WBUR Oral History Project: Nichole Mossalam

Mossalam, Nichole (Interviewee)

Guberman, Jayne (Interviewer)
McGrath, Jim (Recordist)
McDonough, Ryan (Contributor)

English

March 19, 2014

Sound recording

Interviews
Oral histories (document genres)

Sound Recording

born digital

Countless lives were affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and their aftermath. The WBUR Oral History Project collects stories from individuals whose lives were immediately and irrevocably changed by these events. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of WBUR, our team of oral historians, and the participation of these interview subjects, Our Marathon has tried to ensure that these stories are not forgotten. We believe that these stories matter, and that they demonstrate the ways historical events transform the lives of the people who lived through them. Oral historians Jayne K. Guberman, Ph.D., and Joanna Shea O'Brien conducted the interviews for this project. Oral History Project Manager Kristi Girdharry, Our Marathon Project Co-Director Jim McGrath, and Community Outreach Lead Joanne DeCaro recorded the interviews and provided research assistance and post-interview processing. McGrath and Our Marathon Audio Technician Ryan McDonough provided sound editing and processing for all of the interviews and clips. The opinions and statements expressed in interviews and related content featured in the WBUR Oral History Project do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Our Marathon, WBUR, Northeastern University, or any employees or volunteers affiliated with these institutions and projects. Our Marathon and The WBUR Oral History project make no assertions about the veracity of statements made by participants in this project. Nichole Mossalam, executive director of the Cambridge mosque, grew up in San Bernadino, California during the period of the Rodney King riots. The family later fled the violence of their neighborhood by moving to Utah, only to confront a different kind of prejudice. A devout Catholic, Nichole relates having trouble making friends in the predominantly Mormon community because of her religion. During a period of personal turmoil in her late teens, Nichole discovered Islam. Participating in Muslim prayers and wearing a headscarf provided structure and solace as an early marriage was failing. Nichole describes the teachings that drew her to Islam, the process of conversion, and the salutary impact of wearing a hijab (head covering for women), as well as meeting her second husband through Muslim friends. Moving to Boston for her husband's post-doctoral fellowship, Nichole took a part-time secretarial job at the Cambridge mosque in the weeks before the Boston Marathon 2013. Describing marathon day, Nichole recalls hearing about the bombings during a brief work break. Shortly thereafter she received a call from her husband, who could see smoke rising from the blasts from his window in the Longwood Medical area. Nichole relates her fears for his safety as rumors and speculation swirled about what had happened. Nichole reflects on the emotional intensity of the following days, especially once the Tsarnaev brothers were identified as the main suspects. Cambridge as a whole, she recalls, was in shock. For the Muslim community, the trauma was heightened by fears of an anti-Muslim backlash. When the Cambridge mosque was named as Tamerlan Tsarnaev's place of worship, the mosque was inundated by requests from the media, while they also were cooperating with the FBI investigation. In the midst of this collective trauma, the mosque also strove to provide a space where community members who knew the Tsarnaevs personally could struggle with complex feelings of grief, guilt, and shock. A heartening aspect of these events was the unprecedented support offered by Cambridge neighbors, officials, and other faith communities. Messages poured into the mosque offering support and condolences. Clergy from other faiths helped organize a "solidarity walk" from Cambridge City Hall to the mosque, where an overflowing crowd participated in an interfaith service. At the same time, mosque leaders dealt with those who tried to portray the mosque as a breeding ground for Islamic extremism by sponsoring a fundraiser for the One Fund and opening their doors to anyone who wanted to come in. Nichole recalled the months that followed the bombings as a period of healing. Bolstered by strong, outside support, the Muslim community focused on fostering deeper ties with the larger community. "Once the unknown becomes your neighbor, " she says, "we're taking fear out of the equation." For Nichole, the image of Boston Strong is like a phoenix rising from the ashes. In the face of terrora, the people of Boston stood together, not allowing differences in race, religion, or culture to tear apart the communal fabric.

The opinions and statements expressed in interviews and related content featured in the WBUR Oral History Project do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Our Marathon, WBUR, Northeastern University, or any employees or volunteers affiliated with these institutions and projects. Our Marathon and The WBUR Oral History project make no assertions about the veracity of statements made by participants in this project.

The WBUR Oral History Project. Nichole Mossalam (Oral History), Jayne Guberman (Oral Historian), Jim McGrath (Recorder), Ryan McDonough (Sound Processing and Recording)

Our Marathon The Boston Bombing Digital Archive

Boston Marathon Bombing, Boston, Mass., 2013

Northeastern University Library

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