"And then they came for me."
-Sabri Benkahla
When it comes to the conversation of Islam in America, it can sometimes feel like having a debate where both parties talk over one another, dive into the shallow end of the topic and leave thinking they’ve proved their points—trophies for all.
This self-perpetuating social filter bubble of sorts absolves accountability and fogs up facts—it clouds up the reality of what many Muslim communities in America have actually gone through and are going through.
No place has had it worse than Dar Al-Hijrah, a northern Virginia mosque that sits right outside the nation’s capital. First there was peace. Then there was 9/11. And then there was terror.
This is the story of how one mosque and its community has spent the past 15 years at the intersection of faith, terrorism and liberty.
Show Notes:
56. More at thisissomenoise.com
“Brother, you don’t eat pork do you?” -Man with wine
About:
New York. St. Cloud. Orlando. San Bernardino. Chattanooga. Garland. Boston. Fort Hood. Brussels. Paris. Nice. Kabul. Baghdad. Quetta. Lahore. Istanbul.
It’s difficult to remember what life was like before any of these recent attacks, when there was no YouTube or Twitter and when the Twin Towers were still part of New York City’s skyline.
There wasn’t too much cause for concern about being named Muhammad, wearing a hijab or simply practicing the faith. But times change. Now, two months away from Election Day, a presidential candidate who supports the racial profiling of Muslims and banning their entry into the country is in real contention to be the next Commander-In-Chief.
But before any of that, the vitriol and hate, the radicalization and endless news cycles, the color-coded threat levels and social media jihad, there was a simpler version of Islam in America. In this episode, we dive into what life was like for Muslims around a northern Virginia mosque just eight stoplights away from the Pentagon.
Show Notes:
"You just go again tomorrow."
-Stuart Vorpahl
Stuart Vorpahl is a lifelong commercial fisherman who took pride in providing the fresh produce of the sea. Stuart liked his job. He liked it so much that when regulation and politics threatened it, he ignored the old sayings and squared up against town hall.
On the surface, it might seem as if Stuart was just really passionate about fishing, and he was. But his fight was about something bigger.
We continue the second part of Stuart Vorpahl’s story—how a commercial fisherman in the Hamptons took on the New York State over his right to fish with a 17th century document from the King of England.
Show Notes:
[55:30] “Suzy Textile” by Blue Dot Sessions
