The American Muslim (sometimes called TAM) began as a quarterly print journal, in print from 1989 to 1995. Founded by Editor Sheila Musaji, The American Muslim featured original art, Islamic calligraphy, diverse articles and prose. The journal covered a wide range of topics and interests, and though centered in Islam, The American Muslim is notable for focusing on interfaith and intercommunity dialogue to “promote peace, justice, and reconciliation for all humanity”. Each issue of the magazine included an original piece of calligraphy by Mohamed Zakariya.[1] TAM is considered an important Islamic organ speaking out against terrorism.[2]
The publication was produced entirely by volunteer effort.[1]
In 1992 and 1994, The American Muslim produced the first Resource Directory of Islam in America, which included the first Who’s Who Among American Muslims.
The list of individuals who contribute to The American Muslim includes many well-known American Muslims.
After print publication ceased, The American Muslim continued as an E-mail newsletter with a relatively small circulation for some time, and then on January 1, 2002 The American Muslim went online with over 5,000 unique articles. Updated daily, the website has expanded coverage to breaking news, events, and new publications. It remains a volunteer effort with no paid staff.
In 2000, an organization calling itself The Muslim American Society, in no way affiliated with The American Muslim, began a magazine also called The American Muslim. This has caused a large amount of confusion as there is no affiliation between the two publications. Similarly, the name “The Muslim American Society” was the previously well-established name of W.D. Muhammad’s organization.
In 2002, Daniel Pipes began the Campus Watch program which, among other controversial aims, sought to blacklist educators, programs, and colleges which it deemed a threat. Several contributors to The American Muslim immediately published responses to the program, seeing it as a threat to free speech at the best, and sinisterly McCarthy-esque at the worst.
In January 2004, Daniel Pipes found fault with the logo of The American Muslim which is an outline map of the United States with the basmala ("In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful") superimposed in Arabic. Pipes saw this as proof of Islamist intentions for the United States.