By Camille Taylor
February is Black History Month.
It grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.
So, what is the relationship between Black History Month and Open Mosque Day, which was an event I attended in Bloomington two weeks ago at the Masjid-Ibrahim Mosque? Black History Month highlights the achievements and contributions of black people. One of the first handouts I received at the mosque was a laminated card with pictures and short bios of Muslims who have contributed to our society.
People like Muhammad Ali and US Congressman Keith Ellison were featured. Others included Muslim physicians, those serving in the military, first responders, engineers, and entertainers. Did you know that on 9/11 Muslim firefighters, police officers, and EMTs rushed to save the lives of their fellow Americans? Did you know that NBA players Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul Jabbarare Muslim? Did you know a Muslim named Fazlur Rahman Khan, designed and engineered the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower)?
Did you know that 30% of the slaves brought to America were Muslims? Education is key to fighting ignorance, and Open Mosque Day provided a lot of information I was hoping to learn. Recently, a Pew research report indicated Islam, which is the name of the religion of Muslims, is the fasting growing religion in the world. Currently Christianity has about 2.2 billion followers, and Islam is second with about 1.6 billion. The report indicates that by 2050 it will equal Christianity in numbers.
I left the Mosque learning that Islam had multiple similarities to Christianity such as belief in one God, a belief in a day of resurrection and judgment, the story of Adam and Eve, and the inclusion of multiple verses of scripture being found both in the Bible and the Quran. Seven million Muslims live in the US and are well established within communities working as doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. There are 250 Muslim families in Bloomington/Normal, and they want the same things most residents want; good schools, a good place to raise their families, and a place to worship. Interest in Open Mosque Day was so strong that the Mosque wasn’t large enough to accommodate everyone. Future events are planned, and I hope that people will take advantage of these opportunities to learn the history of fellow Americans.
Camille Taylor, a retired Counselor from Normal Community High School, has been an educator in this community for 34 years. She is active in the community currently serving as a church elder and board member for both the Baby Fold and the YWCA. She has been recognized by the YWCA as a Woman of Distinction for education, a Martin Luther King Jr. award winner for the City of Bloomington, a Distinguished Alumni by the College of Education at Illinois State University, a Human and Civil Rights award winner for the Illinois Education Association, and the H.Councill Trenholm Award recipient from the National Education Association for her work with diversity. She lives in Bloomington with her husband, Arthur, and is a mother and grandmother.
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