In the face of rising Islamophobia fostered by newly-minted President Donald Trump, a number of prominent Muslim Americans have risen up to challenge the stereotypes.
Here’s a closer look at 7 who have been changing the conversation and advocating on behalf of their community’s rights.
1. Amani Al-Khatahtbeh aka Muslim Girl, blogger and journalist
Khatahtbeh launched the blog Muslim Girl in 2009. Relying on the help of friends from her local mosque, she grew the blog from 1,000 readers to 1 million unique users today.
The New York Times has called her a “media titan” and she has grown the site to a team of some 50 editors and writers. Muslim Girl covers a range of issues from anti-black racism in the Muslim community to coping with your period as a Muslim woman.
Most importantly, the site provides a platform for Muslim women’s voices to be heard, pushing “back against society’s imposition of ‘voicelessness’ and ‘docility’ on young Muslim women,” Khatahtbeh told The Guardian.
A Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice: 