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AMERICAN MUSLIMS is a six-part documentary series exploring the untold history of Muslims in the United States.
NOMINEE, BEST VIDEO DOCUMENTARY - Webby Award | PBS Digital Channels - 3M views | "Highly watchable" - Hyperallergic Magazine
Race, Religion, and Nationality • Religious Pluralism • Religious Freedom • Slavery and Freedom • Civil War • Ethnicity, Race, and Migration • Great Migration • Civil Rights • Gender • Colonialism
Date of Completion: 2024 | Run Time: 22 minutes | Language: English | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript & Discussion Guide | Executive Producers: Maytha Alhassen & Zaheer Ali | Executive Producer & Project Lead: Graham Judd | Senior Producer & Lead Writer: Mafaz Al-Suwaidan | Editor & Writer: Beyza Boyacioglu | Co-Producer & Lead Researcher: Zehra Rehman
Muslims have played a significant role in every pivotal moment of American history, including the Civil War. Malika Bilal, a Senior Presenter at Al Jazeera English, shares the recently uncovered story of Mohammad Kahn, an immigrant from Afghanistan who arrived in the United States in 1861. He fought in the Union Army and left behind a 200-page pension file that documents his experiences. As Malika pieces together Kahn's story, she also uncovers the narratives of other Muslims involved in the conflict. These include Nicholas Said, an African immigrant who served in the United States Colored Troops, and a senior Tunisian official who wrote to the U.S. government in 1864, urging them to abolish slavery. This letter was delivered to Senator Charles Sumner, a prominent abolitionist, who referenced Islam in his speeches on the Senate floor. Featuring readings by Farshad Farahat (Argo, The Terminal List).
Hyperallergic Magazine | Best Films of 2024
"These six short documentary films tell unlikely stories about being Muslim in the United States … This series may shift some of your thinking about the history of diversity in this country — it’s longer, for instance, than you might think — and new revelations finally allow a fuller story to be told. Highly watchable.”
Indiana University, Indianapolis | Edward E. Curtis IV, Professor, William M. and Gail M. Plater Chair of the Liberal Arts; Director, Arabic and Islamic Studies
"An unprecedented effort to understand the meaning of Muslim Americans for our shared history, informed by meticulous and pioneering research, this beautifully rendered documentary series is an invaluable resource for educators and for all Americans devoted to a more truthful account of our collective past."
Temple University | Zain Abdullah, Associate Professor Emeritus, Religion & Society and Islamic Studies
“Few documentaries connect scholarship and storytelling as effectively as American Muslims: A History Revealed. Its cinematic approach and historical rigor make it an invaluable classroom tool for sparking critical conversations about freedom, faith, and identity in America.”
Johns Hopkins University | Naveeda Khan, Professor, Anthropology with affiliation to Islamic Studies
“What a joy it is to watch a show of such high production value that puts Muslims front and center in U.S. history from its early days to our present, with well-researched stories told so engagingly. I was gripped by “American Muslims.”
David Ludden, Professor of History Emeritus, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania
“The hardest thing for any teacher of world history is to bring the wider world of cultural diversity into American History. "American Muslims" does that with a poignant, detailed personal intimacy that makes my heart sing.”
Rutgers University-Newark | Alex Dika Seggerman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Art History, Department of Arts, Culture and Media
“This groundbreaking series visualizes the little-known but vitally important history of Islam in the United States in the accessible and engaging format of documentary television. It will be an indispensable resource for educators worldwide.”
Mohammed VI Polytechnique University | Wendell Marsh, Associate Professor of African Literature and Philosophy
"Even before the founding of the United States, Muslims have been present, but their presence has gone overlooked, ignored, and hidden. “American Muslims” reveals this history through moving stories, inviting images, and stunning production quality. It is a must for the classroom."
AWARDS
Nominee, Video & Film - Documentary | Webby Award
Nominee, Video & Film - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging | Webby Award
FESTIVALS
Tasveer Film Festival