Category: Blog Posts

Posted in Blog Posts

Hijabi Librarians Activity Update

Posted on by hijabilibrarians

Salaam/Greetings of Peace!

You may have noticed over the past year that our site content has slowed down.

The reality of professional responsibilities and other life changing events, many as a result of the pandemic, have meant that we have been unable to be consistently active.

We are now projecting that our Favorites list will be posted in January 2024 and include titles from both 2022 and 2023. Our release calendar continues to be updated with more regularity. As our membership and roles transition, we hope for a return to normal reviews and activity, insha’Allah.

Thank you for your readership, support, and consideration!

-The Hijabi Librarians

Posted in Author Interviews, Blog Posts, Books

Author Interview: Sana Rafi

Posted on by hijabilibrarians

Sana Rafi is the author of Little Seeds of Promise, and the upcoming title A Mermaid Girl. You can find out more about Sana, her projects and her thoughts, on her website by following her on Twitter and Instagram.

Interview Questions were compiled by Noureen Qadir Jafar and Amna Hussain

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? What inspired you to write for children and how did Little Seeds of Promise come about?

I don’t know if I ever actively decided to be a writer. It was a part of me from a very early age. I remember loving my elementary school English teacher. I remember looking forward to reading comprehension exercises in third grade. And then I started writing for local children’s magazines in Pakistan around age nine or ten.

I was introduced to picture books only after I became a mother so I think my first inspiration was my son. I also think writing for children meshes well with my personality. Little Seeds of Promise came about from my deep desire to write about immigrants and how difficult yet rewarding their journey is.

As a child, you lived in many countries. Is this story influenced by your own experiences or stories of other new immigrants? Is the grandmother figure based on anyone in your life?

Yes, for sure. I don’t think I would’ve been able to write this book had I not experienced what it was like to be an immigrant as a child. Before moving abroad, I shared a house with my grandparents and so I couldn’t write Maya’s story without including a significant person in her life whom she had left behind. That’s the thing with immigrants–they always leave a part of themselves in their homeland and I wanted to emphasize on mourning that loss with some positivity if that makes sense.

Moving to a new country and changing schools is not easy. What helped you adjust to those big changes in your life?

Honestly, change was hard and I wish I had had access to books that could’ve mirrored my immigration experience. The one thing that remained constant in my life during hard times was my writing–I always continued to write and submit my work to publications, participate in contests as a way of distracting myself but also of giving myself something to look forward to. When I was sixteen, I won a national short story contest and that’s when I knew writing was a deep part of my identity. It became my outlet and friend through the big changes.

On your website, you mentioned that you used to write long letters to your penpals. How did you select your penpals? Would you like to share anything about your penpal experience?

It all started because of a children’s magazine I used to read. They always had a section for penpals and I remember being super intrigued by that. Of course, I loved to write so I thought it would be fun and that’s how it all started. One of my good penpal friends was Shazia who resided in the UK. We’re still friends today, decades later despite the fact that we have never met each other in person. It was a very exciting experience–I used to love receiving snail mail!

Can you talk about the process and time in writing this book?

This book took many shapes and forms. I was constantly writing it and revising it for months before I started querying agents. I sent it directly to my publisher, The Innovation Press and I heard back with some interest. But then a few months passed before I received a book deal from them, which I gladly accepted. Then the book went through several edits–we worked very hard in getting the right messaging across and there was quite a bit of back and forth between me and the editors.

Who was your biggest supporter in your journey of writing Little Seeds of Promise? What does your family think of your book?
My friend and fellow children’s book author Rabea Chaudhry was the first person to nudge me into the world of writing picture books so I always think of her as a monumental presence in my writing journey. My family has been so supportive and excited for me!

Which picture book authors do you draw inspiration from?

I love picture books by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Aya Khalil, Reem Faruqi, M.O. Yuksel, Susannah Aziz and many more!

We know that authors and illustrators don’t often get to work directly together. Were you in touch with the illustrator? Did you have a vision for the way you wanted the book to look and how did you feel about the interpretation by Renia Metallinou?

While Renia and I never got to speak directly, we did communicate via our publisher/editor and I do think she did a lovely job with the illustrations. I was able to see them at different stages and offer my opinions. I was grateful that Renia was able to accommodate some of the changes that I requested and in the end I believe she was able to bring together an even more vibrant and beautiful book than I had envisioned.

Do you feel that books featuring Muslims are being created and marketed in a positive way? Are there trends you like or hope will change?

I believe that the publishing industry has ways to go in terms of supporting Muslim books. It’s hard enough to receive a book deal and then to undertake its marketing and make noise about your own book can be burdensome for some of us. I think the publishing industry needs to do more so that our books become more visible. When will our books be part of the mainstream?

How do you hope your work can impact the Muslim community? How do you hope your work can impact perceptions of Muslims?

I hope to empower the Muslim community though my books. I want them to feel proud of Muslim books that feature the holidays they celebrate or include character names that are easy on their tongues, names they have known growing up. Though my work, I’d like to normalize what being a Muslim is like–build awareness, open doors for meaningful conversations and understanding.

What is the best way to support Muslim authors, agents, editors, librarians and those involved in creating Muslim literature? What do you hope the literature world looks like for Muslims in the coming years? In 20 years?

Support for Muslim and other diverse creatives can come in many forms. Please buy our books or request them from your local library! Please leave us reviews with pictures of our books on Amazon, Goodreads etc. Please consider donating our books to causes that support diversity and inclusion. And one of the best ways to support us to gift our books to children that need them so that they can grow up feeling seen and validated.

In 20 years, I hope there are a whole lot of us Muslim artists out there. I hope that instead of just finding a couple picture books with the word ‘mosque’ or ‘halal’ on the cover, we find them abundantly. Just like non-Muslim children know about Christmas from a young age, I hope authors, agents, librarians can do a good job of showcasing Eid and all the love and joy around this special Muslim holiday.

Your next children’s book A MERMAID GIRL is coming out in summer 2022 and is about modest swimwear/burkini, which we have not seen much of before! Would you like to share anything about it and what inspired you to write it?

Years ago, as an adult, I tried to learn how to swim. I vividly remember telling my dad ‘no’ to his offer of getting me enrolled in swimming lessons as a child. I still don’t know how to swim but am hopeful I’ll learn one day (those adult swim lessons didn’t quite work out). But the book came about with me thinking of how uncomfortable I felt wearing a swimsuit as a Muslim girl child living in a Muslim country. I would’ve learned how to swim with a female coach in an all-female pool. Yet, there was something that stopped me, apart from my fear of the water. And that led me to imagine myself growing up in a non-Muslim country and wearing a burkini to the pool. It’s not something I have witnessed yet but I do have friends whose daughters wear modest swimwear. The point is that all of us deserve to experience swimming if we want to and what we wear to the pool or the beach shouldn’t be something that stops us from receiving joy in the water. So, I wrote A MERMAID GIRL in hopes of giving children like myself a little nudge towards courage, bravery and owning their identity.

What is something that you would like your readers to know about you. Are there any words of wisdom that you would like to pass on to young writers?

Writing can become your best friend, in both good times and bad. It can help lift your mood and it can also fuel your creativity. Some days it’s harder to write than others but it’s always worth it so keep on writing!

Posted in Blog Posts, Books, Reviews

Favorite Books of 2021

Posted on by hijabilibrarians

This list represents some of our favorite Children’s and Young Adult books that we read and were published in 2021. As with our previous lists, these choices are based on their thoughtful and nuanced treatment of Muslims and Islam, and the intersections of identity. We are pleased to see the steady growth of books by Muslim authors and with Muslim protagonists being published by mainstream publishers, and considered over 100 titles, children’s, young adult, and adult titles with YA appeal when creating this list. This year, graphic novels are in their age associated categories. A PDF version of our list will be available soon.

Again, we have not included fantasy and sci-fi titles by Muslim authors whose worlds and characters do not reflect explicit Muslim identity in this list. As stated on our release calendar there is power in speculative fiction/fantasy/scifi world building in exploring issues related to the real world and adding to the canon. We are highlighting these works on the calendar and plan to add a future, separate list with many of these excellent and thought-provoking titles.

What were your favorites of 2021?

Picture Books 

Fiction

Amira’s Picture Day. Reem Faruqi, Illus. Fahmida Azim. 2021. 40p. Holiday House, $17.99. (9780823440191). PreS-Gr. 3. Link to review by Ariana.

Beautifully Me. Nabela Noor, illus. by Nabi H. Ali. 2021. 40p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.99. 9781534485877. PreS-Gr. 2.

Bangladeshi Muslim Zubi Chowdhury is an absolute sweetheart of a girl – bold, friendly, and full of life. While preparing for her first day of school, Zubi witnesses her family and friends make comments about how they are either ‘fat’ or ‘going on a diet,’ and having her to question why, and ultimately making her feel that she may need to do the same. When Zubi announces her intention to go on a diet too, her family reflects on the effect of their words, and how “we can be mean to ourselves without even realizing it,” resulting in an important conversation about the toxicity of negative self-talk, body acceptance and strength, and acceptance of oneself. Visual and textual references are made to Islamic practice and Bangladeshi culture, with Zubi’s mother wearing a hijab and putting on a sari, Zubi’s bangles, and food like laddoos and parathas mentioned on many of the pages. Zu    bi’s school is a diverse, multiracial community, and one child, wearing a dress, uses they/them pronouns. Backmatter includes a glossary and a photo of the author. This simple story tackles body image, body confidence, and self-acceptance, and can be used as a model to have conversations about body image with young children. Pair this with Laxmi’s Mooch for conversations about body acceptance and a broader representation of South Asian countries and cultures.

Fatima’s Great Outdoors. Ambreen Tariq, illus. by Stevie Lewis. 2021. 40p. Kokila (PYR/PRH), $17.99. (9781984816955). Gr. K-3. Link to reviews/discussion by Ariana, Noureen and Amna.

Halal Hot Dogs. Susannah Aziz, illus. by Parwinder Singh. 2021. 40p. Little Bee Books, $17.99. (9781499811575). Gr 2-4. Link to review by Mahasin.

 

Hannah and the Ramadan Gift. Qasim Rashid, illus. by Aaliya Jaleel. 2021. 40p. Viking Books for Young Readers (PRH), $17.99. (9780593114667). PreS-Gr. 2. Link to review by Ariana.

I Went for Hajj. Na’ima B. Robert, illus. by Paula Pang. 2021. 32p. The Islamic Foundation, $11.95. (9780860377528). PreS-Gr. 2. 

This charming book, told in the rhyming style of Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? By Bill Martin, Jr., describes the Hajj journey through the eyes of a young child. While some rhymes are more successful than others, the scheme helps to break down important parts of Hajj as easy to understand actions. The foreword includes an author’s note explaining the use of rhyming text to appeal to children, but emphasizes that it is not prescriptive for the performance of the rituals of Hajj. There are, however, points of discussion to breakdown points and rituals of Hajj to readers. End papers include a glossary of terms. Illustrations feature female and male hajjis/hajjahs (pilgrims) dressed in white, in various skin tones, and some papers include illustrations of pilgrims in wheelchairs. On the spread that features the kaaba, building at the center of the Masjid al-Haram, readers will appreciate the detail of the gold-colored foil used for the kiswah, the black brocade cloth that adorns the building. Illustrations are done in a retro, simple style, but reflect the contemporary backdrop of Makkah.

In My Mosque. M. O. Yuksel. illus. by Hatem Aly. 2021. 40p. Harper (Harpercollins), $17.99. (9780062978707). Pre-S-Gr. 3. Link to review by Noureen.

Little Seeds of Promise. Sana Rafi, illus. by Renia Metallinou. 2021. 48p. The Innovation Press, $15.99. (ISBN‎ 9781943147939). Grades K-3. Link to reviews by Amna and Noureen.

Room for Everyone. Naaz Khan, illus. by Mercè López. 2021. 40p. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books (Simon & Schuster). (9781534431393). PreS-Gr. 3. 

This joyous, vibrant counting book follows Musa and his Dada (older sister) as they head to Nungwi beach on the daladala, a minibus common in Tanzania. Along the way they stop for a plethora of passengers and their wares. While Musa complains that there can’t possibly be room for them all, Dada insists that they can make room for everyone. Unlike other counting tales where space capacity might lead to bursting, there is room indeed for everyone as they joyfully and inclusively make space for all with wiggles and giggles galore. And even Musa is convinced—Alhamdulillah—that the whole motley crew will make it to the beach together. The backmatter includes a brief glossary of terms and an author’s note.  Illustrations by Mercè López are rich in color, pattern, and texture, and readers familiar with Unguja (Zanzibar island) may recognize architectural elements of Stone Town including the minaret of the Malindi mosque on the cover. In Betsy Bird’s interview with Naaz Khan, the author discussed her travels in Zanzibar, cultural consultation, and why it was important to have different shades of dark brown skin in representing Zanzibaris, and widening representation of Muslims in children’s literature.  

A Sky-Blue Bench. Bahram Rahman, illus. by Peggy Collins. 2021. 32p. Pajama Press, $18.95. 9781772782226. PreS-Gr. 2. 

After losing her leg in an accident, Aria is finally returning to school, but finds that sitting on the floor all day with her prosthetic “helper-leg” is painful. With all the wooden furniture in the school used as fuel to keep houses warm during the war, Aria comes up with the idea to build a bench with discarded materials. Her classmates doubt she can do it, but Aria is determined to do “anything a boy can do” and barters a loaf of sweet bread with Kaka Najar, a carpenter, for instruction and use of his tools. Kaka Najar gifts her a can of blue paint to use for her project, sky-blue signifying courage, peace, and wisdom. Illustrations are beautifully vibrant and colorful, particularly in the markets of the Old City, and residents are dressed in a variety of styles, skin tones in various shades of brown, and facial expressions. Aria’s actions not only inspire her classmates, she passes on her knowledge, skills, and hope to them and to her brother, knowing that they can “build everything we need together.” End papers show Aria putting on her new red shoes on while the back end papers show Aria and her classmates planning and collecting materials together to improve their classroom. Though there is no specific time period specified in the text of the story, the author’s note indicates that elements of the story reflect his own experiences growing up Afghanistan in the early 90s and the need to use wooden furniture as firewood and teaching children to be able to identify land mines, particularly “butterfly mines” that had a reputation for being attractive to children. A Sky-Blue Bench was a 2022 ALA Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book Winner.

Nonfiction 

My Name Is Bana. Bana Alabed, illus. by Nez Riaz. 2021. 40p. Salaam Reads (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), $17.99. (9781534412484). PreS-Gr.3.  

Written by Syrian child refugee and activist, Bana Alabed, this book opens with a young Bana asking her mother, depicted wearing a light green hijab, why she gave her the name “Bana.” Her mother tells her that she is named after a tree that grows in Syria and like the tree, Bana’s parents hoped that she would be “qawia,” strong. Following up by asking what it means to be strong, Bana’s mother explains different elements of strength, including the most important, “amal,” hope. One of the spreads, shows Bana on a computer while her mother stands behind her, referring to Bana’s initial use of Twitter to bring increased awareness to the Syrian Civil War and the siege of Aleppo. Bana reflects on how she embodied strength during the war while in Syria, in moving to a new place, and in using her voice to speak up for children’s rights. Illustrations are simple and sensitive in their depiction of war, showing the mother and children turning away from a red-tinged sky with texts addressing bombing. An afterword from the author assures child readers that she is safe now, living in Turkey with her family and concludes that while she’s encouraging children around the world living in war zones to be strong, her message to adults is that “kids shouldn’t have to always be so strong. Every child deserves to live in peace.” 

Early Readers

Yasmin series. (Yasmin the Librarian, Recycler, Singer, Scientist). Saadia Faruqi. Illus. by Hatem Aly. 2021. 32p. Picture Window Books (Capstone), $5.95 (Paperback: 9781515883722, 9781515883746, 9781515883753, 9781515883739). K-Gr.3. Fountas & Pinnell Level K.

The newest additions to the series feature Pakistani American second-grader Yasmin helping in the library, encouraging her classmates to recycle, shyly singing in secret at a wedding party, and coming up with a project for the science fair. Yasmin’s interactions with her multi-generational Pakistani American family are endearing and her everyday adventures recognize child agency and actions. Faruqi’s sprinkling of Urdu words and Aly’s beautiful and bold illustrations convey cultural details and insights into Yasmin’s world. Some titles are available in Spanish and French. 

Sadiq series (Sadiq and the Big Election, Gamers). Siman Nuurali, illus by. Christos Skaltsas. 2021. 64p. Picture Window Books (Capstone), $6.95. (9781663921901, 9781663921918). K-Gr. 3. Fountas & Pinnell Level M.

These followup voliumes about Somali American Muslim third-grader Sadiq continue to show the importance and value in involvement in community service and relationships. Each volume contains information around Somali culture, a glossary of words in Somali as well as terms that pertain to each story, and a reader/educator guide to asking questions about the story and related activities. In Sadiq and the Big Election, a class election for president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary has Sadiq coming up with big ideas to improve things in his school, but what will happen when one of his best friend’s announces that he’s running for the same position? In Sadiq and the Gamers, his gaming club is hosting a competition and trying to find a way to also serve the community. Could their gaming possibly engage the seniors in the local retirement community? Sadiq and his friends come up with ways to solve problems and make their community better than ever.

Middle Grade

Fiction

Ahmed Aziz’s Epic Year. Nina Hamza. 2021. 320p. Quill Tree (HarperCollins), $16.99. (9780063024892). Gr 3-7. Link to review by Mahasin.

Amina’s Song. Hena Khan. 2021. 288p. Salaam Reads (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), $17.99. (9781534459885). Gr. 3-7. Fountas & Pinnell Level U. Amina’s Song was the 2022 Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature.

In this sequel to the well-received Amina’s Voice (2017), Pakistani-Muslim American Amina has traveled to Pakistan to visit her extended family. She returns home to the U.S. excited to teach her friends about the beauty of the country and its people. A school project promises that opportunity, but Amina finds that her task is more difficult than she anticipated, as she must confront her classmates’ biases. A realistic narrative about identity formation and friendships in middle school.

Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin. Nadia Shammas, illus. by Nabi H. Ali. 2021. 128p. Graphix (Scholastic), $12.99. 9781338722581. Gr. 3-7.

This graphic novel iteration of Ms. Marvel, written by Nadia Shammas and ably illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, opens with Kamala Khan firmly established as Ms. Marvel. In fact she is so established as a superhero and next-gen member of the Avengers (alongside Spiderman/Miles Morales, Squirrel Girl/Doreen Green, and mentor Iron Man/Tony Stark), a website moderator, fanfic writer, and babysitter that she finds herself stretched a bit thin, sometimes literally. In keeping her superhero identity and powers a secret from her family, Kamala’s relationship with them is a bit strained, and she appears to be neglecting them, her home life, and her Qur’an classes at the mosque. But even though her best friends white, Bruno and Turkish American, Nakia, know her secret, they also feel that Kamala is ignoring them and clearly needs help managing all her tasks. Everything comes to a head when a robot tries to take over Avengers Tower and Kamala must sort out her issues in order to fix this…and everything else. Though some more dedicated readers may feel like plot points are a little too on the nose (the villain will be obvious to all), this is clearly aimed towards younger readers, and works towards focusing on Ms. Marvel’s relationships and her consistent humor. Easter eggs abound, with a nod to Pakistani actor Fawad Khan and his role in the upcoming Ms. Marvel television series

Planet Omar: Incredible Rescue Mission. Zanib Mian, illus. by Nasaya Mafaridik. 2021. 256p. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (PRH), $13.99. (9780593109274). Gr. 2-5.

Omar’s teacher has been abducted by aliens! Or at least that’s what Omar believes happened. What else could possibly explain why their wonderful Mrs. Hutchinson has suddenly been replaced by the awful Mrs. Crankshaw and why all the teachers won’t explain where she went? Though his best friends Charlie and Daniel don’t quite believe the alien theory, their attempts to find any clues lead nowhere. And with Omar’s family off to Pakistan for a wedding, their rescue plans are stalled. Where in the world could Mrs. Hutchinson be? A great addition to the Planet Omar series, this third volume is equally full of humor and heart and infused with Islamic terms and values.

Unsettled. Reem Faruqi. 2021. 352p. HarperCollins, $16.99 (9780063044708). Gr 4–6. Link to review by Mahasin.

World in Between. Kenan Trebinčević and Susan Shapiro. 2021. 384p. Clarion Books (HMH), $16.99. (9780358440932). Gr. 5-8.

Based on Trebinčević’s own life as a Bosnian refugee, this story details three years of young Kenan’s life,  as an 11-year-old at the start of the Bosnian war and the breakup of the Yugoslav Federation. Though many Bosniaks are fleeing to other parts of Europe, Kenan cannot believe that his best friends would treat him any differently because his family is Muslim, especially when he sees his family as not being particularly religious. His father equally believes that because he is well-liked, respected, and keeps out of politics, that they will not be targeted. When it becomes evident that not only have their former friends turned on them, including Kenan’s teacher, the family also realizes that they may have waited too long to flee. Kenan and his family face food deprivation, threats of violence and death, and constant fear for their lives as they struggle to survive and possibly flee. Somewhat miraculously, they are able to flee to Austria, even with Kenan’s brother and father being taken to a concentration camp at one point where other Muslim men have faced death. Kenan’s uncle Ahmet even remarks at one point that they are the luckiest Bosnian Muslim family having not lost any of their relatives. Through the narrative the reader sees psychological and emotional costs of war as they are betrayed by former friends and neighbors and Kenan is often skeptical of who to trust, if friendship is real or lasting. And even when they make their escape they never feel safe or settled, relocated several times in Austria and then again to the United States where, like many refugees, they are treated at times with compassion but also as unwanted, degraded guests. But despite the trauma and palpable, authentic anger, Kenan learns that there is good and bad amongst all people and that despite all of the loss he is grateful that he and his family can be together. Though the narrative sometimes falters in pacing and some concepts and historical events may need more context for younger readers, it is overall a poignant and important story. Text also alludes to violence and sexual assault, but is never overly explicit, and is well-suited for upper middle grade readers.

​​Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero. Saadia Faruqi. 2021. 368p. Quill Tree (HarperCollins), $16.99. (9780062943255). Gr 3-7. Link to review by Mahasin.

 

 

Nonfiction

Accused: My Story of Injustice (I, Witness, 1). Adama Bah. 2021. 112p. Norton Young Readers (W.W. Norton), $16.95. (9781324016632). Gr. 4-7. 

New Yorker and Guinea American Adama Bah was a typical teenager when the September 11th terrorist attacks were carried out. Soon afterwards, however, her life changed forever when she and her father were falsely accused of terrorism and plans to become suicide bombers. Subsequently separated from her family and detained, she learns that she is not an American citizen, her father is deported, and she must work to support her large family in the U.S. and in Guinea. This well-paced narrative offers an informative and terrifying look at what it was like for many Muslims in the days and years following 9/11 and offers much needed representation about Muslims of African heritage.

Young Adult     

Fiction

The Awakening of Malcolm X. Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson. 2021. 336p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan), $17.99. (9780374313296). Gr. 7-12. Link to review by Nada.

Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating. Adiba Jaigirdar. 2021. 352p. Page Street Kids, $17.99. (9781645672579). Gr. 9-12.

Bangladeshi Irish and Muslim Hani, has just come out to her two best friends Aisling and Dee as being bisexual, but they don’t believe that she can know for certain since she has never even kissed a girl. Bengali and Indian Irish (as well as atheist and closeted) Ishu is studious and serious, always wanting to please her parents, who only have eyes for their golden child, Ishu’s older sister Nik. But Nik has recently fallen from grace, having left university to get married, and Ishu’s parents are more on her than ever to succeed. When Hani proposes to Ishu that they should fake date Ishu, who normally would hate being pigeonholed into being THE two queer brown girls dating, agrees since Hani’s popularity could help Ishu become Head Girl and convince her parents that Ishu is not like her sister. Jaigirdar navigates the fake dating trope with aplomb, bringing in multitudes of layers of identity, racism, homophobia and bierasure, with a delightful amount of romance and angst. Hani is out to her parents who are accepting of her sexuality. Hani also attends mosque, prays, reads Qur’an and does not drink alcohol, and faces disdain and confusion from her friends who signal that she doesn’t seem like “one of those” Muslims (since she does not wear hijab) and further solidifies their continuous aggressions against her sexual identity.

Home Is Not a Country. Safia Elhillo. 2021. 224p. Make Me a World (PRH/RHCB), $17.99. (9780593177051). Gr. 8-12. Link to review by Nada. Home is Not a Country was a 2022 Coretta Scott King Book Award Author Honor Winner.

Huda F Are You? Huda Fahmy. 2021. 192p. Dial Books (PRH), $14.99. (9780593324318). Gr. 7-17.

Huda Fahmy’s fictionalized graphic memoir follows a high school-aged Huda who has moved with her family from a place where she was the only hijabi in her class to Dearborn, Michigan with a significantly higher Muslim and Arab population. Huda struggles to find her place in the high school hierarchy and realizes that not only has she made hijab her personality (harder to do when surrounded by other hijabis and cliques of hijabis), but that she has made herself small in order to be pleasing to others. Her humor, while witty, is often self-deprecating and her internalized self-loathing causes further harm to herself and the ones that she loves. Fahmy made the deliberate choice to place her high school story in the present day with references to contemporary social media tools, but adult readers will see familiar references to discrimination and targeting of the Muslim communities in the immediate years following 9/11. Fahmy’s humorous, laugh-out-loud work continues to entertain, educate, and resonate with all readers and is also an important work of self-reflection for Muslim readers.

Listen, Layla. Yassmin Abdel-Magied. 2021. 288p. Penguin Australia, $15.99. (9781760896065). Gr 7 and up. Link to review by Mahasin.

Misfit in Love. S.K. Ali. 2021. 320p. Salaam Reads (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), $19.99. (9781534442757). Grades 9-12. Link to Review by Nada.

Perfectly Parvin. Olivia Abtahi. 2021. 320p. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (PRH), $17.99. (9780593109427). Gr. 7-12. 

Fun-loving prankster Parvin Mohammadi is elated to start high school with her new boyfriend, Wesley, only to have him dump her at freshman orientation for being “loud” and “too much.” Wallowing in romance movies, Parvin comes to the (false) realization that demure girls get the guy and plans to show up Wesley by getting bisexual sophomore Matty Fumero to be her Homecoming date. Parvin’s attempt to 180 her personality and style has best friends pansexual, Korean American Ruth and gay, Mexican American Fabian doubtful and disapproving. Parvin’s aunt Sara, who is viewing it all via Skype from Iran while waiting on her U.S. visa to arrive, also urges Parvin to be herself. Compounding this self-doubt is Parvin’s internalized identity struggle and how much this affects her perception of beauty and romance. Despite their obvious affection, she is not able to glean much from her Iranian Shi’a father, does not look much like her white Episcopalian mother or any of the beautiful women in the media, nor does she feel Iranian enough to fit in with the other Iranians Americans, even as it becomes obvious that one of her classmates from Farsi school may want to be more than friends. But when her schemes and internalization lead her to ditch her friends when they need her most and her aunt Sara’s plan to visit is threatened by the Muslim ban, Parvin must decide what is most important to her and what kind of person she truly is. Even in her most self-deprecating moments, Parvin is funny, witty, and lovable. And while some elements of representation might give readers pause, it is all in the cause of learning acceptance. A truly enjoyable read.

Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin’s Hijab. Priya Huq. 2021. 224p. Abrams, $22.99. (9781419740169). Gr. 7 and up. Link to Review by Mahasin.

 

Posted in Blog Posts

Evaluating Muslims in KidLit: A Guide for Librarians, Educators, and Reviewers

Posted on by hijabilibrarians

by Mahasin and Ariana

Toolkit for Evaluating Muslims in KidLit – updated 2022 (PDF)

In 2019, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin received 3,717 children’s and young adult books from publishers. Of those books 45 (1.2%) were “tagged” with a Muslim diversity subject, but were not evaluated for quality or accuracy of representation. 

When looking at Muslim representation in media, children’s literature is often the first exposure that children have to Muslims and Islam. In creating this understanding, it is important to be deliberate in combating tropes and stereotypes that deal in disinformation, fear-mongering, and histories rooted in orientalism (as coined by scholar Edward Said), colonialism and white supremacy.

Part I of this guide identifies resources for learning more about Muslim Americans while providing context for media representation, while Part II offers guiding questions for reflection and analysis of collections and individual works. 

Part I: Recommended Resources

Muslims in Story: Expanding Multicultural Understanding Through Children’s and Young Adult Literature

When considering collection development of books featuring Muslim characters, Gauri Manglik and Sadaf Siddique’s (of Kitaab World) Muslims in Story: Expanding Multicultural Understanding Through Children’s and Young Adult Literature (2018) is a comprehensive guide to selecting books, essential for libraries.

Muslims in Story provides an overview of Muslims in America, Islamophobia and its impact, and how literature can be used to promote long-term systemic change. The second part provides book lists and programming ideas, with books categorized by theme. The appendices include frequently asked questions, suggested guidelines for book evaluation, a timeline of Muslims in America, a glossary of terms, and additional resources. 

Institute for Social Policy and Understanding’s American Muslims 101 

Understanding who Muslims and Muslim Americans are, how they practice Islam, and what challenges their communities face, are important components to knowing and serving Muslim populations, and in bringing a critical lens to evaluating books featuring Muslim characters. The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) is a valuable tool. It provides current statistics and infographics about Muslim Americans and issues affecting them.

The Riz Test

Like the Bechdel–Wallace test on women in movies and media, the Riz Test identifies problems in representation, bias, and lazy storytelling that depicts Muslims as simplistic, and lacking dimension and humanity. Named for actor Riz Ahmed’s 2017 speech to the House of Commons in the United Kingdom, which addressed diversity on screen, and identified stereotypes and tropes associated with Muslims in the media. 

The Test: 

If the film/show stars at least one character who is identifiably Muslim (by ethnicity, language or clothing) – is the character… 

  1. Talking about, the victim of, or the perpetrator of terrorism? 
  2. Presented as irrationally angry? 
  3. Presented as superstitious, culturally backwards or anti-modern? 
  4. Presented as a threat to a Western way of life? 
  5. If the character is male, is he presented as misogynistic? or if female, is she presented as oppressed by her male counterparts? 

If the answer for any of the above is Yes, then the film/ TV show fails the test.

When credence is given to Muslims consulting on media as part of the creative process, from sensitivity readers, bloggers, #ownvoice reviews, and organizations such as the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) Hollywood Bureau, stories become more nuanced and a better reflection of the diversity that exists within the Muslim community. MPAC Hollywood also has their own Obeidi-Alsultany test looking at Muslim representation in media with guidance towards building complexity in Muslim representation in characters and storylines.

The Obeidi-Alsultany Test:

1. The project that includes a Muslim character(s) does not reproduce or reinvent old tropes but rather explores new stories and contexts.

2. The project that includes Muslim character(s) has a Muslim-identifying writer on staff to ensure that Muslim cultures, religion, characters and storylines are being portrayed accurately and authentically.

3. The Muslim character(s) is not solely defined by their religion. Religion can be part of the character’s backstory but should not be their entire story. Muslim culture and faith should be accurately delineated.

4. The Muslim character(s) has a strong presence and the character(s) is essential to the story arc and has a rich and clearly defined backstory.

5. The Muslim character(s) is portrayed with diverse backgrounds and identities.

Additional Framework to Consider

Naming stereotypes allows for the deconstruction of bigotry and actively combating harm. Tools like Jewel Davis’ guide to fantasy worlds establish a framework for evaluating “elements of racial and ethnic diversity in speculative fiction and media.” The Teaching for Change: Social Justice Books’ Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books by Louise Derman-Sparks, prompts viewers to look for stereotypes, question normalized biases, commonly used language, and power dynamics between groups of people in illustrations, storylines and relationships. HarperCollins: Shake Up Your Shelves has additional guiding questions, written by educator and scholar of children’s literature, Autumn Allen, and tools for collection evaluation, audit, and retiring problematic books. Matthew Salesses’, Korean American fiction writer, essayist, and Assistant Professor of Creative Writing in the MFA/PhD program at Oklahoma State University, book Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping, interrogates how the structure of the writing workshop and literary canon is informed by the “white gaze,” specifically that of white male writers, and how these structures affect what is considered valid literary progression and storytelling. His article 25 Essential Notes on Craft can be found on Lithub.

Similarly, Part II of our toolkit lists guiding questions that disrupts common tropes by looking at collections holistically and at individual works.

Part II: Guiding Questions for Individual Works and Overall Collections

Librarians and educators must take a holistic look at their collections to determine what trends of representation exist therein, and in consideration of publishing trends, collections should not perpetuate a single narrative or experience. Yet, it is simplistic to view books as simply “good” or “bad”, much like the characters that are depicted within them. When doing reader’s advisory and recommending books, librarians must be mindful that just because Muslims are present in a work, does not mean that the work will speak to every Muslim’s experience. 

It is important that all Muslims, particularly those whose voices are less often heard, are able to write their own stories, and that publishers expand the number of books and voices being published. Authentic, intersectional stories, even those stories that might be considered controversial, or don’t present Muslims in the best light, represent the complexity of the Muslim experience. Still, the power of stories to affect the lives of Muslims necessitates thoughtful reflection. As one individual cannot speak for an entire community, one book cannot and will not represent one group of Muslims. We hope that this toolkit will be used to further thoughtful conversations about representation of Muslims and Islam in children’s and young adult literature.

Question for Overall Collection Development:

  • How many books about Muslims in your collection are written by Muslim authors?
  • Visually, is there only one type of identity marker for Muslims? Is this identity marker the headscarf? Is it only referred to as “hijab”?
  • Is there gender diversity? Are Muslim boys and men visible or erased?
  • Do Muslims only show up in one type of narrative? Is there a dominant narrative?
  • Is the diversity of the Muslim community demonstrated? Does one group dominate? Are any Muslims from multiple heritage backgrounds? Does your collection have books by and about Black Muslims? Who are the Muslims in your biography section?
  • Are stories intersectional? Are there Muslims from different heritage backgrounds interacting? How are different aspects of a character’s identity (i.e. ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender identity, ability) explored?
  • Are all of your books published by mainstream publishers? Many Muslim voices have little or no representation in mainstream publishing.
  • Are all of your books told from a Sunni perspective or erase non-Sunni practices and communities? Are Shi’a communities and other Muslim minority communities represented and named?
  • How many of your books feature Muslims as background or side characters as opposed to protagonists? Do they have any speaking lines or agency in action? Are racial and/or ethnic identities specified or ambiguous?
  • Who are the love interests? Are love interests only white and/or non-Muslim? Are love interests only from racial or ethnic in-groups? Are character features/points of attraction Eurocentric?

Questions to ask when evaluating Muslim representation in an individual book:

  • Does the work reflect an understanding of Islam’s own intellectual tradition? Are topics viewed from a Christian gaze of spirituality, cultural, or faith practices or vis-a-vis secular humanist norms? What sources are centered and how does this affect the reader’s understanding of Islam and Muslims?
  • How is the “West” represented? Is the U.S. the savior nation? Does the book triumph an unquestioned American exceptionalism narrative?
  • Do characters and depicted communities have agency, or are they portrayed as victims of forces beyond their control?
  • Does the work reflect an understanding of the complex history of predominately Muslim countries? Example: Are Muslim countries depicted as being impoverished, juxtaposed with Western nations being modern and functional?
  • How is religiosity portrayed? Is there nuance when it comes to the practice of Islam? Does the narrative set up a false moral binary between religious and less practicing or secular characters? Is religious practice used to indicate negative and/or archaic views?
  • Are Muslim characters multi-dimensional?
  • Does the work conflate culture with Islam or universalize a particular Muslim experience or heritage? For example, are Arab and/or South Asian cultural practices presented as universal norms for all Muslims? Does the text imply that Muslim cultures are all the same?
  • Beyond sharing Muslim identity or heritage, does the author’s own lived experience speak to other parts of a character’s identity? Is the author’s religious identity being conflated with cultural and/or ethnic heritage?
  • Where appropriate, is there backmatter that explains and differentiates religious practices, especially where they are unique to particular cultures? Are cultural and religious concepts presented and explained in a way that is developmentally appropriate?

What are further questions that you would consider or wonder about?

Posted in Blog Posts, Books

2020 Ramadan Reads: Recommended Books

Posted on by hijabilibrarians

Ramadan Reads

In 2019 we did a series of Instagram posts of kidlit books about Ramadan. This year we have curated and updated our list to include new titles and our favorites. Books are listed by format and in alphabetical order by title. This list is available in PDF.

Picturebooks

Bashirah and the Amazing Bean Pie: A Celebration of African American Muslim Culture by Ameenah Muhammad-Diggins: At Bashirah’s Islamic school all of the students will bring in a dish to share after Eid to celebrate Muslim cultural diversity. Her classmates, Mustafa and Fatima, will bring jollof rice and biryani respectively; Bashirah decides to bring bean pie, a family recipe that her Pop-pop is teaching her. Her family gets together for Eid prayers, all beautifully dressed and then return home for food: fried chicken, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and green beans, while Bashirah and Pop-pop make bean pie together. Bashirah’s father calls the family together for dhur prayers where “three generations of Muslims—aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents-all prayed together.” Bashirah takes food to share with a neighbor and the family enjoys Bashirah’s very first bean pie. At school, Bashirah proudly brings in her pie, and teacher Nafisah reminds the students that Allah made us into nations, encourages us to get to know each other, and that no Muslim is elevated over another except by faith and deed. Included is a recipe for bean pie.

Drummer Girl by Hiba Masood: In a Turkish village, the musaharati drummer has the important job of waking Muslims for their pre-dawn meals during Ramadan. Najma has followed the beat of the drummer and longs to be a musaharati herself, but a girl has never performed this role before.

Eid Breakfast at Abuela’s by Mariam Saad: Sofia, her mom and dad spend Eid with her Mexican grandmother who throws them a festive breakfast which includes traditional Mexican food, decorations, and activities. Her grandmother and other family members who join to celebrate with Sofia and her family are not Muslim.

The Gift of Ramadan by Rabiah York Lumbard: Sophia loves all things sparkly including the decorations her family puts up during Ramadan and the heart of the person that fasts. When her first attempt at fasting is harder than she anticipates, Sophia’s grandmother reminds her that there are more opportunities to try again and that there are other ways to celebrate the month and equally important acts of worship and ways to help. With Sophia’s multitude of feelings and the encouragement of her family, Lumbard captures the feelings of Ramadan and what the month means to believers. The story also reminds us that for those who cannot fast there are other ways to make Ramadan meaningful, to nourish the sparkles within the heart.

Hassan and Aneesa Celebrate Eid by Yasmeen Rahim: In another story about Hassan and Aneesa, they are excited to celebrate Eid, decorating the house, attending Eid prayers in new clothes and hosting an Eid party with family and friends.

Hassan and Aneesa Love Ramadan by Yasmeen Rahim: Brother and sister Hassan and Aneesa, British Muslims, are excited for Ramadan. At night Aneesa hears noise from the kitchen and sees her parents eating sahur, the pre-dawn meal. In the day they observe their parents reading Qur’an and giving charity. Having iftar with their cousins, they see their cousins fasting, and want to try as well, their mother agreeing but saying that they can stop if they feel too hungry because children don’t need to fast. While younger Aneesa breaks her fast with a banana, Hassan wants to try to fast the whole day, and they have their evening meal with a special treat. Glossary included.

Ilyas & Duck: Ramadan Joy! by Omar S. Khawaja: The fourth book in the Ilyas & Duck series features Ramadan, the joy of the month as well as the difficulty of fasting and the empathy and compassion that comes as a result. All the while readers familiar with the antics of the duo and a new villain in town, Mr. Mean.

Lailah’s Lunchbox by Reem Faruqi: Having recently moved from the UAE to Peachtree, Georgia, Laila is excited to fast this year for Ramadan with her family but is hesitant to tell her teachers and classmates. Instead of sharing a note from home, Laila first goes to the lunchroom and then to the library, before the school librarian encourages her to express her feelings. This lovely and relatable book is a gentle introduction to Ramadan that helps to equip children with language and tools to advocate for themselves and reminds the adults in their lives to advocate and listen to them. The term sehri is used for the predawn meal instead of suhoor, adding another layer of identity to Laila and her family’s immigration story.

A Moon for Moe and Mo by Jane Breskin Zalben: Two neighbors, Moses Feldman, and Mohammed Hassan, both known as Moe/Mo by their families, share a picnic in the park when the Ramadan fast coincides with Rosh Hashanah.

Moon Watchers: Shirin’s Ramadan Miracle by Reza Jalali Shirin: watches for the moon with her family and wants to participate in the fast, but at 9 years old she is told that she’s too young to do so. She concentrates on doing good deeds like trying to get along with her older brother.

The Most Powerful Night: A Ramadan Story by Ndaa Hassan: A Ramadan story about Laylat-Al-Qadr, the night Muslims believe the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (saw). This is a special night that occurs once a year during the month of Ramadan.

My First Ramadan by Karen Katz: My First Ramadan is by Karen Katz. This story follows a young boy as he observes the month of Ramadan with his family.

Night of the Moon by Hena Khan: Seven-year-old Pakistani American Yasmeen and her mother observe the tiny crescent of the moon signifying the start of Ramadan. As the month goes by Yasmeen tracks the phases of the moon as passage of time while highlighting the various events that take place during Ramadan through the eyes of a child capturing the spirit of Ramadan, familial and community love and fellowship.

Owl & Cat: Ramadan Is…by Emma Apple: A brief note introduces readers to the concept of fasting during the month of Ramadan, indicating its specialness and being a time of generosity and gratitude. The sixty pages that follow indicate one action, deed, and an illustration on the opposite page of Owl and Cat and their various friends. After 60 pages (30 days), Ramadan is over and it is Eid.

A Party in Ramadan by Asma Mobin-Uddin: Leena is excited to participate in Ramadan. Not old enough to fast the entire month, she decides to participate by fasting on certain days with her family. When a birthday party of one of her friends falls on a fasting day Leena is determined to fast, even though her mother asks if she would like to fast on another day. Leena enjoys the party and finds fasting easy at first, but as the afternoon goes on and grows hotter she finds herself longing for a glass of lemonade and birthday cake. She is able to keep her fast and has the opportunity to do a good deed and share a test with her sister after breaking fast.

Ramadan by Susan L. Douglass: Ramadan by Susan L. Douglass, illustrated by Jeni Reeves and published by Lerner Books gives an overview of Ramadan for readers. Susan is an incredible source for Islamic education for K-12 educators in social studies, history, and religion and apart from her many accomplishments is currently the K-14 Education Outreach Coordinator Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University.

Ramadan Around the World by Ndaa Hassan: Ramadan Around the World looks at Muslim children around the world and their celebration of Ramadan in prayer, charity, and fasting.

Ramadan Moon by Nai’ma B. Robert: Ramadan Moon by Na’ima B. Robert. This story captures the wonder and joy of the month of Ramadan from the perspective of a child.

Rashad’s Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr by Lisa Bullard: Rashad is fasting this year for Ramadan with his family. The simple story of acts of worship during Ramadan are coupled larger text boxes that explain broader ideas and actions. Includes a glossary of words.

The Shapes of Eid According to Me by Samia Khan: A child reflects on the shapes they see on Eid. Told in rhyme, this book features a South Asian family and the city of Chicago.

Under the Ramadan Moon by Sylvia Whitman: Presents information about actions taken during Ramadan for the very young, in lyrical rhyme and repetition of the phrase “under the moon, under the Ramadan Moon.” Great read aloud for young children who can watch for the moon waxing and waning during the course of page turns.

The White Nights of Ramadan by Maha Addasi: Noor and her family are preparing for the festival of Girgian, celebrated in Kuwait on the three consecutive nights in Ramadan, when the moon is fullest. The family prepares sweets together, a nut brittle made of honey, powdered sugar, and roasted pistachios for the children that will come to their door that night. Noor and her brothers prepare as well, decorating their candy bags and put on traditional clothing, the brothers- dishdashas and Noor a dress “so bright that Noor thought she could see the red with her eyes closed.” In a tender moment between Noor and her grandmother, grandmother reminds Noor that the true meaning of Ramadan is spending time with family and sharing with those less fortunate. After a night of treats Noor and her grandfather take a basket of food to the masjid for the poor. As they walk together they admire the beauty of the moon.

Board Book

Ramadan (Celebrate the World) by Hannah Eliot: A board book that describes the every day actions taken during Ramadan including prayer, doing good deeds and spending time with family. As part of a series of holiday board books it actually has a significant amount of text in the small format, varying from one to three sentences per page. Illustrations are colorful and show people of various skin tones, ages, and wearing clothing from suits and school uniforms to thobes with agal and ghutrah or a fez.

Fiction

 

Badir and the Beaver by Shannon Stewart: An early chapter book about Badir and his family who have recently immigrated to Canada from Tunisia and are celebrating the month of Ramadan at home. Badir sees what he thinks is a giant rat. When he is is told that it is a beaver, a symbol of Canada, Badir tries to find out what he can about this interesting animal. He also finds out that some of the locals think it is a nuisance and want to move the beaver out. Badir, knowing what it’s like to leave your home, embarks on a campaign with his classmates to save the beaver and its home.

The Garden of My Imaan by Farhana Zia: In this coming of age book set during Ramadan, Aliya is thinking about growing up, and finding her place and identity as a Muslim in her school and beyond.

More to the Story by Hena Khan: In a novel inspired by Little Women, thirteen-year-old Pakistani American Jameela Mirza, second oldest of four sisters and an aspiring journalist, lives with her family in Atlanta and her father is missing Eid for the first time ever to look for a new job.

Once Upon an Eid ed. S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed: A compilation of fifteen short stories that celebrate, the most joyous of Muslim holy days! Groundreaking for the diversity of authors and experiences, including a story told as a graphic novel.

Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet Zanib Mian Imaginative Omar and his family have moved to a new home in London and he is nervous about starting school, especially since a bully seems to have targeted him and their new neighbor is not so nice.

Non-fiction

Crayola: Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr Colors by Mari Schuh: A simple and effective introduction to Ramadan for younger readers in a series that connects holidays by colors. Readers are still introduced to some concepts of Ramadan like sighting the moon and fasting. Photographs of smiling Muslim children around the world are featured throughout the book as well as colorful visual elements. Back matter includes the usual glossary, index and further resources as well as crayola colors used in the book and a coloring activity page.

Ramadan: The Holy Month of Fasting by Ausma Zehanat Khan: This nonfiction chapter book, targeted for children ages 9-14, is divided into four chapters, filled with pictures and personal anecdotes (including Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad), along with explanation of religious practices during Ramadan and beyond. Chapter three details projects and charity undertaken by youth during the month while chapter four details traditions from different countries across the globe. Valuable for school and public libraries as well as Muslim home libraries in a way that validates Muslim children and the variety of ways that Muslims experience Ramadan both on a personal and cultural level without diminishing the universal experience.

Posted in Blog Posts

How and Why We Started this Site and Why We Chose Our Name

Posted on by hijabilibrarians

This is a collective discussion we had about how we met and why we started this blog. More information about our mission and us as individuals can be found on our About Us and Bios pages.

Ariana: I started off as a part-time librarian in a small public library system in California and then went full-time in DC. And in both systems, one with 26 branches, there was no one looked like me. In California, there were no other Muslims in the system, and in DC there were two Muslim paraprofessionals that I knew and self-identified as Muslim, but no other librarians or administrators.

I went to library school knowing that there wouldn’t be many people that looked like me, and it was important to me to be part of the profession because of that. There were also students that I thought might be Muslim or have a Muslim background, but they never said so much as hello, so there wasn’t any kind of community. When in classes I saw some book lists and resources about Muslims, so I thought eventually I would meet more in public libraries, and saw information about some online, in other countries, but did not meet any here in the states. After library school, I met some academic librarians that were Muslim, but few, if any, in public libraries and none in children’s and young adult services.

I met Sara through Anna Coats, my co-chair in an APALA committee and an Emerging Leader in the same class as Sara. I met Hadeal through my local library and Mahasin found me through Twitter and the we here Facebook group for librarians of color. Hadeal and I had been talking about resources about Muslims in Children’s Literature, given the different resources available for diverse reading along with trying to create a Muslim Librarians Association. I really wanted to do this work with other librarians in this community to find books that are about us, that are written by Muslims, but it didn’t exist in a professional capacity.

Sara: I had a similar experience where in library school and at conferences there was no one that wore hijab. I felt like I was the elephant in the room because was no one like me. I think my daily work and our work here is important in terms of representation and advocacy in the profession to let people know that we are here and they can be here too.

Hadeal: Same for me. I was the only Muslim in my program and I only met Ariana through my work, Sara through Ariana and now Mahasin. And really, you are the only Muslim librarians I know. And I do feel like other librarians are trying to do good, and create multicultural resources, but I want to represent me. I want to have a voice in my own representation, and that of my greater community, and I think this project is a great start. It is important to me to showcase our pathway and professional to others – especially children. In my old system, people were curious about what we did, beyond working with books, and I was able to talk to them about why children would frequently visit and enjoy their time at the library. The Muslim community around me knew about many of the resources that were available through the library, but being in libraries allowed me to spread more knowledge about the profession.

Mahasin: I was excited to see Ariana in the We Here group on Facebook. I am African American and there are not a lot of African Americans in librarianship, but I had another friend who was African American and in a mom’s group with me in Atlanta. She became my mentor and encouraged me to become a librarian. Now I am in a librarian in Oakland. I am fortunate to have supportive colleagues in my system.

Oakland had an incident with a Muslim student in the adult literacy program being harassed on the steps of the main library and there was an effort to put up signs in the library and the city to showcase that everyone is welcome here. I have Muslim colleagues, in fact, three of the library aides that work in my unit are Muslim, but I am the only librarian. But I still do have support. It’s nice that we are all fasting together. But I don’t have a professional space, so this was definitely on my to-do list, trying to seek out others. I feel that this connection was divinely placed in my lap. I’m here wanting to have a space for us for our own voices to speak up about how we are represented in literature.

Ariana: That is amazing that there are other Muslims in your workplace, and of course that is something we also want to help support. There are a lot of Muslims in “support roles” in the library and we want to form an association, but part of that is having resources for those who might be interested in being in librarianship as a career.

Mahasin: I’m always trying to encourage everyone, but especially people of color and Muslims, to join the field. I know some other students who are already doing amazing work, and I want to be there for others like people were there for me.

Ariana: We try to encourage others in the field, but seeing children and youth in literature is can make a huge impact and can help encourage children in many ways. I know that for many Muslim families having non-Islamic books, especially literature, is not as important. And while there may be several factors that contribute to that, part of that is because they don’t see themselves in the pages. There may be one aspect of someone’s identity, they may be Southeast Asian, South Asian, etcetera- and THAT is rare enough, but to have Muslims depicted, and then to see ourselves depicted in a positive way is rarer still.

The sad thing is, at least from my experience, is that children’s literature is probably the place where we will see the most positive depictions of Muslims. If you look in Hoopla, Overdrive or any library catalog for the search term Islam, half will be titles that I might actually be interested in and the other half are written by Islamophobes or just polemics, by people who have a certain bent.

ALA DID invite a known Islamophobe to the annual conference when I was in library school and my reaction was shock. What did that gesture show me about my presence in the field? It was an indicator of how unwelcome I would be, and through the justification of intellectual freedom and “creating a balanced narrative”, my colleagues would be showing me the door. So I feel like moving forward we have to create our own space for our voices to be heard.

Mahasin: I wanted to add that my experience is that I was a daughter of converts who became Muslim in the light of African American liberation. And they were very conscious about the kinds of books they brought into our home. My earliest memories are of my father reading books, nonfiction books about the water cycle to me – I think he may be over now that I am not in STEM or a doctor! Still, they were not going to get books with images of children who did not look like us or those that would be racist or damaging. There was no Dr. Seuss in our house. My parents grumbled about many things that people are just now starting to recognize. So they made the effort to have the characters in books reflect what we looked like, our day to day life and aspects of family life. I am really excited for my kids because now there is more out there for them than what I had when I was growing up.

Hadeal: I really like what you said about creating our own space. I’m sure that conversations have been started in many pockets of ALA, but moving forward and starting something is exciting and I feel like it can lead to bigger conversations and goals. But I also want to reach the Muslim community, who know about libraries but may not recognize the importance of books in the home and I wonder why that is.

Ariana: We all know the terms of mirrors, windows and sliding doors, and that importance of work in diversity and affinity. There is a lot we can do going forward, looking at books from the past as well, where we can talk about whose gaze it is and who a book is for. And I do think that there is a lot of discussions to be had there.

 

On how we picked our name:

 

Ariana: So we have had quite a bit of discussion about this, because initially when Sara, Hadeal and I had talked about naming conventions we thought about using something like uncovered or unveiled, something along those lines that was tongue-in-cheek funny, taking ownership of a label but also about books. But when setting up social media accounts I was looking for something pithy for accounts and the actual site address and grabbed “hijabi librarians” as a placeholder, but it was intended to be temporary. When Mahasin came on board we had a really in-depth conversation about the term hijab, the encompassing meaning behind it, and not identifying as a hijabi.

Mahasin: So, I cover my hair and grew up with the concept of modesty, especially after coming of age, however, I did not grow up with the language of hijab. I grew up with the language of headscarf, and others in my African American community used the term khimar. I think that’s because I grew up in the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, where language was really deliberate, precise and important. He taught that “Words make people” and that concept stayed with me. The conversations that we had growing up we always referred to the ayah (verse of the Qur’an) that used the word “khimar.” Conversations about the headscarf were as a piece of cloth and headdress, not a partition and not a curtain (as hijab means in Arabic). We talked about the uniqueness of the position of the Prophet’s wives and the etiquette in approaching them and the necessity of hijab, as discussed in the Qur’an as a protection specifically and uniquely for them.

I never have referred to myself as a muhajaba or hijabi, and it is a sort of a political act for me not to use the term. I don’t mean to be offensive in saying this. I have strong feelings about the word hijab as it’s used as a way to place an extra burden on women than what is asked by Allah. So although I understand the general concept of why the word is used, it is not a stance that I take and I will rarely use the word. It is interesting for me to have conversations with women who have similar views as me; we recognize that with the rise of Islamophobia, the headscarf has taken off as a symbol and token of diversity, especially in liberal spaces – where a lot of books and images that you see are of women wearing a scarf – having a person of African descent, a Latino, someone Asian, we know that they are going to be included and also, now, a Muslim woman in a headscarf is there! The term has become part of the general lexicon and it’s what people know. I would not say that I am anti-hijab in terms of terminology and use, but if asked, I will clarify why I don’t use that label. But I am supportive of our use of the term for now and I get it, but that’s where I am.

A few years back, University of Michigan professor and founder of Sapelo Square, Dr. Su’ad Abdul-Khabeer, spearheaded a community poem entitled, “Elegy for the Khimar”, which laments the fading use of the term “khimar” for “hijab.”

Ariana: Thank you for the thorough explanation of your personal position. I think it encompasses a lot of the conversation and frustration that many Muslim women may have about the term hijab. As you were talking I was wondering when hijab became this collective term as an identifier marker. For me growing up, I never thought I was ever going to cover. My understanding was that it was something that was observed by the Prophet’s wives. In Malaysia and Indonesia, you hear tudung, kerudung, which I guess means to cover so it is synonymous with hijab, but they didn’t use that word. Funny, actually that heard from relatives, when did you start wearing jilbab which, from my Muslim student community, I understood to be a long-overcoat. And I told them that I didn’t use jilbab, sometimes an abaya, but they specifically meant the headscarf.

Hadeal: I grew up with the word mandeel, which means scarf, but I think I started using the word hijab when I would say mandeel and people didn’t know what that was. They would ask, “isn’t it called a hajeeb?” and I would answer back that it was a hijab.

Mahasin: I feel like at some point in my 20s that everyone started calling it a hijab. I did grow up in a mostly African American community, but then with more Arab and Pakistani Muslims, and I don’t remember exactly when, but it was not the preferred term in the late 80s.

Ariana: Do you think it may have to do with 9/11?

Mahasin: Maybe. But I think we discussed it in college, and that was before 9/11 for me. But, I don’t know.

Sara: Growing up for me, we called the scarf a tarha, but if someone asked us, we said hijab. For me hijab meant that I covered my hair, I wore long sleeved shirts and a long skirt or long pants. It was all encompassing, not just something on my head. But now if someone asks, “are you a hijabi?” then I answer, “oh yes, I wear the scarf.”

Hadeal: For us tarha was the bridal piece. Like you would see a bride’s headscarf and say, “the bride’s tarha is beautiful.” To me when we said scarf, it was very generic. But it is more than a scarf, like anyone can wear a scarf in winter, but the term headscarf, to me also wasn’t quite right. If people asked me what it was, I would say that it was a scarf I wrapped around my hair or my head. I just didn’t feel right. But really, sometimes anything is better, I once had a person call it a towel.

Mahasin, Ariana and Sara: Yup. Yes.

Ariana: Have we been called towelheads? Oh yeah.

Sara: Pillowcase. Everything.

Ariana: At one library I worked at, I had a patron refer to me as the white woman with a towel on her head, which, okay, no to the towel. But really, in what universe am I considered white? That was strange to me. More information on us and how we identify can be found on our bios page.

So when we talk about hijab and why we decided to keep the name “hijabi librarians” rather than go back to uncovered or unveiled, we also had a larger conversation about Orientalism, othering, or fetishization instead of empowerment or really reclaiming a term. We also talked about the idea of hijabi librarians as not being an inclusive term, but that if necessary, we will revisit it in the future.

Mahasin: I am laughing at the idea of us one day being known as “the site formerly known as hijabi librarians” a la Prince. I do feel like it is an evolving conversation, but that us taking the term and “capitalizing” on the recognition to create space for our own voices is deliberately powerful, but if we feel later that we have made or point or find something better, then perhaps at that time, we will change our moniker.