Building our own narratives of power and solidarity
MJF’s Movement Archives document our stories and build narrative power within Muslim communities. The Archives include oral histories with organizers, advocates, and community members on resistance and building community power. They are meant for community members as a resource in order to study resistance within our communities and ways to continue building community power.
Building Our Narrative Power
Often the stories that are told about Muslim communities either fall into constructing us as perpetual victims or terrorists. What is lost in these narratives is the immense power Muslim communities represent. MJF built these community archives in order to document our own histories that are told through our point of view. We use these archives to center stories and narratives that are often erased from the mainstream. In these archives you will find stories of Black and Brown Muslim immigrant workers and labor leaders, Muslim organizers, community members, and builders. We are documenting our past in order to shape our understanding of the present and build for a just future.
Muslim Workers Museum
Muslim immigrant workers are essential workers who remain an integral part of the backbone of Washington, D.C. In late 2020 and early 2021, we conducted oral and visual histories of five Muslim immigrant workers through the DC Oral History Collaborative for inclusion in the city’s official records. These interviews focus on how the workers are treated at their workplace, the obstacles and discrimination they face, and their journeys of joining and participating in labor movements. We have excerpted passages from these interviews and organized them into the following exhibit themes.
This oral history project was developed by Darakshan Raja and Erik Martinez Resly. The online exhibit was created by Erik Martinez Resly and Anum. The artwork was developed by Saniya Ahmed. The team that worked on conducting the interviews included Maryam Abdul-Karim and Darakshan Raja. We are grateful to the workers for sharing their stories and experiences.
Muslim Abolitionist Futures Oral History Archives
The purpose of the War on Terror Resistance Archives is to document, preserve, and archive stories of grassroots community organizers, activists, and resisters who led, organized, and participated in social movements to resist the War on Terror. These are shared for educational purposes to inform, educate, and to catalyze organizing efforts within Muslim communities and also the broader population, as well as share the history and organizing against the repression of the War on Terror as told by community organizers themselves.
DMV Community Resistance Oral History Archives
Undertaken in partnership with John Hopkins University, Dr. Homayra Ziad, and students, the DMV Community Resistance Oral History Archives document the resistance stories from community members, advocates, and organizers in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
The War on Terror Resistance Timeline
The War on Terror Resistance timeline was created alongside grassroots and national organizations during the Muslim Abolitionist Futures annual convening. The timeline documents the history of resistance to the encroachment of the War on Terror and its impact on communities.