TikTok Trend: Young Americans turn to Quran reading in solidarity with Gaza
Washington: In a trend on TikTok, young Americans are diving into the Quran to better understand Islam and show solidarity with Muslims, particularly those in Gaza, a report by The Guardian has noted. This movement, marked by the hashtag "quranbookclub," has gained traction, with 1.9 million views on the platform.
Megan B Rice, a 34-year-old romance novel enthusiast from Chicago, exemplifies this growing curiosity. Using her TikTok platform, Rice initially spoke out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Intrigued by her Muslim followers' suggestion to read the Quran for a deeper understanding, Rice established a "World Religion Book Club" on Discord. The experience led her to embrace Islam, finding alignment with the text's anti-consumerist, anti-oppressive, and feminist values.
The TikTok movement is not without precedent, as the Quran became a bestseller in the aftermath of 9/11. However, the current wave distinguishes itself by a genuine desire to understand the resilience and faith of Muslim Palestinians, rather than confirming preconceived biases about Islam.
Nefertari Moonn, a 35-year-old from Tampa, Florida, embarked on a similar journey. Initially spiritual but not religious, Moonn delved into the Quran to comprehend what drove people to turn to Allah in times of adversity. The emotional resonance she found led her to take the shahada, becoming a Muslim revert.
The movement extends beyond TikTok, with Misha Euceph, a Pakistani American writer and podcast host, running a Quran Book Club on Instagram since 2020. Euceph highlights how certain Quranic themes resonate with the values of young, left-leaning Americans, emphasizing environmentalism and anti-consumerism.
The Quran's stance on gender equality also appeals to many readers. In the eyes of God, men and women are equals, aligning with feminist principles for converts like Rice. Additionally, the Quran's engagement with scientific explanations for creation, including references to the big bang, challenges the perceived conflict between religion and science.
Sylvia Chan-Malik, an associate professor at Rutgers University, draws parallels between the current TikTok trend and her own experience post-9/11. Having converted to Islam during that period, Chan-Malik notes the vast disconnect between popular perceptions of Islam and the reality she discovered through personal interactions.
Zareena Grewal, an associate professor at Yale, observes that individuals often approach religious texts with the intent to confirm existing worldviews. In the case of TikTokers, they seek progressive messages within the Quran, recognizing the complexity and multiple interpretations of religious scriptures.
For Rice, who rejected Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslim Americans, reading the Quran became a way to empathize with Palestinians in Gaza. The experience challenged her internalized misconceptions about Islam, leading to a profound transformation.
The TikTok trend of exploring the Quran reflects a genuine desire among young Americans to understand and connect with Islam, driven by empathy and a quest for truth, as Rice aptly puts it in The Guardian’s report, learning about the most intimate aspects of someone, including their faith, fosters empathy irrespective of one's religious background.
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Motivational speaker Sonu Sharma slams govt, Supreme Court over Aravalli Hills order
Says If Aravalli falls, our future falls
New Delhi: Motivational speaker and life coach Sonu Sharma has strongly criticised the Narendra Modi-led central government and the Supreme Court over recent developments related to the Aravalli Hills, warning that the decisions could have long-term consequences for North India’s environment and air quality.
In a video posted on social media, Sharma questioned the logic behind treating parts of the Aravalli range measuring less than 100 metres in height as non-mountains, a position that has emerged from recent legal interpretations. Without naming specific judgments, Sharma said such reasoning effectively strips large portions of the ancient mountain range of legal protection and opens the door for large-scale mining.
The Aravalli range, considered one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, plays a crucial role in checking desertification, regulating climate and acting as a natural barrier against dust storms from the Thar desert. Environmentalists have long warned that continued degradation of the Aravallis could worsen air pollution in cities such as Delhi and accelerate ecological damage across Rajasthan, Haryana and the National Capital Region.
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In the video, Sharma argued that redefining mountains based on arbitrary height criteria amounts to legitimising environmental destruction. He compared it to denying basic human identity based on physical attributes, calling the approach illogical and dangerous. He claimed that in Rajasthan alone, nearly 12,000 peaks are part of the Aravalli system, and that only around 1,000 of them exceed 100 metres, leaving the vast majority vulnerable to legal mining activity.
Sharma also took aim at a televised statement by senior news anchor Rajat Sharma, who had said that Delhi’s pollution gets trapped because the city is shaped like a bowl surrounded by the Aravalli Hills. Sharma rejected the argument that the Aravallis are responsible for pollution, instead describing them as the “lungs of North India” whose destruction is aggravating the crisis.
Without directly naming the court, Sharma said institutions were issuing orders without understanding environmental realities. His remarks have been widely interpreted as a criticism of the Supreme Court’s recent stance on the Aravalli Hills, which has drawn concern from environmental groups who fear it may weaken safeguards against mining.
The video has gained significant traction online, given Sharma’s large following of over five million followers on Instagram and more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube. Many users echoed his concerns, saying unchecked mining and construction in the Aravallis would worsen water scarcity, air pollution and desertification.
Sharma ended his message with a call to protect the Aravalli range, warning that continued neglect would have irreversible consequences. “If the Aravalli falls, our future will also fall,” he said, urging citizens to speak up against policies and orders that, in his view, prioritise development over environmental survival.
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