Zeyba Rahman and Linda Artola from the Building Bridges Program contributed insights on prejudice and discrimination affecting American Muslim communities and the importance of effective allyship in an educational panel hosted by Community Tampa Bay.
In the third installment of Pathways to Understanding, a virtual educational series hosted by Community Tampa Bay, Zeyba Rahman and Linda Artola, program director and program associate for Building Bridges at the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, discussed specific steps to disrupt stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination affecting American Muslim communities.
When asked about examples of effective allyship, Rahman noted: “I can think of so many examples, but again, it’s hard to choose. I would say one that is particularly moving is the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, which is a cross-community initiative – but it also includes members of the Muslim community from different backgrounds, ethnicities and races –, and I noticed that there is more cooperation and allyship within the Muslim community, particularly between women, which is something that was initially an issue...”
The panel discussion was hosted by Ana Alhoud, adult education lead for Community Tampa Bay, and included additional insights from Thania Clevenger, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) chief operating officer, and Mirna Abu, community organizer.