A dozen men gather the basement of Masjid Bilal, one of about 15 mosques in the Greater Cleveland area. Built in 1983 with the help of a $50,000 donation from Muhammad Ali's former manager, Masjid Bilal is said to be the first African-American mosque in the U.S. built from the ground up. It's midway through the holy month of Ramadan and, per tradition, the worshippers have not eaten all day. But now, at sunset, the fast is over. A server brings in a huge plate of dates.
SOUND OF PRAYER: All mighty God, we thank you for giving us this food that thou has provided for us…UNDER
Spiritual leader Imam Shafeeq Sabir offers a quick prayer and then explains they are following an ancient practice.
IMAM SABIR: You know, that was the tradition of our beloved prophet, messenger Mohammed; it was his tradition to break the fast with dates, so that's a tradition we've kept up for over 1400 years, now.
SOUND: people eating and conversing UNDER
It's all part of the daily Ramadan ritual of self-sacrifice and reflection. With the recent intensification of U.S. efforts in the war in Afghanistan, some of the reflection here this evening is on the very image of Islam. Earlier in the day, a Taliban suicide bomber took the lives of at least 41 people outside of a mosque in Kabul. Once again, the religion of these men is in the news, linked to the actions of a Muslim terrorist.
Lail Melton says that, ever since September 11th, it seems like he's had to defend his faith and, at times, his patriotism.
LAIL MELTON: I'm a disabled veteran. I fought in the Vietnam war. I have a special interest in saying that "I'm an American Muslim", as well as, "This is my country. I served my time. I put my life on the line."
For Afghan native Yahya Joya in Akron it's even more personal. Joya fled his home in Kabul right after the Soviet Union invaded his country in 1979. After settling in Northeast Ohio, he worked two jobs to pay for the escape of his mother and two sisters. Now, he and his family watch from afar as their homeland continues to struggle under the weight of extremists. Joya says they have hijacked his religion.
YAHYA JOYA: There is nothing in the Koran that says anything about killing an innocent child, or anybody. Killing yourself is a sin.
Joya and the worshoppers at Masjid Bilal are part of Northeast Ohio's highly diverse Muslim population which, according to one estimate, ranges as high as 60,000 people.
DR. SARITOPRAK: Islam is the second largest religion, after Christianity.
For the past seven years, Dr. Zeki Saritoprak has taught Islamic Studies at John Carroll University. In his time here, he's met Muslims from places as far flung as Bosnia, Malaysia, Turkey, Iraq, Indonesia and Lebanon. African Americans make-up about 20% of Greater Cleveland's orthodox Muslim community --- many of them converts from Christianity. Despite this diversity, Saritoprak says his incoming students often assume that most Muslims are Arabic. But, that's one of many myths he has to puncture.
DR. SARITOPRAK: When I say "Islam", what comes to your mind? They say violence…terrorism. Many of them have never met with a Muslim.
SOUND: Call to worship and men reciting an evening prayer at Masjid Bilal UP & UNDER
After breaking the Ramadan fast, worshippers at Masjid Bilal have gathered in the sanctuary of their temple which sits in the shadow of the Cleveland Clinic campus, along Euclid Avenue. In fact, a number of the Clinic's foreign visitors have attended services in this humble facility. Despite the vestiges of mainstream misunderstanding of Islam, member Alan Seifullah says he and his brethren remain loyal to the U.S. and their faith.
ALAN SEIFULLAH: We're American Muslims. And we don't separate the two. We're always going to advocate for America to reach for the greatness that it hasn't yet achieved. And we want to be a part of it.
