The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Jack Pan

Harvard Divinity School
North Carolina's Triangle Area Islamic Centers

Muslim Americans represent a growing population in the "Research Triangle" region, which encompasses the cities of Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, of North Carolina. My research seeks to foster greater understanding of that growing community, and to specify the various racial and cultural delineations within that community; moreover, the paper will discuss how the leaders of each Islamic Center have dealt with the issues of interfaith dialogue, 9/11, and the war in Iraq.

Structurally, the paper will begin by addressing the history of Masjid Ar-Razzaq, from its beginnings as a chapter under the Nation of Islam to its current standings as a member of the American Society of Muslims. Then, the paper will discuss the growing schism between the predominately native African American congregants of Masjid Tawheed wa Sunnah, which was only formed last year, and the predominately Middle Eastern immigrant congregants of Jamaat Ibad Ar-Rahman. More specifically, the paper will differentiate the various structural and motivational backgrounds of each mosque relative to how it handles pre- and post-9/11 interfaith dialogue, backlash against Muslims in the wake of 9/11, and philosophies regarding the war in Iraq. Lastly, the paper will catalog the reasons each mosque provided for refusing federal funds mandated under the Faith Based and Community Initiatives executive order, and analyze the effectiveness of FBCI in light of the discourse among Muslim Americans in North Carolina's "Research Triangle."

Ar-Razzaq Islamic Center (2006)

Masjid Tawheed was Sunnah (2006)