6 p.m. ET Thursday, May 26, 2022
Muslims of the Heartland: A Book Talk
In-person at AANM
Edward E. Curtis IV, a descendant of Syrian Midwesterners and Professor of Religious Studies at the IU School of Liberal Arts in Indianapolis, will present stories from his new book Muslims of the Heartland. The book vividly portrays the intrepid men and women who busted sod on the short-grass prairies of the Dakotas, peddled needles and lace on the streets of Cedar Rapids, and worked in the railroad car factories of Michigan City. This intimate portrait follows the stories of individuals such as farmer Mary Juma, pacifist Kassem Rameden, poet Aliya Hassen, and bookmaker Kamel Osman from the early 1900s through World War I, the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, and World War II.
Muslims of the Heartland recreates what the Syrian Muslim Midwest looked, sounded, felt, and smelled like—from the allspice-seasoned lamb and rice shared in mosque basements to the sound of the trains on the Rock Island Line rolling past the dry goods store. It recovers a multicultural history of the American Midwest that cannot be ignored.
All AANM guests are required to show proof of full vaccination, remain masked, and fill out a health screening form upon check-in in order to attend this event.
For questions, e-mail Dr. Matthew Stiffler at [email protected].
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