The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The contribution of Muslims to American culture was the focus of a exhibition held January 12 at the Franklin Township Library’s main branch on DeMott Lane.
The displays, which lined the library’s Community Room, were supplied by the Washington, D.C.-based America’s Islamic Heritage Museum.
The event was one of four Islamic heritage events held at the library in honor of Muslim Heritage Month, which were planned by the Franklin Township Muslim Heritage Month Coalition, according to member Sara Kharazi-Didehvar.
More than 100 people stopped by the one-day exhibit, Kharazi-Didehvar said.
“These are statewide initiatives, these events that are happening at the schools, at the libraries, at different centers where we are talking about the Muslim heritage, about different Muslim authors, about different Muslim athletes, and trying to educate the community about all the different work that Muslims have done over the years and are currently doing also in our different towns,” she said. “And today we have brought the America’s Islamic Heritage Museum here and they are talking about the Islamic heritage over the years.”
The Coalition’s mission, Kharazi-Didehvar said, “is to strive to foster the understanding, appreciation and unity among diverse communities by organizing events, initiatives and educational programs that highlight the diverse tapestry of Muslim heritage. We aim to build bridges of mutual respect, breaking down stereotypes and promoting a more inclusive and interconnected society.”
Amir Muhammad, the museum’s president and curator, said the exhibition is important because, “It’s very important to help the American society realize that Muslims are part of the American fabric. It shows that we have made contributions in the military, as mayors, as lieutenant governors, the total involvement.”
“We have a lot of people in America know about Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, but it has grown,” he said. “This shows the diversity, and it helps the other Muslims to understand their contributions that they have made in our society.”
“New Jersey is the first state to acknowledge America’s Islamic Heritage Month,” Muhammad said. “Washington, D.C. has been doing Washington Islamic Heritage Month for 20 years, but it’s not a state, and Virginia’s starting to recognize.”
Samina Sattar, a member of the coalition, said the event was, “a really important educational opportunity for the Muslim community in Franklin, but also for the non-Muslim community and our broader community, because it’s sort of showing us who we are, what’s the history of the different communities in America.”
“And the Muslim community is very diverse, especially here in Franklin,” she said. “So to me, it’s representing the mix of community members that make up Franklin and also showing the history of Muslims in America; how long we’ve been here and how we’ve contributed to society as well.”
The next event in the series, a tatreez class entitled, “Threads of Resilience,” is set for 1:30-3:30 p.m. on January 19.
Tatreez is Palestinian embroidery, where every design combines to tell a story.
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