America’s Next Generation Of Muslims Insists On Crafting Its Own Story

American Muslim college students in Ohio (front row: left to right) Halimah Muhammad (in brown hijab), Fatima Shendy, Zaina Salem, Ruba Abu-Amara, (back row: left to right) Arkann Al-Khalilee (in gray hijab), Nora Hmeidan and Lama Abu-Amara appear in an image that was featured in Uhuru, a Kent State University magazine in an issue on … Continued

Eslah Attar for NPR

Fashion designers. Community activists. Parents. Converts. High school students facing down bullies. Podcasters creating their own space to exhale.

The newest generation of American Muslims is a mosaic, one of the most racially and ethnically diverse faith groups in the country. At a time when all religions are struggling to keep youth engaged, Islam is growing in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center.

Many American Muslims found themselves on the defensive after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But this generation says it is tired of being expected to apologize. Instead, young Muslims are determined to take control of their own stories. And they are creating fresh paths for the estimated 3.45 million Muslims in America.