IFN:  What do you hope to achieve as head of the SCIC?

Milia Islam-Majeed:  I think “faith” and how it navigates one’s life – or lack thereof – is fascinating.  As the executive director of the South Coast Interfaith Council, I hope to illuminate the power of faith in the lives of everyday people.  I want to provide a space where people can speak about their faith traditions and what it means to them.  My goals include working on projects and programs together with people of different faiths in order to illustrate our common humanity.  I want us to know what it means to be a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Baha’i and to learn from one another.  Above all, I want everyone to see the point of commonality we all share amidst all the diversity and build on that so that we can live in this pluralistic society as a collective community that is characterized by respect of one another; a kind of respect that stems out of truly trying to understand “the other.” 

IFN:  What was the first project you spearheaded?  What is the project most dear to you?

MIM:  The first major project I spearheaded was in graduate school.  I was the co-chair of Harvard’s 2002 Islam in America Conference.  I worked with an amazing committee comprised of fellow graduate students and together we organized a two-day conference with over 20 renowned speakers entitled “Facing New Challenges and Building Solutions.”  It was particularly important to have that conference because at that time there was a lot of talk about Islam’s role in the Middle East and other places in the world, but there was very little attention paid to the presence of the Islamic faith in America, including in academia.  This conference aimed to give the study of Islam in America academic credibility as well as educate the American people about who Muslims in America truly were, not just who they thought we were based on a negative media portrayal.

I feel every project I have done is important to me and it would be difficult to identify one that is most important. These are dynamic times we are living in and the projects I have spearheaded are a reflection of the times, thus each one was, and is, different from the other.  Nonetheless, one thing I hope to illustrate through the projects I work on is the importance of unity – respecting humanity amidst the differences that are existent between us.  I hope that the projects that I have worked on and continue to work on show that we have much to learn about one another and the more we learn the more we see that, at the end of the day, we are all more alike than we are different.

IFN: As the first non-Christian to head the SCIC, what kind of dynamic do you think you bring to the table because of your religion?

MIM: By nature, I have always been an optimist.  However, at the same time I am also cognizant of the reality that’s existent around us.  First and foremost, I think it speaks volumes of the interfaith community here in southern California.  As human beings, we aspire to the ideals of truly looking beyond stereotypes and acting in accordance to that – but to be a part of a community that truly illustrates that is an honor.  I know no community is perfect and certainly there is always room to grow. Nonetheless, I am humbled and extremely grateful for the trust the community has placed in me and for this opportunity to serve them. 

That said, I know that there are still stereotypes that exist about Muslims in general and Muslim women in particular, especially those who practice the hijab (head covering).  So certainly, there are double takes sometimes as I walk up to a podium to deliver a speech or visit other faith congregations to introduce myself as well as the work of SCIC.  But I feel truly privileged to be in a position by which I can dispel any stereotypes by merely doing my job and being who I am – by providing a real human face to counter the negative images that may exist in the minds of people.  Everyday holds a new adventure and opportunity and I look forward to doing my part in dispelling any negative perceptions of Muslims by doing my job to the best of my ability.

IFN:  How would you characterize your experience of growing up as a Muslim the Midwest in a town with few Muslims and little knowledge of Islam? 

MIM: It was challenging, but something not impossible because of the support system that my family provided.  First and foremost, I will always be eternally grateful to God for truly being there every step of the way.  I will also forever be indebted to my family, especially my parents Fatema and Matiul Islam, for inculcating in me the love of God and religion from a very young age.  I think, ultimately, a sense and practice of faith has to start and be cultivated in the home. That is not to say that it wasn’t difficult during my adolescent years, because it was.  However, I think the experience of growing up as such a minority also forced me to interact with people who weren’t “like us.”  As such, some of the greatest friendships I developed were with people of other faith traditions.  Everything happens for a reason … perhaps it is precisely because of my childhood experiences interacting with people of other faiths that prepared me to be in this position today.

IFN: Many Muslim-American women feel they combat a stigma of oppression and ignorance.  As a Muslim-American woman who has achieved great feats and has developed as a leader in the community, what would you advise young Muslim women dreaming of following in your footsteps?

MIM: I would tell them that there is nothing that they cannot do by being a practicing Muslim – whether they chose to wear the scarf or not.  Religion in no way limits you.  For me personally, it has provided me with a strong foundation for which I will forever be grateful.  We as Muslim women should not espouse a defeatist attitude or an inferiority complex.  Often times, it's our own perceptions of what we think the others see us as that work against us – it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Be proud of your Islamic heritage; know that it’s a gift and a source of empowerment.  Use that source of empowerment to make a difference in the world for the betterment of all others around you – regardless of what religion they are.  We must show through our actions that we are not oppressed or inferior than our brothers in faith. Rather we have to demonstrate through our actions that Islam is a religion that cares about humanity at large and that the ideologies embedded in the Islamic tradition are our motivating factor to truly make a positive impact in the lives of others.  

IFN: When you were a Program Manager with ISNA you facilitated leadership training seminars.  What do you think leaders of the Muslim-American community could have learned from your seminars?  What do you think they can do better?

MIM: I think one of the greatest challenges we face is the process of integration within the greater societal paradigm we live in.  Integration does not mean we lose our Islamic-ness, but rather we incorporate it within the cultural context we have here without compromising the core Islamic beliefs and principles. Certainly, there are ills that we must stay away from, but this society we live in also has a great deal to offer us.  Thus we must not live in segregated communities, but rather have a sense of ownership of the society we live in by being participating members.  We must be more involved.  We must have more social service workers, community organizers, journalists, and people in the local governments.  I whole-heartedly believe that it is in this country that we can show the beauty of what Islam truly is by being engaging citizens. 

Another challenge we face – from my experiences within the Muslim communities in America – is that of religious leadership.  I think we have some amazing individuals who are unbelievably versed in the Islamic sciences, however they know little about this cultural context we live in.  As such, there is a gap that is created and that is hurtful to the Muslim communities.  I feel it is imperative that we have religious leaders who are not only versed in the Islamic sciences, but that they are also able to lead and show the community how to apply those Islamic sciences and principles within this cultural context.  We are a growing community, so I am confident we are moving in the right direction when it comes to this, but it still remains a challenge today. 

IFN: You directed the "Meet the Author" program with ISNA.  What was your most notable experience?

MIM: Having the opportunity to work with Dr. Robert Fisk was probably my most notable experience.  I think he is a remarkable man and there is so much the world can learn from him.  That and also being able to work with some of my personal role models in academia such as Dr. Sherman Jackson, Dr. Umar Faruq Abdullah and Dr. Muneer Fareed.  I think these are some of the individuals who have contributed significantly to Islamic scholarship, particularly to scholarship pertaining to Islam in America and it was such an enriching experience to be able to work with them. 

IFN: You received a Master's of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School.  Were you satisfied with the way Islam and Muslims are scholastically and academically portrayed?  What can non-Muslim American institutions/authors do to better understand and teach Islam?

MIM: It’s always a bit challenging studying Islam in western academia, although I must say we have more and more individuals engaged in this task and, nowadays, there are more younger professors who have themselves been through the system, which really helps.  I was very satisfied with the resources that were available at Harvard.  What I didn’t learn in the classroom I was able to obtain through the library collection there as well as the many amazing people I was honored to meet and learn from.  I think we, as Muslims, have to a play a more proactive role in writing our own history.  I did feel that was missing in academia.  In regards to what non-Muslims can do better to understand Muslims – interact with them on a personal level and understand that we are not monolithic people.  We represent all cultures and ethnicities and that is both enriching and challenging.  As non-Muslims I think its important to understand that often times a culture paints the religion, rather than the religion coloring the culture.  I think to gain a deep understanding of Muslims both a basic understanding of the faith as well as personal interaction is a must.   

IFN: As a Muslim women immersed in interfaith, who meets leaders from all faith communities, what have you done to strengthen the place of Muslims at the interfaith table?  What needs to be done?

MIM: In my position, it’s important that I provide room for others to speak.  However, I also think that at times actions speak louder than words. So I hope that my mere presence there as an organizer and facilitator of interfaith dialogues and projects illustrate that Muslims play a vital role in strengthening communities of faiths here in America.

I do hope that Muslims take a more proactive role in being a part of the interfaith community.  I think if we expect non-Muslims to take the time to understand who we are, then we must extend the same courtesy to them.  Certainly, we have come far as a community and I hope we continue to be more engaging in the interfaith world. By doing this, we show that we are not a faith that is only concerned about our own people, but that we feel that we must also understand our neighbors who espouse different beliefs. I feel that by being more engaged in interfaith work, we show others that we are an effective, and positive, member in the larger family of faiths here in America.