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Suhaib Webb

April 17, 2024

Suhaib Webb is an American Muslim imam who converted from Christianity to Islam in 1992. He has previously been the imam of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC).[2]

Suhaib Webb
Born
William Webb

(1972-06-29) June 29, 1972 (age 51)
Oklahoma, United States
Alma materAl-Azhar University
OccupationImam
YouTube information
Channel
  • Suhaib Webb
Years activeJune 3, 2008–present
Subscribers25.7 thousand[1]
Total views416 thousand[1]
Last updated: 26 October 2022
Websitesuhaibwebb.com

Biography edit

Early life edit

He was born William Webb in 1972 in Oklahoma to a Christian family, including a grandfather who served as a preacher.[3] At age 14, he lost interest in religion, going through a self-described spiritual crisis. He also began engaging in delinquency by joining a local gang and became a local hip hop DJ and producer,[2] making records with various artists.

Education edit

After converting to Islam in 1992,[4] Webb left his career as a DJ and studied at the University of Central Oklahoma, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in education.[5] He also studied privately under a Senegalese sheikh, learning enough Islam and Arabic to become a community leader in Oklahoma City, where he was hired as imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City.[6] He simultaneously started teaching at Mercy School, an Islamic K–12 school in Oklahoma City.[citation needed] He also obtained a degree in Islamic Law from Al Azhar University.[7]

Career edit

Webb is an active member of the Muslim American Society and its youth department and has been so for the last ten years.[when?] It is through the Muslim American Society's scholarship program that he was sent to Egypt to attain fluency in Arabic and focus on Islamic studies.[6] Webb frequently hosts lectures and posts articles offering Islamic perspectives on modern-day issues such as community involvement and social relevance.[8]

Apart from his studies, he frequently lectures in the United States and Malaysia, and records public lecture series on Islam and contemporary Muslim matters. After graduating from Al-Azhar, he moved to Santa Clara in the San Francisco Bay area, where he worked with the bay area Muslim American Society Office and Muslim Community Association. On December 1, 2011, Webb was inaugurated as the imam of the Islamic Society of Boston's Cultural Center (ISBCC),[9] the largest Islamic center in New England.[3]

Reputation edit

According to a strategy report by the UK government, senior UK government officials, including representatives of nine of the biggest Whitehall departments, consider Webb as a notable moderate leader for mainstream Muslims along with the likes of Hamza Yusuf and Amr Khaled, who should receive more support in providing leadership to Muslims in the West.[10][11][12] Webb was named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in 2010.[13] Webb's website, SuhaibWebb.com, was voted the best "Blog of the Year" by the 2009 Brass Crescent Awards,[14] and his tweets won him the vote of "Best Muslim Tweeter" of 2010.[15]

In the April 2016 issue of Dabiq Magazine, The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant declared him a murtadd (or apostate).[16]

Views and accomplishments edit

Webb had gone on a trip with a group of imams to Auschwitz in 2010, and then following the trip, publicly condemned Holocaust-denial and anti-Semitism.[17] He helped raise $20,000 for widows and children of firefighters killed in the 9/11 attack.[18] He is a part of efforts to more effectively rebut militants and religious extremists [19][20] and is an advocate for grassroots Muslim activism to promote social change. He advocates for an American-style Islam, one which he claims to be true to the Quran and Islamic law but that reflects the country's customs and culture.[21][22] He has spoken out against radical clerics that seek to prey on insecure youth and their American identities, stating that "We do have to shepherd them and look out for people like al-Awlaki who tries to undermine that (U.S.) experience and use it against them."[23] Following the Boston Marathon bombing, Webb condemned the acts as radical [24] and joined with interfaith clergy to pray that "we continue to live in harmony, honoring and celebrating our similarities and differences, working together for the common good."[25]

Controversies edit

In 2007, Webb wrote an article calling homosexuality an “evil inclination” and told a gay would-be convert to Islam to seek treatment for his “problems”.[26] He says he has since re-thought the issue and says that though homosexuality is sinful, the constitution guarantees everyone the right to be married.[27] Webb has also had LGBT people contribute to his website, noting that a time has come for a change how the community addresses this issue.[28]

On April 19, 2013, Webb was replaced as the representative of Boston's Muslim community [29] to the interfaith service honoring the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross by Governor Deval Patrick's office for undisclosed reasons. Webb still attended in the pews along with several other prominent imams. Webb was replaced by Nasser Wedaddy, director of civil rights outreach for the American Islamic Congress and chair of the New England Interfaith Council.[30]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "About Suhaib Webb". YouTube.
  2. ^ a b "Islam is all-American for one U.S. Muslim leader". Reuters. March 20, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "With a New Imam, a New Outlook". Boston Globe. December 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  4. ^ Suhaib comments on his conversion to Islam
  5. ^ . isbcc.org. Archived from the original on 2012-02-02.
  6. ^ a b "Suhaib Webb". Egypt Today. January 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  7. ^ "Suhaib Webb | NYU Wagner". wagner.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  8. ^ "Islam is all-American for one U.S. Muslim leader". Reuters. March 20, 2011. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  9. ^ "Imam William Suhaib Webb's Inauguration Celebration –". Isbcc.org. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  10. ^ Leppard, David (May 30, 2004). . The Sunday Times. UK. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2013-06-29.
  11. ^ Thompson, Harvey (June 3, 2004). "Blair government's strategy to police Britain's Muslims leaked". World Socialist Website. Retrieved 2013-06-29.
  12. ^ Saeed, Sohaib (July 9, 2004). "If Qaradawi is an extremist, who is left?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  13. ^ "The 500 Most Influential Muslims". Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. Jordan. 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  14. ^ "Best Muslim Blog of the Year". Brass Crescent Awards. 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  15. ^ "Best Muslim Tweeter of the Year". Brass Crescent Awards. 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  16. ^ "Kill the Imams of the West" (PDF). Dabiq 1437 Rajab (April - May 2016) (14). Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant: 14. Retrieved 2016-04-30. On perhaps the other end of the "Sūfī mainstream" spectrum, there is the joke of al-Azhar, Suhaib Webb ...
  17. ^ "Imams' trip to Auschwitz brings hope". Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem. August 22, 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  18. ^ Booth, Jenny (May 30, 2004). "The moderates". Times Online. London. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  19. ^ "Muslims Combating Extremism". PBS. London. September 10, 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  20. ^ Goodstein, Laurie (July 31, 2010). "American Muslims Make Video to Rebut Militants". New York Times. New York. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  21. ^ "The Need to be Socially relevant". ISNA. August 30, 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-12-22. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  22. ^ Abdulrahim, Raja (May 27, 2011). "Imam teaches Islam with a distinct U.S. style". Los Angeles Times. USA. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  23. ^ Marsh, Wendell (March 20, 2011). "Islam is all-American for one U.S. Muslim leader". Reuters. WASHINGTON. Retrieved 2013-06-29.
  24. ^ Webb, Suhaib (April 24, 2013). "No Room for Radicals". New York Times. USA. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  25. ^ Webb, Suhaib (May 17, 2013). "A Statement of Grief and Hope From Boston". Huffington Post. USA. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  26. ^ Webb, Suhaib (April 5, 2013). "I'm a Homosexual and I want to Embrace Islam". Virtual Mosque. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  27. ^ "Imam William Suhaib Webb emerges as face of Boston's Muslim community in time of crisis - Metro". The Boston Globe. 2013-05-12. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  28. ^ Yusuf, Mohammed (April 3, 2013). . Suhaib Webb: Your Virtual Mosque. Archived from the original on July 19, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  29. ^ "Muslim Brotherhood-Linked Mosque's Imam Replaced as Speaker at Service for Boston Marathon Attack Victims | Jewish & Israel News". Algemeiner.com. 2013-04-19. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  30. ^ "Muslim Brotherhood-linked mosque's imam replaced as speaker at service for Boston Marathon attack victims —". Jns.org. 2013-04-21. Retrieved March 9, 2015.

Further reading edit

  • Donahue, Bill (19 January 2017). "An unlikely messenger becomes a guiding spirit to young Muslims". Washington Post.

External links edit

  • Official website
  • Suhaib Webb Video and Audio lectures from Halal Tube

April 17, 2024
suhaib, webb, american, muslim, imam, converted, from, christianity, islam, 1992, previously, been, imam, islamic, society, boston, cultural, center, isbcc, bornwilliam, webb, 1972, june, 1972, oklahoma, united, statesalma, materal, azhar, universityoccupation. Suhaib Webb is an American Muslim imam who converted from Christianity to Islam in 1992 He has previously been the imam of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center ISBCC 2 Suhaib WebbBornWilliam Webb 1972 06 29 June 29 1972 age 51 Oklahoma United StatesAlma materAl Azhar UniversityOccupationImamYouTube informationChannelSuhaib WebbYears activeJune 3 2008 presentSubscribers25 7 thousand 1 Total views416 thousand 1 Last updated 26 October 2022Websitesuhaibwebb wbr com Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life 1 2 Education 2 Career 3 Reputation 4 Views and accomplishments 5 Controversies 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksBiography editEarly life edit He was born William Webb in 1972 in Oklahoma to a Christian family including a grandfather who served as a preacher 3 At age 14 he lost interest in religion going through a self described spiritual crisis He also began engaging in delinquency by joining a local gang and became a local hip hop DJ and producer 2 making records with various artists Education edit After converting to Islam in 1992 4 Webb left his career as a DJ and studied at the University of Central Oklahoma where he graduated with a bachelor s degree in education 5 He also studied privately under a Senegalese sheikh learning enough Islam and Arabic to become a community leader in Oklahoma City where he was hired as imam at the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City 6 He simultaneously started teaching at Mercy School an Islamic K 12 school in Oklahoma City citation needed He also obtained a degree in Islamic Law from Al Azhar University 7 Career editWebb is an active member of the Muslim American Society and its youth department and has been so for the last ten years when It is through the Muslim American Society s scholarship program that he was sent to Egypt to attain fluency in Arabic and focus on Islamic studies 6 Webb frequently hosts lectures and posts articles offering Islamic perspectives on modern day issues such as community involvement and social relevance 8 Apart from his studies he frequently lectures in the United States and Malaysia and records public lecture series on Islam and contemporary Muslim matters After graduating from Al Azhar he moved to Santa Clara in the San Francisco Bay area where he worked with the bay area Muslim American Society Office and Muslim Community Association On December 1 2011 Webb was inaugurated as the imam of the Islamic Society of Boston s Cultural Center ISBCC 9 the largest Islamic center in New England 3 Reputation editAccording to a strategy report by the UK government senior UK government officials including representatives of nine of the biggest Whitehall departments consider Webb as a notable moderate leader for mainstream Muslims along with the likes of Hamza Yusuf and Amr Khaled who should receive more support in providing leadership to Muslims in the West 10 11 12 Webb was named one of the 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in 2010 13 Webb s website SuhaibWebb com was voted the best Blog of the Year by the 2009 Brass Crescent Awards 14 and his tweets won him the vote of Best Muslim Tweeter of 2010 15 In the April 2016 issue of Dabiq Magazine The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant declared him a murtadd or apostate 16 Views and accomplishments editWebb had gone on a trip with a group of imams to Auschwitz in 2010 and then following the trip publicly condemned Holocaust denial and anti Semitism 17 He helped raise 20 000 for widows and children of firefighters killed in the 9 11 attack 18 He is a part of efforts to more effectively rebut militants and religious extremists 19 20 and is an advocate for grassroots Muslim activism to promote social change He advocates for an American style Islam one which he claims to be true to the Quran and Islamic law but that reflects the country s customs and culture 21 22 He has spoken out against radical clerics that seek to prey on insecure youth and their American identities stating that We do have to shepherd them and look out for people like al Awlaki who tries to undermine that U S experience and use it against them 23 Following the Boston Marathon bombing Webb condemned the acts as radical 24 and joined with interfaith clergy to pray that we continue to live in harmony honoring and celebrating our similarities and differences working together for the common good 25 Controversies editIn 2007 Webb wrote an article calling homosexuality an evil inclination and told a gay would be convert to Islam to seek treatment for his problems 26 He says he has since re thought the issue and says that though homosexuality is sinful the constitution guarantees everyone the right to be married 27 Webb has also had LGBT people contribute to his website noting that a time has come for a change how the community addresses this issue 28 On April 19 2013 Webb was replaced as the representative of Boston s Muslim community 29 to the interfaith service honoring the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross by Governor Deval Patrick s office for undisclosed reasons Webb still attended in the pews along with several other prominent imams Webb was replaced by Nasser Wedaddy director of civil rights outreach for the American Islamic Congress and chair of the New England Interfaith Council 30 References edit a b About Suhaib Webb YouTube a b Islam is all American for one U S Muslim leader Reuters March 20 2011 Retrieved March 20 2011 a b With a New Imam a New Outlook Boston Globe December 2011 Retrieved April 25 2014 Suhaib comments on his conversion to Islam Imam Suhaib Webb ISBCC isbcc org Archived from the original on 2012 02 02 a b Suhaib Webb Egypt Today January 2008 Retrieved April 25 2009 Suhaib Webb NYU Wagner wagner nyu edu Retrieved 2021 05 04 Islam is all American for one U S Muslim leader Reuters March 20 2011 Retrieved March 20 2011 Imam William Suhaib Webb s Inauguration Celebration Isbcc org Retrieved March 9 2015 Leppard David May 30 2004 Bomb finds stir ministers to target the roots of terrorism The Sunday Times UK Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Retrieved 2013 06 29 Thompson Harvey June 3 2004 Blair government s strategy to police Britain s Muslims leaked World Socialist Website Retrieved 2013 06 29 Saeed Sohaib July 9 2004 If Qaradawi is an extremist who is left The Guardian London Retrieved 2009 04 02 The 500 Most Influential Muslims Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre Jordan 2010 Retrieved March 20 2011 Best Muslim Blog of the Year Brass Crescent Awards 2009 Retrieved March 20 2011 Best Muslim Tweeter of the Year Brass Crescent Awards 2010 Retrieved March 20 2011 Kill the Imams of the West PDF Dabiq 1437 Rajab April May 2016 14 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 14 Retrieved 2016 04 30 On perhaps the other end of the Sufi mainstream spectrum there is the joke of al Azhar Suhaib Webb Imams trip to Auschwitz brings hope Jerusalem Post Jerusalem August 22 2010 Retrieved 2011 07 04 Booth Jenny May 30 2004 The moderates Times Online London Retrieved 2009 04 05 Muslims Combating Extremism PBS London September 10 2010 Retrieved 2011 07 04 Goodstein Laurie July 31 2010 American Muslims Make Video to Rebut Militants New York Times New York Retrieved 2011 07 04 The Need to be Socially relevant ISNA August 30 2008 Archived from the original on 2021 12 22 Retrieved 2009 04 05 Abdulrahim Raja May 27 2011 Imam teaches Islam with a distinct U S style Los Angeles Times USA Retrieved 2011 07 03 Marsh Wendell March 20 2011 Islam is all American for one U S Muslim leader Reuters WASHINGTON Retrieved 2013 06 29 Webb Suhaib April 24 2013 No Room for Radicals New York Times USA Retrieved 2013 06 04 Webb Suhaib May 17 2013 A Statement of Grief and Hope From Boston Huffington Post USA Retrieved 2013 06 04 Webb Suhaib April 5 2013 I m a Homosexual and I want to Embrace Islam Virtual Mosque Retrieved April 13 2019 Imam William Suhaib Webb emerges as face of Boston s Muslim community in time of crisis Metro The Boston Globe 2013 05 12 Retrieved March 9 2015 Yusuf Mohammed April 3 2013 Gay Muslims the Elephants in the Prayer Room Suhaib Webb Your Virtual Mosque Archived from the original on July 19 2014 Retrieved April 6 2017 Muslim Brotherhood Linked Mosque s Imam Replaced as Speaker at Service for Boston Marathon Attack Victims Jewish amp Israel News Algemeiner com 2013 04 19 Retrieved March 9 2015 Muslim Brotherhood linked mosque s imam replaced as speaker at service for Boston Marathon attack victims Jns org 2013 04 21 Retrieved March 9 2015 Further reading editDonahue Bill 19 January 2017 An unlikely messenger becomes a guiding spirit to young Muslims Washington Post External links editOfficial website Suhaib Webb Video and Audio lectures from Halal Tube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Suhaib Webb amp oldid 1191496425, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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