Migrations of Islam (هجرات الإسلام)

One of the defining events in the history of Islam came in the year 622, when the prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina. That event, known as the “hijra” or migration, continues to serve as the starting point for the historic establishment of Muslim communities around the world, and as a metaphor for the movement across time and space of the many cultures of Islam. From October 2011 to May 2012, a series of public performances were held in Michigan to explore the different ways that Muslims in the U.S. have negotiated the relationship between their faith and society. The result was an extended dialog with Muslim Americans on a range of issues, from the wearing of a hijab to the making of hip-hop music. These young Muslim-Americans challenge Islamophobia and pose questions to Muslim communities. Positioned against the extremes of anti-Muslim rhetoric and conservative religious traditions, contemporary forms of islam are finding expression in the words, images, and actions of Americans.