I have exciting news, we have now been put into a new little box. Perhaps this one will even put us up one step on the social ladder. I am a BAM- who knew! This term refers to Black American Muslim. This term has been all over the Internet recently.
http://muslimmatters.org/2008/05/27/the-scourge-of-internet-tribalism/
http://brnaeem.blogspot.com/2008/03/bam-immigrant-muslim-dilemma.html
http://www.racialicious.com/2008/05/12/intraracial-dating-women-vs-men-men-vs-women/
Every time i look at my hand i keep seeing the color brown so i am still trying to figure out where this black comes from. Why can’t I just be an AM, an American Muslim or would i have to be Caucasian to qualify? No other country plays the race card with such vigor like the uSA. OK, I digress, back to my rant! I feel incredibility alienated from Muslims in general. Although i have always been a very open and welcoming person, I will admit that my heart has harden considerably after experiencing and observing the pervasive racism that exist within this ummah. I have struggled to find my niche. You name it, I have experienced it:MSA, ISNA, Zaytuna,Al Maghrib, Salafies and the Sufis. The vast majority of American Muslim institutions cater to a certain crowd. I don’t have to spell it out, but you get the picture!
Sometimes i regret ever saying those words that put in the position to have to deal with these people
Isn’t that a horrible thing to say!
Anyway here is the most depressing response from the muslim matters post.
A certain brother said:
Hmmm…maybe the reason BAMs are so critical of IMMs are because they finally have a chance to look down on someone. Blacks are seen as being at the bottom and now all of a sudden these IMM fobs come over that are the butt of all the jokes.
So BAMs get a bit more identity by bashing on someone else, feel good, feel confident and justified about it?
In terms of BAMs and IMMs we all get used to a level of discrimination and so when this stuff comes up it seems really unusual for BAMs to get so antagonistic on their own brothers. I know for a fact that your classical Pakistani uncle will openly say, “Yes, we are negro!” because he sincerely believes he is. Hmmm?
I have to say this comment really shocked me.
Ok, back to work!
The Converts Corner 
amad said,
June 19, 2008 @ 12:43 am
salam brother,
the only reason I used the term BAM because that is what I was told African-Americans prefer, say over AA Muslims. You will see Br. Tariq Nelson use this term too, and in many ways I seek out Br. Tariq for advice in many areas. Mashallah, he is a person to look up to in the blogging world.
In any case, I had hoped the post to be opening up bridges and closing the divide inshallah, not the reverse.
wasalam