by Maurice Hines An elder once told me that back in the 1960s and 1970s, the Black community regarded its Muslims as the big brother who stood up to the bully. Whenever white supremacist ideologues tried to back Black folks into a corner, the Black community
by Su’ad Abdul Khabeer I did not grow up commemorating Muharram. And not for reasons I have read from others; I wasn't raised to be a Shi’a-hating Sunni nor was my Sunni family sublimating the significance of Karbala. I did not grow up commemorating Muharram as
In October 2016, Next Wave Muslim Initiative (NWMI) hosted a panel titled "Faith in Action: At the Intersection of Islam, Race, and #BlackLivesMatter". It was held at the renowned Busboys & Poets Restaurant in Washington, DC. Moderated by Saafir Rabb II, the panel included notable guests Donna
Def Poetry Jam alum Amir Sulaiman's portfolio is replete with fathomless and Divinely-inspired works of lyrical art that we here at Sapelo Square have been a fan of for years. This piece from 2010 titled "I Love You More" is one of our favorites, wherein
In 2013, a group of hip-hop artists in the Bay Area came together with Shaykh Hashim Ali Alauddeen to record and produce the "Karbala Mixtape, Volume 1". This project aimed to call grassroots and underground lyricists and creatives back to putting relevant messages in their
by Brother Adibudeen The battle of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam Hussain ibn Ali in 680 CE is often exclusively viewed as a Shia issue. Every year millions of Shia Muslims remember the events at Karbala that took place on Ashura (the 10th day of
by Hope Copeland “Labbayk Ya Husayn! Labbayk Ya Husayn! Labbayk Ya Husayn!” That is the cry often heard from the lovers of the Family of the Prophetic Household (ahl al-bayt) of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessing be upon him). What does it mean?
Sapelo Square founder and Editor-In-Chief Dr. Su’ad Abdul Khabeer continued the tour for her amazing work “Muslim Cool: Race, Religion, and Hip Hop in the United States” stopping in Los Angeles, CA at the University of Southern California. In addition to selected readings from the
