Memoirs of an American Muslim V.02
2008 Evening of Inspiration US Tour
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For those who have not had a chance to attend yet, this year marks the third year that Islamic Relief will hold its Evening of Inspiration tour in the United States. Previous years consisted of acts such as Sami Yusuf, Hamza Robertson, Nazeel Azami, Native Deen, and Allah Made Me Funny. This years show showcases some awesome acts never before featured on this tour, including Zain Bhikha, Seven 8 Six, and Baba Ali. Check out the video below for more info:
Illume Media Making Waves in the Muslim Community
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Visit Illume Magazine on the web at www.illumemedia.org
What is Illume Magazine?
Illume Magazine is an independent media publication that aims to connect to the peoples of America and to the global electronic community in aneffort to present the beauty of Islam through web and print media.
Why Illume Magazine?
In recent years, Islam has seen an increase in attention from the mainstream media, but this attention generally presents a distorted image of Islam, which avoids addressing critical issues. The mainstream media is flooded with misinformation regarding Islam, and this is largely due to ignorance. However, the reality of the situation is that a large body of informed perspectives exists outside the mainstream. Illume Media seeks to act as an alternative media outlet for these perspectives.
Why the title, Illume?
Taking from the Prophetic Attribute, Siraajan Muneera, which means an Illuminating Lamp, Illume Magazine has been founded as an independent voice to disseminate both readily available material and original works through one medium as a means for enlightenment of the masses.
What is the philosophy behind Illume Magazine?
The organization serves to connect the hearts of the Ummah since unification is not possible without a connection. To that end, Illume Magazine looks to connect existing organizations in order to make their information available to a larger audience.
In doing so, Illume Magazine wishes to educate, invite, and enlighten humanity to the beauty of Islam and become Muslims in action regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, social status, etc. This is done by providing access to resources including, but not limited to, scholarly articles, discourses, commentaries on current affairs, notification and coverage of community events in various regions and articles on personal reflection. In keeping with the idea of reaching out to a broader audience, there are spotlights on traditional foods from different cultures, forums for art and poetry, literature and restaurant reviews. In attempts to create an interactive experience, readers can view and listen to video and audio of lectures and seek answers and advice from knowledgeable experts.
“Allah Made Me Funny-The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” to Be Made Into Feature-Length Concert Film
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — 07/24/07 — “Allah Made Me Funny – The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” which features three of America’s top Muslim comics including Preacher Moss, Azhar Usman and Mohammed Amer will be made into a feature-length concert film that will showcase the comics’ on-stage performances and shine a spotlight on their lives, announced Dave Chappelle, the project’s executive producer.
Chappelle along with Unity Productions Foundation’s Michael Wolfe and Alex Kronemer will serve as the film’s executive producers. Moss and Usman will serve as producers through their jointly-held production entity, Handshake Productions LLC. Established indie filmmaker and documentarian Andrea Kalin will direct.
“Allah Made Me Funny is one of the funniest and most important comedy shows in America today. These guys are pioneers in the world of Muslim comedy and I am proud to be attached to this project,” said Chappelle.
The film will include live stand-up performances from each of the comics, along with some stylized documentary elements. Principal photography is scheduled for August 24 and August 25 at the Heritage Forum in Anaheim, California. The film’s producers also intend to incorporate an original musical score, ranging from jazz to hip-hop to R&B, with contributions from prominent and independent musical artists. A soundtrack based on the film is also under development.
Since launching in 2004, “Allah Made Me Funny – The Official Muslim Comedy Tour” has performed hundreds of shows throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The Tour was initially created to relieve tensions and serve as a bridge-building tool between Muslims and non-Muslims to address negative stereotypes about the Muslim religion and culture in a post-9/11 world.
“Comedy gives people of all cultural backgrounds an opportunity to drop their guard and open their minds. Our goal with this film is to make audiences laugh and think,” said Preacher Moss.
Since its inception, the Tour has gained international recognition and praise by cultural and religious organizations globally and has attracted significant media attention including stories by The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX News, The San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Time Magazine, Newsweek International, BBC, CBC, and dozens more.
