Articles
December 2011, Page 54
Muslim-American Activism
Omar ibn Sayyid: From Islamic Scholar to Slave and Back Again
A spellbound audience celebrated Islamic Heritage Month by watching a one-man play about "The Life and Times of Omar ibn Sayyid" at America's Islamic Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in southeast Washington, DC on Oct. 8. Ahmad Kenya's dramatic performance brought to life the great African Muslim scholar from Futa Torro in West Africa. After making a life-changing pilgrimage to Mecca, ibn Sayyid was captured and enslaved in North Carolina.
After escaping from a cruel master, Ibn Sayyid was captured and jailed. While in captivity he wrote pages of the Qur'an from memory, fasted during Ramadan and taught curious North Carolinians, including his new kinder master James Owenabout Islam. Ibn Sayyid's story, written and powerfully performed by Ahmad Kenya, is unforgettable. Audience members said they hoped the actor will someday turn the spotlight on Muslim Americans' heritage at the Freer Gallery, Kennedy Center or even the White House.
—Delinda C. Hanley
