"Black Mecca is an immensely readable book that is a must for those with a keen interest in religion and culture. Zain Abdulllah's tenacity, tact, and knowledge of Islam open up the world and lives of individuals and communities who are creating a space for themselves in a new country."--BlackTheology
"Brilliantly subtle.... does a masterful job humanizing these subjects and rendering their lives and thoughts in nuanced and memorable ways."--Sociology of Religion
"Compelling and readable. . . Abdullah is a skilled writer, and the reader moves from one inviting chapter to the next as if wandering through the city with a close friend, stopping to chat with passersby. . . . A thoughtful analysis of how African Muslims have become a vital part of Harlem social life."--American Anthropologist
"Intermingling ethnographic research with good storytelling and captivating interviews, Black Mecca is electrifying. Abdullah opens up the community and its individuals in ways I could not have imagined. We visit their homes, dine with them, and stay up late into the night at celebrations. We become intimate with longing, tragedy, uncertainty, loss, and triumph. This is a must-read for students of immigration, anthropology, religion, and culture."
-Aminah Beverly McCloud, Director, Islamic World Studies, DePaul University
"Skillfully combining engaging narrative with insightful analysis, Zain Abdullah has given us a revelatory book, Black Mecca, which tells the compelling story of African Muslims in New York City. In Black Mecca the voices of African Americans and African Muslims are loud, clear, and passionate. Abdullah chronicles the recent evolution of social life in Harlem, a fluid multicultural urban scene in which the proximity of African Muslims and African Americans has triggered both broad cross-cultural awareness and profound cultural misunderstanding, both bonding and resentment. By capturing this ever-changing complexit
