Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Sunday, August 21, 2011
I'm delighted to see the Denver Post step up its coverage of the Muslim community in Colorado. The 3-day series "Muslims in America" by Eric Gorski chronicles the experience of Somali Muslim refugees in Fort Morgan and the impact of 9/11 a decade after. A quick look at the comments section online validates why this kind of reporting is much warranted. (it's amazing to me how someone can link Roe v. Wade to Somali refugees in Colorado). I believe most DP readers will appreciate the nuanced realities of Muslims in their state. I wish these features could continue throughout the year to lift the veil of secrecy that often shrouds Muslim communities and their places of worship in America. We're excited that the Center for Media, Religion and Culture and the Center for Asian Studies at the University of Colorado will be revealing their website on Muslims in the Mountain West in September. We'll be featuring podcasts, stories, profiles, and a rich archive of old articles on Islam in the West. In the Spring of 2012, we will host a mobile multimedia installation in Denver to showcase the findings of our research through video, audio and text narratives.
I was born and raised in Morocco. My research focuses on the intersections between Islam, Arab popular culture and the media. I'm currently an assistant professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Colorado-Boulder.