Hello, Bonjour, Anhyan, Salam.

Im sitting in a hotel room on the 7th floor of a 3-star hotel in the heart of Chicago, IL. A couple of friends and I decided that there wasn’t a better way to celebrate the end of finals than by spending the long-weekend 1200 miles from home. Ofcourse, 2 hours into the trip; I suddenly realized that half of the Midwest felt the same way, as the supposed 6 hour journey ended up taking over 10. Khair, Alhamdulillah we made it here safe. Fast forward 2 days and it is a rainy Sunday afternoon.I have just gotten off the weekly MT Conference call. Now let me tell you something about our Internal Team;we are made of 4 fabulous individuals who live all across the world (well okay; 2 continents, but still, the continents are pretty far off!). We work from three different time-zones; and conduct our finances in 2 different currencies.Over the years, we have managed to create a system so that we can work efficiently without having to be in the same location. But until today; until this very moment; I have never realized how amazing this truly is. Because of technology, today a business meeting was conducted from not 3 but 4 different locations, on 4 different time-zones infront of 4 different bodies of water (well; not really..)Technology has allowed the world to become smaller, and given individuals the opportunities to make connections,and build relationships on a, in lemans terms, ‘non-existant’ (see: Virtual) platform. I mean, who else can boast that they have never even had the opportunity to shake hands with their boss? (Shoutout: Z!) In a word; technology has allowed the world to become smaller, it is now our responsibility to bring the Ummah together. 

I must say, I am pretty STOKED about the launch of ‘MT GLOBE‘. Incase you have been living under a rock, or a shell, or some sort of rural farm where you don’t get telephone reception (if this is the case, trust me; you need Sprint! It has the ULTIMATE network) Muslimtees has recently opened up our Shipping to all International Locations; from Burma to Brazil, Dubai to Dakkar, maybe even Narnia (Please Note: If you live in Narnia, allow additional time for the delivery of your T-Shirt).

Why is this so exciting you ask? Well first off, the fact that my 50+ first-cousins who live all around the globe (Shout-out: Bashy!!) have the opportunity to rock out in Clothes which I have designed. And although the Muslims all over the world will inshallah be rocking out in MT, there’s just something about ones’ family doing it as well. But I digress..

The bigger, more important reason that International Shipping makes me so happy is because we, as muslims, and as a company will finally begin to take advantage of technology. Our goal as a company has always been to bring together Generation Y Muslims in America and allow them an artistic medium to express themselves; and a thread to keep them connected. Alhamdulillah by the grace of Allah (S.W.T) we have managed to successfully begin a movement. And now, we are taking this movement and expanding it by bringing together Brothers and Sisters all over the world who share one common belief: “La-Illaha Illallah’ There are over 1,600 Million muslims all over the world; we control just under 25% of the World’s Population. This means that 1 out of every 4 people you meet each and every minute of every day is a Muslim. Let’s step back for just a moment and think how amazing that is.. 

And yet, the sad truth of our existence is that we are not as successful a demographic as we have the opportunity to be. There is nosuper-power or even ‘potential super-power’ that believes *officially* in the shahadah. On the way to school or work, we are not reminded of any amazing discovery or invention that has been created by Muslims. Truth be told, whenever I myself see a brother; the first question that comes to my mind is ‘Is he Hispanic?’ It isn’t until I here the accent that I realize he is infact one of me. So why is it that if we are so many, that we are not as visible as can be? In a word; I feel we have all missed one of the most important ayats in the holy Quran:

“And hold Fast-All of you together, to the cable of Allah; and do not Seperate.” –Aal Imran, 103.

The sad truth is that we as a population, have come to look at our differences, be it secular affiliations or distances; instead of looking at the one common denominator: Allah. It is my belief that maybe we are not making that big of a positive impact towards society because, as much as you might not want to hear it, 

we are not as close as we should be. And alhamdulillah, there are no excuses for us either!! Technology allows us to come together and make that change. But change can only come if we, as an Ummah, can come together. 

It is our responsibility as the next generation to ensure that we can take our population and bring those positive impacts by banding together and creating something great. Inshallah, it is my hope that International Shipping will become our Pandora’s Box (in a good way that is) and be the first step in bringing us together. If nothing else; it will inshallah be the thread that holds us all together..

Jazaks for reading this; and let’s get out there and make this world a smaller place! 

Let’s make a statement to the rest of the world; let our clothing become the significant visual identity that shows the world that whether we live in America, or Afghanistan: We are all muslim, and we are all united.

Salam.

Zamin

5 Designs Sold Until Sold-Out

Assalaamu alaikum,

Yes – you read correctly these designs, once sold out, will not return (in the near future). The designs are:

• Ramadan – Fast/Eat
• Humza Rocks
• USS FOB ( A personal favorite)
• Somali Star
• State of Wudu

You are probably thinking, “Hey guys, these shirts are so awesome. Man I want a peanut butter sandwich”

Well in response I would tell you not to worry because inshaAllah we will replace them with some hotter shirts and these designs might come back someday if we do a retro flashback. I’d also advise you to get a peanut butter sandwich.

Really it is a matter of space, we need to get rid of the old to make room for the new. Enjoy the $9.99 price tag! Offer is good until shirts run out, happy shopping.

Salaam. Z.

It’s been a Year?

A big welcome and air-high-five to Zamin! This is going to be one of the awesomest teams you’re going to be a part of …where getting picked last is a good thing, and “sprint” is the company Ledo works at and you can laugh awkwardly at jokes and pretend you understand them without anyone knowing because its a conference call.

This post marks about a year since I’ve joined MuslimTees. As a team we near the 2-year mark of MT itself. They say most businesses fail within the first 2 years, so I’m pretty sure we’re doing something right, alhamdulillah.

Three of the most important things I’ve learned so far: Discipline, Action and Direction.

- “We do what we need to do when we need to do it, so that we can do what we want to do when we want to do it.”

That has been the MT Team slogan and has greatly influenced the way I work. Procrastination is a ridiculous habit that many of us have, no doubt. But while we struggle to break the habit, it becomes harder to go backwards. Lack of procrastination: Action, action action. 

Execution of direction:

A new mission statement that has been formulated by our visions and aspirations, and gives us direction.

- “Offering fresh apparel to address and inspire a creative, bold, and global Muslim Identity”

We’ve narrowed it down using more descriptive words that allow us to be more broad yet focused. Like looking through various lenses…It’s the same picture but different ways of looking at it. We want to serve all people looking for unique style, with the American Muslim consumer being our target market. We don’t plan on only making shirts, but sending a cultural message across. 

We’re Muslim – a global identity, backed up with a specific American ID. I could be very confident in what I’m saying, but not neccesarily so! As America is a melting pot, a mosaic, a salad of cultures and diversities, each person is free to associate themselves with whatever culture that suits them. So it’s definately a bumpy ride in trying to define ourselves, with the cultural and ethnic baggage our ancestors have passed down to us, our religion and our current setting.

Where does that lead us? MuslimTees.com in a nutshell. I hope you’re not allergic.

One last thought to leave everyone with: The four Ps of marketing: Produce, Price, Place and Promote.

wsalams

-nora