Although it seems that Arab presence in America is recent, Dr. Hussein Rashid would argue to the contrary. In his lecture, “Everyday Art: the Islamic Contribution on American Arts,” Rashid argues that America has a long tradition of Islamic influence in art and culture.
Rashid’s lecture Thursday afternoon focused around the portrayal and significance of Islam in architecture, graphic art, literary art, television and music.
Fatima Hassan Ali, public relations for Aga Khan Council of Northern Texas, explained that the purpose of these lectures is to “engage” and “educate” non-Muslim audiences about Islamic topics.
“[Islamic influences in art] are political statements . . . an expression of multiple identities, of being American and of being Muslim. Being Muslim-American is not a disconnect, but rather a long and rich tradition,” Rashid said.
In architecture, Rashid pointed out several examples of American buildings that possess Islamic motifs, including churches, temples, movie theaters and even the Twin Towers.
Graphic art, specifically graphic novels, are beginning to mainstream characters of Muslim heritage.
Marvel’s X-Men series, known for being progressive in dealing with social issues, now has a set of Muslim characters including an Afghan girl who controls sand. Graphic artist Willow Wilson is gaining notoriety for her graphic novel, Cairo, detailing unrelated stories that become intertwined in the title’s city.
Regarding television, Rashid said that CBS’ NCIS in particular portrays Muslim characters in an unusual but effective manner through the character Ziva David, a former Mossad agent and expat from Israel.
Rashid applauds television shows for discussing what it means to be Muslim-American.
“The night news hours is no longer where people get informed… the things that tie people together are primetime watercolor shows,” he said.
Some of Rashid’s academic interests lie in the Islamic influence on some types of American music. He explained that Islam has had a presence in America dating back to the introduction of slavery.
Rashid argues that many of the slaves are suspected to have been Muslim and converted upon arriving in America. Despite the culture change, components of this “cultural memory” present themselves in the music elements of blues, hip hop and R&B. Rashid connects slave spirituals to Koran recitations, noting the similarities in scales, harmony and other musical aspects.
This lecture is the second program that Perkins School of Theology has done in coordination with the Aga Khan Council of Northern Texas.
