What One Illinois Speaker Said About Islam and America Has People Talking
A recent video of a woman leading a prayer at the Illinois General Assembly has sparked discussions about the history of Islam in America. She asserts that Islam is deeply woven into the nation's history, particularly in relation to black American history. This claim has been met with skepticism, particularly regarding the historical presence of Muslims in the U.S.
- ▪The video has garnered over 560,000 views since its release.
- ▪The speaker claims that the history of Islam in America is not a recent phenomenon but part of the nation's fabric.
- ▪Critics question the accuracy of claims regarding the presence of Muslims among early American history and slavery.
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| Original publisher | PJ Media |
| Canonical URL | https://pjmedia.com/robert-spencer/2026/05/28/what-one-illinois-speaker-said-about-islam-and-america-has-people-talking-n4953344 |
| Publication time | Thu, 28 May 2026 16:05:00 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-28T20:12:50.787Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-28T20:20:16.436Z |
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What One Illinois Speaker Said About Islam and America Has People Talking Robert Spencer | 4:05 PM on May 28, 2026 AP Photo/Andrew Harnik The video, which began circulating on Wednesday and has over 560,000 views as of Thursday afternoon, is arresting on a number of levels. It shows a woman wearing a hijab and leading a prayer at the Illinois General Assembly, which is not all that odd in itself: The General Assembly often features clergy of various religions leading the assembled legislators in prayer. Muslim clerics, however, are universally male, and so in this case, we have a Muslim layperson leading the solons in prayer. What she says, however, is far more striking than the event itself.
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