It seems reasonable to state that the piece of writing should be perceived as quite a significant historical work as it thoroughly covers the topic of the harsh conditions in which Black Muslim women were put. The author explores the issue by investigating a number of reliable sources that are directly related to the theme of the discussion and, thus, serve as a notable foundation of a solid and coherent rationale. The arguing allows understanding the fact that during the period of the Cold War, Muslim women turned their domestic lives into sites of political struggle. The examples of NOI Muslim women’s activities reveal their aspirations to protect their rights amid white supremacist gaze. Moreover, it is shown that Black Muslim men tended to demonstrate the complaisance of Black Muslim women in order to affirm masculine power. The primary idea of the publication might be to depict the simultaneity of religious and political aspects of Islam for the women, which determined their everyday way of life.
The response provided by my colleague contains both strong and weak aspects. The visible advantage of such an approach to discuss the reading is that a number of noticeable and contradictive facts are pointed out. It allows assuming that the text was read carefully and vigilantly. Nevertheless, this response does not emphasize the main problems covered in the publication and does not provide any reflections on them, which should be a vital part of scholarly responses.
The lecture covers the issue of the presence of Islam in the United States in the 20th century, making an accent on African-American movements inspired by this religion. The most noteworthy explored fact might be that Islam has been a substantial part of African-American history from the beginning. It is emphasized that during the period, a plethora of Islamic African-American organizations and leaders appeared. They had their own religious doctrines with a number of peculiarities. This lecture contributes to the in-depth and complex comprehension of the important role of Islam in the history of the African-American community.
References
Chan-Malik, S. (2018). Being Muslim: A Cultural History of Women of Color in American Islam (1st Edition). NYU Press.