‘Great Muslim American Road Trip’ teaches couple plenty about themselves, their country

Because the country was blanketed by the coronavirus pandemic, they thought they might see isolation and division. But, says Robins, “it’s really hard to hate up close. We went into parts of America that I think Muslims would be afraid to go into…and the kindness we were met with from the beginning to the end was really beautiful.”

The trip – on Historic Route 66 – took the couple from Chicago to Los Angeles, stopping at various landmarks and discovering a story about Muslim Americans most might find surprising.

“We kept stumbling on tiny little communities of Muslims doing stuff very much engrained in the past, present and future,” says Alex Kronemer, the series’ director and producer. “Seeing how intertwined the Muslim story is with the American story was a big surprise and what the audience will take away from this project.”

Airing over three weeks (it ends July 19 on PBS), the road trip tells a story of Muslims in America and details the relationship Haydar, an acclaimed rapper, and her husband have.

“Eight years ago, we started our family, so we really haven’t had a chance to just hang out,” Haydar says. “That was really beautiful – both spiritually and emotionally – to be able to connect as a couple.

“As an artist, it’s pushing me to share my voice to a wider audience and community rather than simply speaking to the Muslim audience. I know that my music has gone global and people listen from all over the world, but I hope that I can express myself in a way that’s just simply human.”

The 21-day trip had a specific route but it, too, got changed due to road closures. A side trip to Las Vegas, Haydar says, proved meaningful. “We found this incredible community called the Muslim Village and this community just inspired me deeply. They are truly living a communal life of service, offering themselves as stewards of hospitality, of generosity, of service, to all humankind.”

Haydar saw their example as guide for how “we are all supposed to live.”

St. Louis introduced them to “incredible meals” (“We’re planning our next trip to St. Louis just to eat”) and Tulsa taught them “how we can use our lives to support racial justice in this country.”

The trip also let the two reveal something new about each other.

“This road trip definitely confirmed some of my reservations about his taste in music,” Haydar says. “We all agreed on Bill Withers. So that was healthy and strengthening for our relationship.”

While “Road Trip” didn’t drill down into specific sects, it did uncover practitioners of all backgrounds. “We met African American Muslims. We met immigrants of all kinds. We also met many converts of many ethnicities and backgrounds,” Kronemer says. “Exploring the diversity was really big.”

And, says Haydar, the story of Muslims in America is old.  “It predates America. Muslims have been here working side by side with the Native peoples, meeting them and coming into contact with them in beautiful ways, not in harmful ways.”

For Robins, who grew up with a Christian mother and a Jewish father, religion was confusing. “I spent a lot of my 20s and 30s exploring different religions,” he says. “Since I was a teenager, I had a love and an interest in Islam.”

What made him want to convert was the structure that allowed him to connect with God five times a day and “to humble myself.”

“What sustains me is the emphasis on service – that community is just a hugely integral part of Islam. As a Westerner who was raised fairly self-oriented, that’s a huge challenge, but it’s a beautiful challenge to step outside of yourself.”