Is This One of America’s First Mosques? | American Muslims: A History Revealed

Among the millions of immigrants arriving in the United States at the turn of the 20th century were thousands of Muslims from Lebanon, then part of Greater Syria. In this film, host Aymann Ismail tells the story of two of these people, a woman named Mary Juma and her husband Hassen who homesteaded in North Dakota in the early 1900s. Traveling across the Midwest, Aymann explores how the community that Mary and Hassen founded constructed one of the first purpose-built mosques in the country, keeping their traditions alive while creating a new identity on the American frontier.

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American Muslims: A History Revealed
A series of six short documentary films that reveal and explore the early history of Muslims in America. The series is hosted by three leading American Muslim journalists: Malika Bilal, Aymann Ismail, and Asma Khalid. Over the course of the series, they travel the country to piece together stories spanning over 200 years. from the first Muslims to arrive as enslaved people from Africa to the establishment of early South Asian, Syrian-Lebanese, and Black American Muslim communities. The series weaves key moments in U.S. history with the unexpected but essential story threads of Muslims whose lived experiences offer us new insight into how race, religion, and nationality are intertwined in the American fabric. Actors reading the part of historical characters include Hiam Abbas, David Rasche, Kamal Khan, and Faarshad Farahat.

[JenniferAycock-]

Very appreciative of this new series; I'm pairing it with readings from Sylviane Diouf's Servants of Allah for a General Education religion course. Looking forward to each episode and my students will value this!

[deemorgan]

North Dakota is one of the closest windiest states...compared to the Mediterranean climate of most the Middle East has...no olives, grapes or citrus groves here!
Strong determined folks!
Dee

[aaronmccright]

I believe the first sole-purpose mosque in the USA is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

[jadeCeladon]

I wish there was an Arab American month so young children can learn about these histories, just like Black History month.

[andersonic]

I love the life story of Zarif Khan, the Pakistani immigrant who became the tamale king of Sheridan WY. And he too had his American citizenship challenged more than once.

[SullyAfgarshe]

I wish you would have mentioned the fact that among the slaves brought to America, a sizable percentage were Muslim…

That always gets overlooked and hardly talked about

The focus on Muslims tends to revolve around Arab Muslims, partly due to history, America’s involvement in the Middle East, their prevalence in some cities, and the media’s inherent bias towards Islam

It’s a complicated history that needs to be talked about and I applaud you for bringing history to light