Muslims in America
|
Source: Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream, Pew Research Center.
Jurassic 5 - Alternative Hip-Hop GroupBased in Los Angeles, CA, Jurassic 5 was a six-piece alternative hip-hop group, formed in 1993. The members consisted of rappers Charles Stewart (Chali 2na), Dante Givens (Akil), Courtenay Henderson (Zaakir), Marc Stuart (Mark 7even), and DJ's Mark Potsic (DJ Nu-Mark) and Lucas Macfadden (Cut Chemist).
Islam has been a great influence in hip-hop, from its beginnings in African traditional music and jazz to the old school hip-hop of the 80's and 90's and the music of today. In the song "Contribution", the members rap about the challenges of living under unfortunate circumstances and fighting your way through, asking their listeners, "What's your contribution to life?" "look, we don't have all the answers, we're victims also
to the same situations but man plans and Allah plans and Allah is the best of planners so what's your contribution to life?" |
Ali Ardekani - Comedian"Never saw myself as a Muslim comedian because comedians were always known to lie to make people laugh. So I decided to be different and wanted to do Muslim Comedy without lying. Thus, I don't mock Islam, or other religions, or even people. Instead, I base my comedy on the funny things we go through. On stage, I just act like myself and try to share those experiences."
Baba Ali, born Ali Ardekani, started a YouTube blog that, in just the span of a year, launched him into the spotlight as an internet celebrity and Muslim personality. At 20 years of age, Ali converted to Islam despite the disapproval of his family, who as a result disinherited him. He says, "My goal with my comedy is to dispel the misconceptions among not only non-Muslims, but with Muslims as well". He is known for his web series, "Reminder", and is currently in the process of writing a full-length film.
Source: http://www.muslimcomedian.com/ |
|
Watch Islam and identity on PBS. See more from Faces of America. |
Dr. Oz - Surgeon, Television PersonalityMehmet Oz, a Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon, is well known for his TV show, The Dr. Oz Show, a medical program talking about health issues and advice. His television career began with his 2004 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was swiftly followed by many other appearances on various TV programs.
Dr. Oz received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University, eventually obtaining both an M.D. and M.B.A. at the same time from the University of Pennsylvania. Growing up, he was largely influenced by the ideas of Sufism. In the PBS video to the left, he talks about religion in Turkey and how his Muslim faith has affected how he viewed his life and the surrounding world. Sources: http://www.doctoroz.com/, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/video/islam-and-identity/140/ |