I participated in a panel at George Fox Seminary in Portland last Friday. The panel was titled, “Who Am I? Who are you? A Muslim perspective on the role of faith in identity formation,” and consisted of Andy Campbell as the facilitator, Maria Ebrahimji, Muna Idow, Manar Alattar, and myself. We discussed our personal faith journeys, media issues, and women’s issues for an Evangelical Christian audience.

I always love to hear how many similarities there are between faiths. I spoke with Loren Kerns, the Director for the Ministry Doctorate Program at George Fox, and we discussed all kinds of similarities between the American Muslim and Christian communities.

On the panel, from left: Andy Campbell, Maria Ebrahimji, Muna Idow, myself, and Manar Alattar. Photo credit: Loren Kerns.

Talking with Evangelical feminists was especially rewarding! I spoke with a few women my age after the panel who shared similar concerns and struggles with faith, feminism, and our place in all of these. It always feels nice to find the people who understand my issues because they have the same ones!

I really enjoyed my time at George Fox Seminary and look forward to doing more interfaith work in the future. Thank you to everyone at the seminary who opened their space and their hearts to us!

I’m excited to announce that fellow contributor Yusra Tekbali and I will be promoting I Speak for Myself at the Sharjah International Book Fair!

This event has been around almost as long as I’ve been alive, starting in 1982 in Sharjah, U.A.E. The website says:

This 10-day annual event now draws a total of over 800 publishers showcasing books from nearly 42 nations, and attracts over 400,000 visitors.

The primary aim is to promote reading, mainly to the younger generation by making quality books available to them at affordable prices.

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be joining my I Speak for Myself editor Maria Ebrahimji, Manager of Community Education and Peace Building programs at the Office of Equity and Human Rights with the City of Portland Muna Idow, and graduate student Manar Alattar to speak at George Fox Evangelical Seminary  next Friday, November 11, 2011.

We’ll be discussing the role of faith in identity formation, and will be looking at media perception of Muslims, the role of women in Islam, and sharing our own personal faith journeys.

You can find out more information here and read a press release here.  Registration is required, so register today!

Even though I’ve stepped down as editor, I’ll always be my baby’s biggest fan!

Today is the relaunch date for Muslimah Media Watch! The site is now hosted at Patheos.com–check out the new (but familiar) homepage here. I’m really excited to see what’s in store!

I’m excited to announce that I’ve been nominated for the Women’s Media Center’s 2011 Social Media Awards! I’m on a long list of social media-savvy ladies that include my colleagues Latoya Peterson, Mona Eltahawy, and Lisa Stone. I’m in great company!

A nomination is flattering enough, but I’d be happy if you’d cast your vote for me! You can vote here. The winner will be announced at the Women’s Media Center benefit on November 30th.

I’m excited to be holding two consecutive readings at Chemeketa Community College! If you’re in the area on October 25, please come check me out!

They’ve created a beautiful flyer, too:

Hope to see you there!

After four years, I’ve decided to leave Muslimah Media Watch. I’m excited for opportunities and projects to come, but definitely a bit morose about leaving the baby I gave birth to four years ago.

You can read my goodbye post at MMW here.

Last Wednesday, I was honored to attend Secretary Hillary Clinton’s State Department Eid al-Fitr celebration for the second time. It was wonderful to see old friends and colleagues! I was especially excited to meet G. Willow Wilson, a wonderful author and the lady behind some awesome comics–I’ve known her online for many years, but this was our first time touching base offline!

I was also able to meet a lot of my fellow contributors from I Speak for Myself that I haven’t met in person before. I was repeatedly struck by what an amazing group of women we are: intelligent, accomplished…and don’t forget gorgeous!

Another exciting facet of the evening was the focus on sports. Before the reception, we attended a screening of the Fordson documentary, which focuses on a group of American high school footballers. It was a great film, looking at how a group of young Arab-Americans in Dearbon, Michigan, included their faith and family in their football regimen.

The reception also included some wonderful guests: Kulsoom Abdullah and Ephraim Salam. Kulsoom rocketed to national attention through her fight to compete in weight-lifting contests while covering her hair and observing hijab. Not only can she press over 200 pounds, she also has her doctorate in engineering–she’s a regular renaissance woman!

From left: Farah Pandith, Kulsoom Abdullah, Secretary Clinton, Ephraim Salaam. Photo by Souheila Al Jadda.

This meeting was especially important because of several American Muslims, including myself, signed on to a declaration. It’s an affirmation of basic values and a core vision: we’re Americans, we’re Muslims, get used to it!

Here’s an excerpt:

Regardless of whether we were born in this nation or have recently adopted it as our home, we are committed to working with our fellow Americans to create a more perfect union for we, too, want a better life for ourselves, our children and our communities. In order to achieve these standards, we must all strive to understand and cherish the freedoms expressed in our Constitution and ensure none are denied these privileges.

Check out the whole thing (along with a list of signatories) at The Huffington Post.

On this sunny September Sunday, I’m unpacking from a recent trip to Washington, D.C. (I’ll write more about my trip to the State Department later).

Because today is the ten-year memorial of the 9/11 attacks, emotions and caution were running high in D.C. when I left yesterday. And those same emotions are running high all over the country: we’re all remembering that day and hearing warnings that another day like that could come.

There are two pieces I’ve read today that I really enjoyed and wanted to share. My Talk Islam colleague Aziz Poonawalla has written a great piece on the tenth memorial for BeliefNet:

Ten years after, during which we seemed intent on exploring being everyone other than ourselves, it’s time to finally reclaim our confidence and our resolve about who we are as a nation and as a people.

And over at CNN, Aman Ali writes his thoughts about the role American Muslims don’t need to play:

…what we Muslims can do is advance the conversation, rather than repeating the same old condemnations. Condemnations and apologies are like an out of style fashion trend, the parachute pants and neon hair scrunchies of civil discourse.

I agree with both of the above sentiments because I believe it’s time to move forward. It’s time to move past fear, ignorance, and the awful news media coverage–there’s no reason to watch the planes fly into the Twin Towers over and over.

But moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting. I’m tired of hearing the words, “Never forget.” Because we will never forget. It isn’t possible to forget that day, even if you weren’t in New York.

Forgetting is not an option. Moving forward is.