Deconstructing the American Mosque: Space, Gender, and Aesthetics

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"This text will be the classic work in the field. . . . It will be extremely useful for general Islamic studies, for studies of religion in America, and for the study of Islam in America." --Aminah Beverly McCloud, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, DePaul University, Chicago From the avant-garde design of the Islamic Cultural Center in New York City to the simplicity of the Dar al-Islam Mosque in Abiquiu, New Mexico, the American mosque takes many forms of visual and architectural expression. The absence of a single, authoritative model and the plurality of design nuances reflect the heterogeneity of the American Muslim community itself, which embodies a whole spectrum of ethnic origins, traditions, and religious practices. In this book, Akel Ismail Kahera explores the history and theory of Muslim religious aesthetics in the United States since 1950.