'We're your neighbors': Corpus Christi's Muslim community strives to promote understanding

USA Today

13-02-2025

'We're your neighbors': Corpus Christi's Muslim community strives to promote understanding
Growing up in South Texas, Alishba Kazmi faced a plethora of racism.
Kazmi said the Muslim community in the London school district, where she attended middle and high school, was miniscule.
"I definitely had certain kids come up to me and ask me if I was a part of a terrorist organization," said Kazmi, now a student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. "On 9/11, it was always very awkward. People would come up to me and tell me I should say sorry for something that I wasn't even born yet to witness."
In the Coastal Bend, there are around 2,500 Muslims, according to Aref Erfan Mazloum, the imam — one who leads Muslim worshippers in prayer — for the Islamic Society of Southern Texas of Corpus Christi, the only mosque in the Coastal Bend.
While the local Muslim community is small compared to those of larger Texas cities like Houston and Dallas, it's strong and growing constantly, according to Dr. Samer Jifi-Bahlool, a local nephrologist who was born in Syria. He said he wants the Corpus Christi community to understand Muslims are normal people like everybody else.
"We have our own aspirations and want the best for our family and kids," Jifi-Bahlool said in his office. "We appreciate what we have in this country and the opportunities for everyone. We want the best for this community. We're your neighbors. We're involved in health care and education."
With President Donald Trump in office for his second and final term, some minority groups are concerned about their rights and privileges being endangered. On Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. agencies to refuse to recognize the citizenship of children born in the United States if neither their mother nor father is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
He signed another executive order directing government officials to identify countries with 'deficient' vetting and screening procedures for travelers, which could lead to the United States barring entry to nationals from those countries. Civil rights groups have said that order lays the groundwork for a revival of Trump's previous travel ban that restricted entry into the U.S. for certain foreign nationals from countries with predominantly Muslim populations.
This potential ban frightens Kazmi.
"It definitely is scary, but I wouldn't say it's anything new," Kazmi said. Because she has roots in Pakistan, which she left at a young age, "I don't necessarily feel like an American. But when I go to Pakistan, I don't feel completely Pakistani. I feel like I'm like somewhere trapped in the middle."
'I needed support from God'
The Islamic Society of Southern Texas of Corpus Christi was founded in 1995, with a mission to show that religions can play a major role in restoring world peace, respect, sympathy, trust and peaceful coexistence with different groups.
Mazloum, who is Jordanian-Palestinian, echoed Jifi-Bahlool's words about how the area's Muslim community is slowly growing in recent years. He said that in the past two years, around 60 people have converted to Islam locally.
Brandi Bush converted to Islam nearly three years ago. Originally from Houston, she grew up as a Christian and attended a Southern Baptist Church until she was about 12 years old. She said as she got older, she started to drift away from religion and eventually felt "completely lost."
"I was going through some personal situations, and I needed support from God," Bush said.
She had struggled with some aspects of Christianity, but she found similarities between Islam and Christianity, including their recognition of prophets. When accepting Islam, Bush said she "completely submitted" to God.
Converting shocked her family, Bush said. Some relatives were accepting, while others weren't.
With her own children, Bush said it's up to them to follow their own faith.
"You can't force religion on anybody," Bush said. "For God to accept our deeds, it comes down to intention. If we don't believe it in our heart, then it's not true. ... My children can see the positive changes from myself. I hope that's enough to help guide them to find their path."
Jifi-Bahlool said the Muslim community welcomes all converts with open arms.
"We encourage our community to be kind to everybody," Jifi-Bahlool said. "You cannot force any religion upon others."
Moments of Islamophobia
On New Year's Day, 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar rammed his truck into a crowd of people in New Orleans, killing 15. The FBI deemed the attack "an act of terrorism" inspired by the Islamic State group. Jabbar resided in North Houston, about 3 1/2 hours away from Corpus Christi.
Mazloum said when his community heard of the news, some members were concerned for their safety, fearing a surge in Islamophobia.
"We were and are sad," Mazloum said. "We are more than open to offer our services to help authorities and educate our community at the same time."
An Islamophobic event in South Texas made national headlines in 2017, when the Islamic Center of Victoria was destroyed by a fiery blaze. Weeks after a new mosque opened in 2018, Marq Perez, 26, was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison for burning down the Islamic Center.
Mazloum and Jifi-Bahlool said the Corpus Christi mosque and Muslim community have been the victims of Islamophobia. There have been bullet holes found on the doors at the mosque, a threat from a militia group planning to protest outside the mosque and a letter from California that said members "needed to convert or die."
Every Friday, Muslims' holy day, a Corpus Christi police vehicle is parked outside the mosque to ensure safety during afternoon prayer, when the larger part of the Muslim community is present together.
"What makes us human is no different than anybody else," Jifi-Bahlool said. "We have the same desires. We want to have a good living, a nice home, to have our kids happy and to raise our kids in a good way of life. We want to make sure we do enough good deeds in order to get to heaven."
Muslim women can particularly be a target of racism, as their religion is evident by their hijabs, or head scarves, Bush said.
As a white woman, Bush said she gets stares and sometimes questions, and even aggressive comments, from strangers about why she converted.
Kazmi has not chosen to wear a hijab just yet, saying she wants to wait until she is fully committed to it.
"I know people are going to see me as Muslim, so I know I have to be on my best behavior," Kazmi said. "I have to portray Islam in the best way."
'We try to spread a positive light'
Kazmi considers her religion a major part of her identity. She prays five times a day, lives by Islamic values and teachings, and is involved with every Islamic holiday.
Ramadan — a month of fasting during daylight hours, discipline, reflection and community — starts in the evening Feb. 28 and will end on the evening of March 30.
Kazmi said she did her first entire fast when she was 7 years old. It was something she had always been excited to partake in.
Now that she's a college student, celebrating Ramadan is a little different, she said.
With some school days starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 9:30 p.m., Kazmi said she has to wake up earlier to pray and eat and break her fast in class.
When she's on campus all day, it's also hard for her to pray in a designated area, as the university doesn't provide any for Muslims. Kazmi said she has to resort to finding an empty classroom, a stairwell or an empty corner.
To help with the Muslim community at TAMU-CC, Kazmi joined the Muslim Student Association in 2022. Now the president of the organization, she said the group allows people of all faiths to join to learn more about Islam through community events and guest speakers.
"I want to make it my goal to negate those stereotypes and show people Muslims are good, normal people," Kazmi said. "I just don't like when, especially, Muslim kids have to atone certain things that they have no correlation with whatsoever. I just want people to approach Muslims with an open mind and an open heart."
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at [e-mail] or Bluesky @johnpoliva.bsky.social.
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