A compelling anti-Islamophobic website & video teaser: My Fellow American

    It's an inspiring moment for any blogger to be reminded that someone is reading his or her work.

    I was therefore heartened, and honored, when someone from the Unity Productions Foundation reached out to me and requested that I blog about one of their projects: My Fellow American, an anti-Islamophobic website aimed at re-asserting Islam's rightful status as a vital component of the national community.

     A short video teaser is featured on the site. Among other strengths, it offers a morbid recap on the sheer mass of hateful discourse that's been shed on the Muslim faith:

My Fellow American

     Visitors to the site can browse through a series of video testimonials and written anecdotes, compiled by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, which challenge stereotypes and offer refreshing counter-narratives to the ones put forward by our paranoid media.

      See below for a personal favorite, where a non-Muslim resident of Northeast Tennessee recounts a simple but ingenius solution to a Muslim's neighbor's feeling of isolation:

Sandy Westin's Neighborhood

     Visitors to the site can submit their own stories as well.

     Finally, the website features a pledge, which, like most articles of its nature, shouldn't be necessary, but nevertheless hearkens from a place of gritty demand:

     Muslims are our fellow Americans. They are part of the national fabric that holds our country together. They contribute to America in many ways, and deserve the same respect as any of us. I pledge to spread this message, and affirm our country’s principles of liberty and justice for all.