ReSight Islam: Advancing Religious Literacy
A well-meaning friend recently asked, “Why did you start a podcast on Islam?” He further remarked, “I mean, Muslims comprise only 1 percent of the U.S. population. Aren’t you limiting your market potential? Seems like a hard sell.”
“What is your identity?” I responded.
Unsure of what my response had to do with his question, he asked me to elaborate. So, I asked him, as I ask you now while reading this, to reflect on your identity for a moment. As you reflect, imagine if your fellow Americans pointed to you and your identity as the most feared identity in America. No, not fear like an opponent facing Michael Jordan in the NBA Finals. But fear as in — you scare me, and I will avoid you in public, at work, or in any social setting at all costs.
In 2016, a Chapman University study concluded that American Muslims are the single most feared demographic in America. Not merely low approval, not merely misunderstood — but feared. As an American Muslim, as an attorney, and most importantly as a husband and father, I find the thought that my wife or three small children could strike fear into my fellow Americans painful. After all, fear not only entails social or professional exclusion, but also invites violence.
Fear has consequences. Right now, American Muslims are suffering record highs in hate crimes and instances of discrimination. The ACLU reports that since the summer of 2016, more than 250 mosques in America have been attacked, targeted, vandalized, fired upon, or fire-bombed. That’s roughly 10 percent of mosques in America. Although Muslims have been in America since before America, we’re still largely seen as an immigrant demographic. Accordingly, the so-called “Muslim Ban” and this administration’s incessant anti-immigrant rhetoric, policies, and actions have exacerbated that fear.
The founder of my faith organization, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community,is a man named Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Messiah and Mahdi. He coined a term more than a century ago to combat misinformation, hate, and fear: “jihad of the pen.” He argued that violence has no place in civil discourse or in the progress of any faith, community, or nation. “That religion which makes up for its weakness in argument with the sword,” he wrote, “needs no other proof of its falsification. The sword it wields slays its own throat before reaching others.” Beyond religion, this wisdom applies to the weakness of any ideology or political view that one feels necessary to compel with brute force rather than argument and negotiation.
I recall reading this quote for the first time as a young teen and feeling mesmerized and emboldened. We don’t combat fear with force; we combat fear with compassion, logic, and honesty. In that spirit, I created and launched the @ReSightIslam podcast in August in partnership with the Religion News Foundation (RNF). We focused not only on Muslims, but also more broadly on the American public. RNF is a 501(c)3 with a stated mission of advancing religious literacy, and @ReSightIslam seeks to advance that mission exactly with regard to Islam in America. Taking a page out of the writings of the Messiah Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, this was our “Jihad of the Pod.”
Early signs indicate we are well on our way to fulfilling our mission. We’ve consistently ranked as the #1 Islam Podcast in America. We’re getting inspiring feedback and support from our fellow Christians, Jews, and agnostics and atheists. Not long after we launched, a woman named Lacey tweeted me, “All I ever learned about Islam came from American Family Radio [and] far right pastors. Honestly, they had me scared of Muslims. Lately, I’ve been listening to @ReSightIslam w/@MuslimIQ [Qasim Rashid]. Like most things, AFR was wrong. Turns out there’s a lot of beauty in Islam. Give it a listen!” Another listener, Jasper, tweeted us, “It’s amazing guys. I am an atheist but enjoy each moment of your podcast. Gives me a great insight in the real meaning of Islam.”
Our podcast isn’t here to convert you; it’s here to convey a story that too few have heard. And that’s why our listener base is spread out across faith groups and more than 70 countries worldwide, already. We cover critical topics like upholding racial justice, combating misogyny and sexual abuse, and protecting economic justice. We’re trying to break down walls of fear and build bridges of understanding.
I don’t want to live in a world where people fear me, my children, or my wife. I hope together we can break bread together and combat fear with compassion and education. Thanks for joining our Jihad of the Pod.
Qasim Rashid is the creater of the @ReSightIslam Podcast, a national spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, and a Security Fellow with Truman National Security Project. Follow him on Twitter @MuslimIQ.
