speakers from Muslim, Jewish, and Christian traditions, including Dr. Hussein Rashid, Rebekah Forni, and Rabbi Jill Hammer.

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