THE ROLE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSLIM WOMEN IN COMMUNITY BUILDING

The voices and lived experiences of women are conspicuously absent from the scant written and archived documentation of the Dar movement and the current Al-Ummah network. The history and influence of the movement is often told from the perspective of Black men. However, Dr. Kamal Hassan Ali, a former member wrote the following in his brief history of the Dar titled, Dar-ul-Islam: Principle, Praxis, Movement: “Muslim women who, through their sacrifice, sound judgement and piety as well as their unmitigated inner strength and fortitude, accounted for much of the programmatic success of the Dar-ul-Islam movement. Their work was emblematic of the adage that no society flourishes unless the role of its women is valued and honored” (p.24). To illustrate this point, Ali states, “to a large degree, the organization, preparation and hosting of community fund raisers was the bailiwick of the DAR sisterhood” (p. 35) and with respect to the Madrassah or school which was established in 1974 (and at its height enrolled nearly 200 students), “the Amir of Education…was assisted by a cadre of dedicated, compassionate volunteers, nearly all of whom were women…” (p. 22). If women played such a pivotal role in the establishment and flourishing of this community, where are their stories and perspectives? This question will be examined in this project.