Oral History Interview with Tasneem Joseph on January 30, 2021
Oral history interview with Tasneem Joseph conducted by Ayesha Cook on January 30, 2021. Interview written by Dr. Alisa Perkins (Research Director) and Ayesha Cook. Tasneem Joseph was born in Detroit, Michigan, on July 2, 1989, to Muslim parents who hailed from Michigan and Tennessee. From a young age, Joseph’s parents encouraged her to study Islam and to nurture her creativity. Growing up, Joseph read many books about Islam from her family’s extensive library and attended Masjid An-Nur in Highland Park. She also developed skills in crafting jewelry, poetry, and photography. Later on, she continued to hone her skills as an artist, while engaging with other Michigan Muslim institutions and initiatives such as The Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center, Masjid al-Haqq, Wayne State University Islamic Center of Detroit, Masjid Al-Tawheed, Historic Masjid Wali Muhammad, and the Muslim Enrichment Project. Joseph became the first artist-in-residence at the Indus Detroit, an establishment that is part of a network of Michigan Muslim-run community organizations. As an artist, Joseph serves the Muslim community in many ways, for example by photographing events for Dream of Detroit, The Muslim Center Mosque and Community Center, and other Muslim institutions. Now, as a member of the Tijaniyyah community, Joseph actively seeks out opportunities to further her education in Islamic Sciences, Arabic language study, and Qur’an memorization. In the interview, Joseph describes how she has continued to maintain ties to various Islamic study and worship groups during the COVID-19 pandemic through online gatherings. Joseph also elaborates on her long-term creative mission to celebrate the Detroit Muslim community through her art, while promoting a better public understanding of Muslim Americans.
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