Silma Suba

My Recent Work

Interfaith America •

Black and Interfaith: A Family Finds God Through Love and Intersectionality

On a hot summer day in Wheaton, Maryland, during Ramadan in 2010, 7-year-old Sasa Aakil and her siblings sat around their grandmother as she sliced a watermelon.

Iftar was still a few hours away and the cold fresh fruit would be a part of the feast after a long arduous day of fasting. So, they were surprised when instead of putting the fruit away in the fridge, their grandmother offered the plate to the exterminator who had been working in their home that morning. He gladly accepted the offerin
Interfaith America •

Children's Book Author Finds Joy in Diverse Holiday Traditions

Experiencing the festivities of the holiday season as a child is a special kind of joy.

Whether your home is decorated with twinkling lights and a towering Christmas tree safeguarding your presents, or your tables are set with a menorah and a buffet of delicious Hanukkah treats like latkes and kugels, celebrating traditions and holidays that hold meaning to you and your loved ones is a beautiful experience. So, what happens when children are invited to celebrate our diverse religious traditions
Interfaith America •

IN PHOTOS: Celebrating Black Joy and Interfaith Stories at the Smithsonian

“The effort that we are celebrating tonight began two years ago, as the nation was experiencing a racial reckoning in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder,” said Alexis Vaughan, Director of Racial Equity Initiatives. “At Interfaith America, we asked ourselves, how can our work influence the world such that these things don’t keep happening? What do we want to see in the world that does not yet exist? Let’s go and build that.”

The event featured keynote speeches from Eboo Patel, founder and pr
Interfaith America •

A New Jersey Mayor Connects Civic Work with Sikh Call for Justice

When Ravinder Singh Bhalla decided to run for mayor in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 2017, people questioned him: Who’s going to vote for you?

He was one of four Sikhs in a largely white community, and his turban and long beard, which he wore as a part of his Sikh faith, made him susceptible to frequent religious discrimination. Just days before the elections, racist flyers were put up around town saying, “Don’t let terrorists take over this town.”

“It made me think whether there’s a conflict betwee
Interfaith America •

A Nebraska Pastor Died a Martyr in Iran. Here's Why You Should Know His Name.

Silma Suba: I think what struck me the most reading about Baskerville is this is an interfaith story. At its heart, it’s a story about a Christian missionary who fought alongside his Muslim students in a country that was not his own. You’re a scholar of both religions who has lived both religions. What drove you to tell his story?

Reza Aslan: I heard bits and pieces of this story growing up [in Iran], and I would see his name on a street sign, or a coffee shop, or a school. I only knew sort of
Interfaith America •

Writer Azhar Usman Brings Joy and Islam to Hit Shows 'Ramy' and 'Mo'

You’ve worked as a creative advisor and writer for “Mo” and “Ramy.” What has the work looked like in developing these shows?

My role on these shows, and these commercial projects, started from having real brotherhood, and real friendships with these artists and solo artists. And from this community of artists, people start to develop their own specific projects, and then their own specific visions. And then I just kind of found this lane where they all for some reason wanted to talk to me and g
Religion News Service •

On hit shows 'Ramy' and 'Mo,' Azhar Usman adds nuance about Islam (and joy) to Hollywood

(Interfaith America) — If you watch the credits roll on some recent TV shows, you’ll see one name popping up again and again: Azhar Usman. You can’t help but notice another thing these recent hits for Netflix, Hulu and Disney Plus have in common: They are shifting Hollywood’s narrative about American Muslims.

“Mo” follows a Palestinian American refugee in Houston. “Ms. Marvel” is about a teenage Muslim superhero. “Ramy” is the semi-autobiographical comedy by Ramy Youssef that has won Golden Glo
Religion News Service •

10 years after shooting, Wisconsin Sikhs lead interfaith conversation on safety

Raghu Vinder listens to speakers during a candlelight vigil in the parking lot of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin on Aug. 5, 2013, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting rampage in which a white supremacist killed six people. A seventh person later died of injuries sustained in the attack. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

(Interfaith America) — On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of the fatal mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, more than 100 interfaith leaders,
Interfaith America •

A Sikh Interfaith Leader's Call to Action: How Do We Show Up for Each Other?

Ten years ago today, on August 5, 2012, 17-year-old Harmeet Kaur Kamboj had just graduated high school and was in a bus full of family and relatives driving to Michigan from Virginia for their cousin’s wedding. There was an air of merriment all around the bus, people dancing, singing, and laughing, while some took a nap in anticipation of the long festive weekend that lay ahead. Kamboj remembers an aunt who was scrolling on her phone and broke the news to the wedding party: there had been a mass
Interfaith America •

10 Years After Oak Creek Shooting, Interfaith Engagement Helps Sikh Community Heal

The morning of August 5, 2012, began like any other Sunday for Satwant Singh Kaleka. It was sunny and quiet in the small city of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where the 65-year-old retiree lived and served as the president of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin — called a gurdwara —a holy place of worship for Sikhs — which he had founded in 1997 to form a sanctuary for his community. His wife and many of his neighbors were with him that morning inside the gurdwara, preparing langar, a communal meal of chapati,
Interfaith America •

Who are Illinois Muslims? New Study Shows They're Diverse, Civic-Minded and Generous

A first-of-its-kind report on Muslims in Illinois found that 3 out of 4 are registered to vote, and an additional 16 percent expressed an interest to register, revealing high levels of civic engagement and opening the door for successful voter registration drives.

The report also highlights Muslims in Illinois are more politically independent, philanthropic and slightly more likely than the general public to report deeper civic engagement such as volunteering. Nearly 1 in 4 respondents reported
Interfaith America •

Seven Religion Reporters Share Advice for Reporting in

Seven Religion Reporters Share Advice for Reporting in Interfaith America The United States is one of the most religiously diverse democracies in the history of the world. Religion reporters play a crucial role in highlighting stories that make up our interfaith America. Storytelling about religion can mean covering religious holidays and sacred rituals, documenting the biases and prejudices that minority religious groups face, and highlighting ways that faith communities come together to work s
Interfaith America •

Quiz: How Religiously Diverse is America?

The U.S. is the third most populous country in the world, home to over 330 million people from diverse ethnic, religious, and racial backgrounds. Surveys from the Pew Research Center, Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and Interfaith America over the years have taken a close look at America’s increasingly diverse religious landscape, measuring people’s attitude towards accepting people of diverse faiths.

So how religiously diverse is America? Take the quiz to find out.

Silma Suba is Med
Interfaith America •

Can Diabetic Muslims Fast Safely in Ramadan? These Guidelines Can Help

Nafeesunnisa Syed, a resident of Palos Hills, Illinois, had been prone to exhaustion, dizziness and frequent fainting spells ever since she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1994. Despite her symptoms, she continued to fast during Ramadan, Islam’s sacred month, when all adult Muslims are required to abstain from food, water and intimacy from sunrise to sunset for 29 to 30 days — as long as their health permits.

Syed took medication to manage her disease, but after fainting again in 2010 at
Religion News Service •

Can diabetic Muslims fast safely in Ramadan? These guidelines can help.

Two children stand with their father as he and other Muslims perform an Eid al-Fitr prayer in an outdoor open area, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, May 13, 2021, in Morton Grove, Illinois. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)

(Interfaith America) — Nafeesunnisa Syed, a resident of Palos Hills, Illinois, had been prone to exhaustion, dizziness and frequent fainting spells ever since she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1994. Despite her symptoms, she continued to fast during Ramadan,
Interfaith America •

A Muslim Pharmacist on Why It’s OK to Receive the Vaccine During Ramadan

This article was originally posted on May 11, 2021.

In April 2021, just as COVID-19 vaccinations became more widely available, millions of Muslims began observing the holy month of Ramadan – by keeping fast from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from any food or water, and focusing instead on worship, charity, and building community.

With the intersecting timelines, some Muslims rushed to vaccination sites before Ramadan begun, while others wondered if getting the vaccine while fasting would inval
Interfaith America •

For Interfaith Couples, Ramadan Can Deepen Ties To Faith And Each Other

For their first Ramadan together, Rabita Tareque took her boyfriend, Jesus Gutierrez, to a Bangladeshi restaurant in New York. As the sound of adhaan (the call to prayer) filled the room from a nearby mosque, they dug into a traditional platter of Bengali food — pretzel-like jelapis, lentil fritters called piyazus, and eggplant begunis — for iftar, the evening meal that Muslims share at sunset during Islam’s holy month of fasting and prayer.

Ramadan, always observed during the ninth month of th
Interfaith America •

Ramadan Quiz: How Much Do You Really Know?

This quiz was first published on May 10, 2021.

Muslims around the world are observing the holy month of Ramadan by fasting from sunrise to sunset starting on April 2, refraining from any food or water, intimacy, smoking, etc., and focusing instead on reflection, charity, worship, and building community. As the last few days of Ramadan are upon us – take our interactive quiz to find out how much you really know about this holy month.
Interfaith America •

Most Americans are Proud to Be Part of a Religiously Diverse Nation, PRRI/IFYC Study Shows

Most Americans are proud to be part of a nation that is becoming more religiously diverse, a new study confirms, and nearly 3 in 4 have built a relationship with someone from a different religion than their own.

The PRRI/IFYC survey also showed America’s religious landscape is becoming increasingly diverse. PRRI CEO and founder Robert P. Jones and IFYC President and founder Eboo Patel announced the findings today (March 24) at the Religion News Association conference in Bethesda, Maryland.

In
Interfaith America •

The Movement of Joy: Archiving Black Joy and Spirituality Through Dance

What do Black joy and spirituality mean to you?

To me, it means the contentment of self. Like, no one can take away your joy. So often we allow people to take away something that isn’t theirs, that isn’t God given to them, that isn’t something that connects them to the Divine. Joy really is our own connection to the present saying, “I’m here, I exist.” Even if COVID-19 is out there, I’m still able to find those tools and those resources for myself that can give me joy.

I think that Black folks
Interfaith America •

PRRI/IFYC Survey Finds Faith-Based Interventions Have Helped Adults, Could Help with Children Getting Vaccinated

How do you restore and heal communities in the wake of the pandemic? Interfaith Youth Core has endeavored to do so through a nationwide interfaith initiative that advances equitable public health through religiously and culturally responsive vaccine outreach. Back in March 2021, IFYC launched the Faith in the Vaccine Ambassadors (FIVA), a program addressing vaccine hesitancy and access in various communities. As a part of the initiative, more than 1,500 people — including college students, campu
Interfaith America •

PRRI/IFYC Survey Finds Faith-Based Interventions Have Helped Adults, Could Help with Children Getting Vaccinated

How do you restore and heal communities in the wake of the pandemic? Interfaith Youth Core has endeavored to do so through a nationwide interfaith initiative that advances equitable public health through religiously and culturally responsive vaccine outreach. Back in March 2021, IFYC launched the Faith in the Vaccine Ambassadors (FIVA), a program addressing vaccine hesitancy and access in various communities. As a part of the initiative, more than 1,500 people — including college students, campu
Interfaith America •

The Importance of Creating Space for the Sacred in Care of the Sick

“I found it intellectually and spiritually dissatisfying,” says Curlin, Josiah C. Trent Professor of Medical Humanities in the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities and History of Medicine, and Co-Director of the Theology, Medicine and Culture Initiative at Duke Divinity School.

He adds, “I longed to create space for people to take seriously the substance of faith, not just to treat religion … like a personal coping mechanism.”

Driven by his desire to develop opportunities for education and s
Interfaith America •

How "The Souls of Womenfolk" Traces the Religious Lives of Black Enslaved Women

My gran, she Hannah. Uncle Calina my gran too; they both Ibos. Yes’m, I remember my gran Hannah. She marry Calina and have twenty-one children. Yes’m, she tell us how she brung here. Hannah, she with her aunt who was digging peanuts in the field, with a baby strapped on her back. Out of the brush two white mens come and spit in her aunt’s eye. She blinded and when she wipe her eye, the white mens loose the baby from her back and took Hannah too. They led them into the woods, where there was othe
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