The children of Muslims in America are often difficult to spot at first glance. They come from many different backgrounds and countries and are the new faces of America. One would question the feasibility of

One underlying factor unites the members of this group: this is Islam.

maintaining eastern cultures and religious practices in a western world. The Islamic Society of Central Jersey has found a way to do just this -- through weekly Islamic Sunday school.

Various retail labels on jackets, shirts and jeans abound in the trailer that temporarily houses a set of classrooms. The Tommy Hilfiger®, Nautica® and FuBu® labels make these students look like any others you might find in an American classroom, but at second glance there is something incredibly striking about this group. They are separated by sex on opposite sides of the room, but are unified by the single circle in which they sit. One underlying factor unites the members of this group: this is Islam.

Islamic holy book - the Quran

These are students in grades 8-12 at the "Islamic Society of Central Jersey's 8th grade" Sunday school class. The teachers of this class are Neelofur Wasti and Zena Saymeh, both college students. After graduating from the Islamic Sunday school, they were asked to teach 8th grade, which is often considered the most difficult age group at any school. Lessons include memorization of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, learning Arabic and Islamic history, and discussions that focus on current events. Weekly reading assignments and papers are also given and the students often volunteer to give in-class presentations and speeches on Islam and related topics.

Most of the students have already memorized about 40 chapters of the Quran, and could tell you a great deal about Islamic history without consulting a textbook. The students are mostly public school educated and live in many different areas of New Jersey and New York, but come together every Sunday for both religious education and development of Islamic culture through the maintenance of tradition and the discussion of current events.