The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Kambiz GhaneaBassiri

Reed College
Portland Muslim History Project

This project proposes to narrate the history of Muslim built communities in Portland, Oregon. It aims to describe in detail how the Islamic tradition was rooted within the built environment of a local American context. The assumption underlying the project is that both Islam and the concept of religion in America are dynamic phenomena; they are best understood, not as essential categories or idea systems, but as beliefs and practices that are shaped in relation to the changing historical contexts in which they are lived. As such, the project is more concerned with praxis than thought. It aims to explore how Muslims have built an actual American Muslim community rather than to study their ideal conceptions of such a community. The project is also more concerned with communal rather than individual practice. It seeks to discover the resources and strategies used by Muslims to participate in American public life rather than explain how American Muslims practice their faith in private.

Center Profiles

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (2006)

Bilal Masjid (2006)

Bosnian Cultural and Education Center (2005)

Islamic Center of Portland (2006)

Islamic Center of Southwest Washington and Masjid Al-Noor (2005)

Masjed as-Sabr
The Islamic Center of Portland (2006)

Muslim Community Center of Portland (2006)