Faces of Faith

"There is no shortage of discussion about what is wrong with Muslims and the Islamic world these days. From our perspective, it is also important to take time to acknowledge the good that comes from Muslims inspired by their faith," says an article, entitled "Shaping Islam in America: 10 Young Muslim Visionaries," in the latest issue of the Islamica Magazine.

An apologetic argument? I wondered. Why should Muslims always assume a burden of proving their innocence? Why reinforce the presumption of Muslim guilt before innocence?

But despite the problematic introduction of this article, I liked their stated objective: "... to bring attention to the extraordinary efforts of [these] individuals who deserve widespread attention from the community, the media and anyone interested in where Islam in America is headed." That is something our communities need to do alot. Among other things, such efforts highlight possibilities and role models for the community and encourage the members to aspire for the same. I appreciate this effort by the Islamica Magazine.

These individuals come from various backgrounds and occupations. They may even have different preferences and approaches to social issues. But their common denominator is their faith, initiative, and leadership.

Check out their profiles here. I like their individual titles:

Saafir Rabb - The Community Re-builder

Mansur Khan - The Healer

Zarqa Nawaz - The Director

Farhana Khera - The Advocate

Shahed Amanullah - The Information Entrepreneur

Rami Nashashibi - The Activist

Murad Kalam - The Novelist

Manal Omar - The Humanitarian

Eboo Patel - The Bridge Builder

Omar Amanat - The Philanthropist