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 rea... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Sunday, April 3, 2011,
As I was watching CNN's Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door recently, I couldn't help thinking about another way of deploying the media to build bridges across communities. CNN's special report was obviously meant to highlight a deep rupture at the heart of a community divided on whether a bigger mosque should be built in their town in Tennessee. This got me thinking about a documentary about a similar issue in New Jersey, but this time instead of making discord and tension the driving force beh... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Wednesday, December 15, 2010,
Below is the video of the last panel discussion we organized for the Muslims in the Mountain West project. A few minutes into the video you can watch the trailer for our upcoming documentary, "Muslims in the Rockies"
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Monday, December 13, 2010,
I used to think that it's better not to dignify nonsensical ranting with a comment, but it's become clear that more and more people believe the half-baked truths of populist provocateurs such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. In this media age of fact-free commentaries, It's important to challenge all claims, no matter how fatuous they are, and particularly coming from people whose sole purpose is to stoke more fear and drum up the ratings of their shows. Last week, Beck made an outlandish es... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Friday, October 1, 2010,
Here is a very strong statement against the use of violence and intimidation signed by many American and Canadian Muslims. Please refer to this (and there have been many denunciations of violence by Muslims before and after 9/11; they're just not as dramatic and spectacular to write about in the media) when you find yourself asking that perennial question: where are moderate Muslims?
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Monday, July 19, 2010,
The Egyptian teleIslamist Amr Khaled has paved the way for charismatic and image-savvy imams to prosper on television. Now Malaysian television has turned imamhood into a popular talent tv show. Imam Muda (Young Imam) features 10 aspiring imams (clerics) who compete in a typical reality tv fashion to become Malaysia's imam with the strongest youth appeal. Contestants are tested on their knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and asked for fresh ideas to revert the social and cultural "decadence" ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Thursday, March 11, 2010,
Here is an interesting request from Maureen Dowd who wants the Saudis to open up Medina and Mecca's holy sites to non-Muslims. Tough times call indeed for radical measures, and this is probably one measure Muslims should debate more seriously. This could help at a time of a sharp image crisis to bridge an important gap between Muslims and non-Muslims, particularly for those with a dying curiosity to learn more about Islam. As Dowd said, "In the end, I did see the hajj. When I got home, I went... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Monday, February 22, 2010,
Here is an interesting article in today's edition of the Washington Post about what language to use for Juma' (Friday) prayer in American mosques. I don't understand why this should still be an issue. If the point of sermons is to help people reflect, then why do they have to be in a language most don't understand and are only attached to symbolically? This got to be one of the reasons many see the Juma' sermon as a mechanical ritual instead of an inspiring and uplifting experience.
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Tuesday, February 16, 2010,
I've devoted this blog to revealing new and for the most part promising trends in Muslim media in the hope of challenging the reductionist views some in the West hold of the contemporary Muslim world. I know that for some people these voices don't matter much in the face of a violent extremism that shows no regard for human life and respect for dialogue. But this attitude is precisely what keeps these progressive voices from making a bigger difference in their communities because we think of ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Friday, February 12, 2010,
Here is a story we seldom heard anywhere. After a talk I gave this past Saturday in Carbondale, Colorado about who speaks for Islam, I was approached by a fascinating photographer, Norman Gershman, whose work has been featured in the United Nations and well-known museums around the world. His latest exhibit and book are about Muslim Albanians and Kosovars who provided shelter to Jewish families at grave peril to themselves during WWII. I've been reading the book, Besa: Muslims who Saved Jews ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Friday, December 25, 2009,
For those of you who understand French, you'll find this video of Tariq Ramadan speaking to the parliamentary commission on the burqa quite interesting. He told the 32 members (from both the right and left) of the commission that France was skirting the main problems it has with Muslims by focusing on extreme cases like wearing the burqa. This commission, Ramadan said, would be more productive if it tackled real problems of structural racism and social inequalities in France's suburbs. The ma... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Tuesday, June 9, 2009,
In a surprising statement this last weekend, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he fully agrees with Barack Obama that Muslim veiling is a right each country must respect. Coming from the leader of a country that has instituted a ban on wearing visible religious symbols (the veil being the prime target here) in public offices, this is quite intriguing. "In France, every young girl who wants to wear the veil can do it. It's her freedom," said Sarkozy citing some limitations in a secular (la... Continue reading ...
Posted by Nabil Echchaibi on Thursday, February 26, 2009,
Senator John Kerry is holding hearings on "Engaging with Muslim Communities around the World" today at the Senate. I wholeheartedly support initiatives like these and I command the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee for taking such an important step. I hope, however, this initiative will be different from the ill-conceived public diplomacy of the Bush administration which produced media fiascos like Radio Sawa in the Arab world, Radio Farda in Iran, Hi Magazine in the Middle East, and th... Continue reading ...
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.
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.
