Description
Colleagues Zachary Markwith (43) and Maha Elgenaidi [no age given] discuss their conversion to Islam, their experiences following 9/11, and the interconnectedness of different religious communities.Subject Log / Time Code
Maha (M) describes herself as a Muslim-American. She says she is the executive director of Islamic Network Group (ING).
Zachary (Z) says he is also Muslim-American.
M says she was born in Cairo, Egypt and later moved to the United States as a kid. M describes living in many states across the United States.
M says she grew up in a very secular family. She says she did not develop a deep interest in religion until she was much older. M says doing interfaith work comes easily to her.
Z recalls reading several religious texts when he was a young adult. Z says when he delved deeper into the Quran, he found it integrated wisdom from both the East and the West. Z says he completed his doctorate in religious studies and also practiced "lived faith," improving his relationship with his parents and working with teachers.
Z recalls his parents' reaction when he converted to Islam.
M say she resonates with being a convert because she grew up in a secular home and did not become a practicing Muslim until later in life. She says after reading the Quran she saw how far the religion was from the stereotypes the media portrayed. M says she was inspired to go out and teach others what Islam really is and that led to the creating of ING.
Z and M discuss how faith is really about one's relationship to God.
Z describes his family's reaction to 9/11.
M says that in addition to dealing with hate crimes, many Muslim-Americans did not have the opportunity to grieve and process the events of 9/11. M recalls the many leaders across different communities who stood up to support the Muslim community.
Z says the Islam being represented in the media after 9/11 was not the Islam that he had come to know.
M says her interfaith work has show her that many religious communities are demonized and villainized. Z talks about how interlinked communities are.
Participants
- Zachary Markwith
- Maha Elgenaidi