The Importance of Muslim books in establishing a strong Muslim American identity
Shifa Saltagi Safadi
As an avid book reader, I have always loved books- since I was a little Muslim girl in a small town in Ohio devouring the Boxcar Children series, a Nancy Drew mystery, or classics like Anne of Green Gables.
I remember finding a place within these stories, and for a moment, when I stepped into the pages of a book, I forgot any problems going on in the world and just immersed myself in the story of another character.
I remember wanting to write my own stories, but when I would put my own pen to paper, I would get stumped. And the names of the characters I wrote were always Nancy, or Anne, or Stacey…not my own name. Fast forward to my experience teaching young Muslim children, and they also wrote names that did not reflect their own.
Not that Muslims cannot have Western names- that is not my point at all.
My point is that when young Muslims write, oftentimes, the stories are not featuring their own selves as characters. Or their own faith and values.
And this can be a sign of something internally within- do our young people feel that Muslims do not have “main character energy” for lack of a better word? Can Muslims be the heroes in stories- rather than the villains as is sadly more common in Western media?
When I saw Muslim stories for the first time, I started to feel confident enough to write my books, leading up to the moment where I finally got a book deal for KAREEM BETWEEN.
Reading my first Muslim YA novel by SK Ali, and picking up my first picture book published by Ruqaya’s Bookshelf, for the first time, I saw myself and my children reflected on the pages(as I was an adult), and it was so beautiful, it made me cry.
Young Muslim students need to see themselves in books to help them feel that they ARE WORTH writing about, that they ARE main characters, that they ARE heroes, and that their Islamic identity is BEAUTIFUL!
In the article “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors,” the author writes how children who do not see their identity reflected in the books they read often think they are not valued in the society they live in.
When I started writing Kareem Between, I knew I wanted a main character who explored this theme- the theme of belonging in America as a young Muslim. How do young Muslims feel okay when politicians spout hateful Islamophobic rhetoric when they face bigotry and stereotypes in their lives? When their own lives seem not important to anyone?
Kareem Between addresses this head on.
It is set in 2017, right during the Muslim Ban. And the main character is faced with a crisis of belonging. But through the story, he realizes that he should not cave to peer pressure- that he should be proud of being Muslim and Syrian, protest injustice, and speak loudly against Islamophobia.
Seeing Muslim books not only benefits students in their feelings about society but can also encourage them to feel pride in their deen! Kareem in my book prays dhuhr at school. He goes to Jummah. He makes duaa when he is sad. And his mom and sister are proud of their hijab.
When young readers see Islam being normalized in books, and practicing Islam as a way of life, they will recognize it reflects their values and feel that strength and inner confidence to be strong Muslims too.
As for the educational value of reading?
There is no doubt that reading is the foundation of raising educated students. Literacy is down more than ever with the rise of social media and phone usage among young people, and the best way to combat this is through books. Reading can be helpful for increasing attention span, teaching information, and even increasing test scores!
A pbs article states that “the single most important activity for building knowledge for their eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”
Reading is the foundation of learning- and making sure students read and are read to has been shown to help boost test scores, increase IQ, and even boost emotional intelligence and empathy.
If we want our young students to be successful, we must encourage them to read. A study done by JCFS found that the presence of books in the home was the SINGLE most important factor for kids to be smarter, and more successful in holding down jobs in the future. That’s right- the presence of books in the home, even more important than the education of the parents.
Buying books and placing them in the home will prompt kids to value books and reading, and prompt parents to pick them up and read them to their children, and in turn, boost literacy and bonding with caregivers and kids.
Buying Muslim books?
Well, that is the most important of all- because children are going to be most interested in stories they can relate to! And what better stories for them to find engaging and entertaining than Muslim ones that reflect their own life.
And not only do you benefit your own children, but you help Muslim authors succeed in an industry that is very competitive, and encourage publishers to keep publishing Muslim stories by showing the market for them is strong. Making Muslim authors more popular makes Muslim books be marketed more in public schools and libraries, and helps children of all backgrounds gain access to stories that humanize and show Muslims as positive members of society.
Please consider checking out this post with a link to Muslim books that you can support.
And make sure to check out the Kareem Between website page for class resources and educator guides, as well as information on how to have Shifa Saltagi Safadi come to your class for a virtual visit!
Happy reading!
