America's Other Muslims

American Muslim Revivalist and son of the original Nation of Islam leader, Imam W.D. Mohammed (1933–2008) made a substantial contribution to the intellectual, spiritual, and philosophical thought of American Muslims. Yet his role in America’s oldest Muslim community has received little attention in the contemporary context. In his new book America’s Other Muslims: Imam W.D. Mohammed, Islamic Reform, and the Making of American Islam, Muhammad Fraser-Rahim explores the story of Imam W.D. Muhammad and details the intersection of the Africana experience and its encounter with race, religion, and Islamic reform that it encapsulates. Fraser-Rahim argues that his interpretations of Islam were not only American – they were also modern and responded to global trends in Islamic thought.

Muhammad Fraser-Rahim is the executive director of Quilliam International and an assistant professor at the Citadel, in addition to being the author of America’s Other Muslims. Prior to his current role, he served as a Senior Program Officer at the U.S. Institute of Peace, where he led their Horn of Africa program and served as an expert on violent extremism issues globally. He earned his Ph.D. in 2017 from Howard University in African Studies, with a focus on Islamic thought and on violent extremism issues.

Follow the conversation online using #OtherMuslims and following @NewAmericaISP.

Participant:

Muhammad Fraser-Rahim, @mfraserrahim
Author, America’s Other Muslims
Executive Director, Qulliam International

Moderator:

Peter Bergen, @PeterBergenCNN
Vice President, New America