The Team
Sally Howell
Sally is Associate Professor of History and Director of the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Her books include Arab Detroit 9/11: Life in the Terror Decade (2011, Wayne State University Press), and Old Islam in Detroit: Rediscovering the Muslim American Past (2014, Oxford University Press). Howell's current research is about Muslim visibility in Detroit today and the political, social, and economic impact of the region's Muslim populations.
Osman Khan
Osman is an artist interested in constructing artifacts and experiences for social criticism and aesthetic expression. His work plays and subverts the materiality behind themes of identity, home/land, social and public space through participatory & performative installations and site-specific interventions. He is currently an Associate Professor and Director of the MFA Program at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan.
Razi Jafri
Razi is a Detroit-based documentary photographer and filmmaker whose work focuses on ethnicity, religion, culture, immigration, democracy, and the changing cultural landscape in America. He is currently completing a documentary film examining the complexities of Multiculturalism through the lens of the city of Hamtramck’s 2017 municipal elections called “Hamtramck, USA.” He is also the photographer for the Halal Metropolis project and has been documenting the Muslim communities of Metro Detroit for several years now.
Mohamad Jaafar
Mohamad is a recent graduate of Communication and Political Science from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. His background and experience are centered around digital storytelling for institutions of higher education with a specific interest in stories related to liberal arts students, donor impact, and non-classroom learning experiences. He is also involved in human rights work and advocacy.
Fatima Al-Rasool
Fatima is a programming associate for the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Her work focuses on the historical and cultural stories of Metro Detroit, and uplifting them through exhibitions, digital platforms, and community events. She is a recent graduate with a degree in anthropology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Asma Baban
Asma is a research assistant at the Center of Arab American Studies and team member of the Halal Metropolis project at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2017 with a degree focusing on anthropology, sociology, and history. Her work has focused on the Arab and Muslim refugee and immigrant experience in the Metro Detroit area. She is looking forward to applying to graduate programs with a strong focus on public-facing research that centers on the narratives of fringe populations within society.