A few years back, Abdul Rahim Muhammad, a respiratory therapist at a local hospital, knocked on his neighbor's door in Upper Darby. Muhammad's neighbor was a professor at a nearby university and Muhammad wanted his assistance in spreading awareness for Islam. When no one answered the door after several knocks, Muhammad started walking back. At the curb, he noticed the professor sitting in his backyard and Muhammad stopped to talk to him. The professor looked at Muhammad disdainfully and implicitly implied that he wasn't interested in talking with a "black" man. Muhammad is African-American and a Muslim. And he knew that these were his assets. He was not going to let ignorance and arrogance deter him from reaching his goals.

Six months later, Muhammad, the founder of the Islamic Cultural Preservation and Information Council (ICPIC) was introduced to this professor by another professor at an event that the professor's university was hosting for ICPIC. Muhammad looked him in the eye and said, "When I came to you asking for help, you didn't give me the time of day." Politely, yet with a hint of steel, Muhammad excused himself from the man and reminded him of his own place.

That's Muhammad-man of mettle and the altruistic soul representing his community. Here is a man, striving to re-define his community to his own people and to the rest of the world through his non-profit organization. The rebuttal from his white neighbor was not the only challenge Muhammad faced in realizing his visions. He has been accused of being racist; he has fought the government to help Islam gain the recognition it receives today; he has even sacrificed his own career to sustain his organization.

This is our story. Once in a life, we are faced with an opportunity for a lifetime. Do we jump up and take it? Or do we let it walk right by us?

Abdul Rahim Muhammad's story started in 1989. Like any ordinary morning, Muhammad was up early and was reading the Inquirer. The paper was running a story on a Philadelphia school teacher's plans to incorporate the study of Islam in seventh and ninth grade curriculums. "I remembered when I was in school they had it all wrong," says Muhammad. "They taught us about the Moors, but they didn't know that the Moors were Muslims." Muhammad remembered the misquoted, biased and unreliable sources his teachers had used. The mistakes he witnessed prompted him to contact the School District of Philadelphia and express his interest in helping the teachers build a curriculum for Islamic studies. "At that time, no Muslims were working with [the teachers]. So when they gave me the curriculum, I contacted the Imams, clerics and professors to give me their reviews." Muhammad then asked these reviewers to form an advisory board and together with his board, they suggested around 200 changes in the curriculum. One thing led to another and soon Muhammad was training the teachers about the basics of Islamic studies. Finally in 1991, ICPIC was chartered as a non-profit organization whose mission is to spread awareness about Islam.

While ICPIC represents Muslims of all ethnicities, it concentrates intensively on educating African-American Muslims about their own history and heritage. "Every ethnic group has its own distinct culture," says Muhammad. African-American Muslims have evolved as an Islamic community independent of Muslims from the Middle-East, Pakistan, India and other countries. "We have our own history and community culture that is unique, just like other groups."

Muhammad's family pioneered Islam in their community and he feels "obligated to preserve and tell their story." Muhammad prophesizes, "God made us all different to know one another. When we come on table as different Muslims, we all bring something to the table." His passion for African-American Muslims has been misinterpreted by members of his Islamic community to be racism against other Muslims. Muhammad has been considered a radical by Muslims of other descents for spreading awareness about ethnic consciousness through his lectures and annual events. However, Muhammad is used to the backlash and has learned to ignore it. He admits, "The biggest challenge doesn't come from outside the community, it comes from within it." He calls it, "sibling rivalry" but is not too bothered by it. "I am a man with a mission" he emphasizes. "This is my business and I know how to deal with it." ICPIC has not only survived these attacks, but has thrived and grown successfully.

Via insistent lobbying, ICPIC convinced the School District to include Ramadan on its school calendar, allowing students to have off legitimately. ICPIC has also successfully lobbied for Muslim students to be allowed to wear traditional garb in school. The School District has developed the policy with formative help from ICPIC, allowing the garb to be worn. In addition, ICPIC offers "teacher training" tools and lesson plans.

ICIPC also introduced its own publication, SHOWCASE, in 1997. The newsletter is distributed throughout the region for fundraising and informational purposes. Finally, ICPIC is best known for its two annual events, The Annual Islamic Heritage Festival and Parade at Penns Landing and its Islamic Youth and Adult Summit.

In 1993, Muhammad came across a brochure about Penns Landing's "multi-cultural series of ethnic festivals." Recognizing that the festivals represented different ethnic groups and neighborhoods, he submitted a proposal to Penns Landing Corporation (PLC) to have an Islamic festival. Because PLC already had an African-American festival and did not want a festival based on religion, PLC's board denied his proposal. Muhammad was not nonplused He wrote letters to the PLC president, human rights groups, City Council and the Mayor complaining that ICPIC had suffered discriminatory treatment. Soon enough, his proposal was granted and the first Islamic cultural festival was celebrated among other communities. "I learned early on that I could do anything I wanted to do," asserts Muhammad. "I began to look at resistance as something that helped strengthen me." Since then, ICPIC has successfully celebrated twelve annual festivals at Penn's Landing, attracting people from all over the country.

The sixth Islamic Youth and Adult Summit will be held during the winter to discuss the issues facing Muslims and educate the community about Islam. The meeting is usually held for seven hours per day, during one weekend. Community leaders are encouraged to attend.

Among ICPIC's recent endeavors is the founding of the Muslim American Museum and Archive at Masjid Mohammed, 4243 Lancaster Avenue. Opened in September, the museum spreads cultural and community awareness of Islam through art galleries and through the circulation of photographs.

With a powerful spirit and an iron will, Abdul Rahim Muhammad continues to make a difference in the community every day.

Additional information about ICPIC can be obtained at www.icpic.net, or by calling (610) 352 - 0424 or (215) 985 - 9420. Membership applications and donations can be sent in the form of check or money order to ICPIC at 40 Millbourne Ave., Millbourne, PA 19082.

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