Homeschooling: Getting Dad on Board

I frequently hear moms asking “How do I get my husband to agree to homeschool?” and, well, I have great empathy for their plight. I’ve heard that if it’s not dad’s idea to begin with, it can be very difficult to convince him to homeschool. This week when someone asked me about this common dilemma I thought back some ten+ years to the beginning of my family’s journey and tried to remember- how did I get my husband to agree to homeschool our kids?

Initially the husband seemed to agree with my homeschooling idea. Perhaps he saw my enthusiasm- pouring over hsing books, joining hsing groups, taking parent and child courses at our local Waldorf school- and he thought something like, She’s going to be great at this! I just asked him how he was so easily convinced in those early days and he says it has to do with him being “weird” by which he means “unconventional” and he says that he’s quick on his feet and “just got it right away that homeschooling was a good thing to do.” I may try again to jog his memory about that time because…

… and then about a year later we moved to Morocco and the man buckled. He began pressuring me to put our four year old into preschool. Now he says “that was only about the language.” Yes, of course. Muslim homeschoolers who move overseas often cite language acquisition as a reason for indoctrinating putting their children in schools once they are in Muslim majority countries. The other main reason is so that the children will learn Quran and Islamic values.

The first two neighbourhood schools I begrudgingly toured with my husband were taught primarily in French. And they happily informed us that the children learn all about Papa Noel and wear costumes for Halloween. Did this appeal to the Western Mom? No. Their curriculum was also cra substandard and they did not have an outdoor play area for the children. Well they had cement driveways. Nice. The third school we toured was a 40 minute drive (not during commute hours) from our home. It was an “Islamic school” located within the compound of a lovely mosque. There was a plush lawn covering the grounds and a slide. One of those detached slides you might buy from a toy store for your own kids.

We arrived at Option #3 just in time for Thuhr prayer and got to witness all the little kids (remember- preschool) pulling on their hijabs and thobes, rolling out the enormous plastic rugs, and lining up to pray. Truly adorable. Then we learned about the curriculum. Yes, we were proudly informed, these three and four year olds were learning not only Classic Arabic (as opposed to the Derija or Tshilhit they speak at home) but they were also learning English. Argh. I was hoping to follow the Better Late Than Early model. The husband was impressed. He decided the son would go. He decided my little four year-old would-be-homeschooler should commute to school six days a week for several many hours every day. I remember there was an option for him to come home for two hours every day for lunch, but obviously that would be futile with the more than an hour’s worth of driving back and forth, so he would be there all day. Full-time.

I decided to opt out. “You want him to go, you have to get him up, get him ready, make his breakfast, get his lunch ready, drop him off, pick him up. I’m not doing anything to help,” I said (and meant). My husband did not get up and get my son ready and make his breakfast and make his lunch and drive him in Casa traffic (similar to LA or NY) to school and then drive back to our side of town and then go back hours later to get him. My husband didn’t put our son in school after all. This solution didn’t come to me immediately or easily, but it came to me and it worked. That was the end of that and the beginning our homeschooling journey.

I hear that dads are more inclined to listen to professional advice regarding these matters of making choices that very much go against the current grain, especially the advice of other males. So you may want to do another thing I did, which was to load the coffee table down with books and printed out data about the success rates of homeschoolers. But then again, that didn’t seem to entirely work for us. Otherwise, some Muslims appreciate a good fatwa, so here’s one if it helps at all- though I’m sure you could find support out there for an opposite view…

Homeschooling our Children is an Act of Obedience to Allah

Question:

If a woman wants to home school her children, to protect them from evil influences, can she do so against her husband’s wishes? Can you provide any articles about educating our children, especially in this secular liberal society?

Answer:

The danger in the non-Muslim schools is definite, and sending our children there when there is a good alternative available is an act of disobedience to Allaah. If you know that you can properly home-school your children, and you know that you can get by it despite your husband’s opposition, then do it by all means, because, “No obedience may be granted to any creature that involves disobeying the Creator.”

Shaikh Muhammad al-Jibaly

imanbendjedidi.blogspot.com

Note: You do not have to be a teacher or have a university degree to teach your children at home. Studies have proven that home educated children are approximately five years ahead of children that attend public school, regardless of their parent’s level of education.

More and more Imams are encouraging homeschooling and some are stating it is a requirement, alhamdulillah.

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Muslim Teen Reads – A Peek Behind the Scenes

Please tell us a little about your background:
I am a wife, mother, daughter and sister. Born and raised in Nigeria but currently residing in Ireland, Clonmel (Valley of Honey) to be precise. I hold a BA in English Studies from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria and worked as a community development officer with the Lagos State government in Nigeria before relocating to Ireland in 2003. I am an avid reader and a book lover. I also love to write and have recently had quite a number of my articles published in SISTERS magazine and Discover Kid’s magazine, and am currently taking a course in freelance writing.

What was the catalyst for beginning Muslim Teen Reads?
Alhamdulillah for opportunities that come our way as means to serve Allah (SWT). Muslim Teen Reads is an answered du’a. While performing Hajj in 2010, I prayed to Allah (SWT) for a means to serve and got the result when I returned. In January 2011, SISTERS magazine responded to my email to distribute their magazine in Ireland. While selling the magazines, parents and even some teens themselves would ask for materials that are Islamic but for teens and young adults. Another contributory factor is that I am working with youths in the Nigerian Muslim community and see the need to look for materials that will encourage them to expand their knowledge of Islam through fiction and non-fiction works. The search then began with the help of Allah (SWT) and support from my dear friend and Sister, Latifah Binuyo, who introduced me to lots of Islamic Fiction. I got the books and read them. I also had a mobile Islamic library where I would loan my books to people without any charge in order to promote literacy. Within a short time frame, awareness about Islamic fiction began spreading amongst friends and SISTERS magazine buyers and the idea to make it global sprang up.

I also had a mobile Islamic library where I would loan my books to people without any charge in order to promote literacy.

How does the Muslim Teen Reads Group work?
The Muslim Teen reads team is made up of adults, teens and pre-teens who are committed to bringing Islamic fiction and non-fiction to Muslim teenagers both young and old. We also celebrate our much loved and committed Muslim writers, foster reading in teenagers and most importantly use the fictional characters to motivate and encourage young Muslims to aspire to be the best they can be. To achieve these goals, we try as much as possible to make books accessible to readers through the online bookstore, and some members distribute the books in their various countries. We encourage our members to read widely and write reviews which we publish on our website, http://www.muslimteenreads.com/, where we also sell the books. The Author’s Gallery on the website introduces you to the lives of Muslim authors.

Each member of the group searches for new titles from around the world and we then read these books to ensure we are only recommending books that are safe and age appropriate to the readers; for instance, the fact that a pre-teen is good at reading does not mean that he /she should be encouraged to read books that are recommended for the teenagers. We also encourage book buyers to form local book clubs, and we walk them through on how to run them. Our Facebook page has a membership of over 30,000 fans, where we post general updates.

What do you feel the reading group has accomplished – for you individually and for the members?
I have learnt in life that knowledge comes in various ways. However, seeking out beneficial knowledge is the ultimate goal. Through this reading group, I have discovered and gained a lot of Islamic knowledge. From every reading, I gain one lesson or another to help shape my life. Along the way, I have also met wonderful people who have inspired, influenced and motivated me to push on despite all odds.

This is what some of the Muslim Teen members have to say about their experiences with the group:

“Almost everything in life is about choices…..and I have noticed that a recurring theme in most of these books is about making choices, sometimes in some seemingly simple issues and sometimes in big issues – pleasing Allah or pleasing ‘the self’. These often resonate with the young readers and they can identify with the characters in the books. For me, it is about bringing this to the fore in a non-preachy way, helping them overcome identity issues and boosting their confidence as Muslims.” Lateefah Binuyo

“They are epic, interesting, adventurous, and sometimes hilarious like The Hen in the Wardrobe. They are full of lessons – you are learning without knowing it until you reach the end of the book or encounter a similar situation.” Haneefah (7 yr old)

“Being a part of the Muslim Teen reads family has afforded me the opportunity of coming across great Muslim fiction writers/authors, whom otherwise, I might not even know of their existence. Distributing these books in the UK has also made me realise the great vacuum now being filled… Entertainment is apparently the focal point of most activities in today’s world, including reading, and seeing the relief and excitement expressed when people come across these books that combines entertainment with both Islamic and moral messages is a pointer to the great impact the Muslim Teen Reads concept is having and has the potential to achieve.” Rashidah Hassan

“As a Muslim teen reader I have become exposed to a variety of halal Islamic fiction. This has given me insights into issues that I might have been unaware of as a teenager. Living in the West means there are limited options of appropriate novels but thanks to Muslim Teen Reads, I now have access to Islamic novels.” Fatimah Haruna

“Muslim Teen Reads has been inspirational and true connector of Muslim writers and readers from all over the world. I am glad that I have been opportuned to be part of this. Currently, there are about ten Islamic schools in Nigeria that make use of Muslim Teen Reads titles.” Jaleelah Balogun-Binuyo

In Nigeria, Jaleelah and Fatimah are doing great jobs getting Islamic schools to stock and use the Islamic fiction and book titles listed by Muslim Teen Reads, and also they are encouraged to form online groups to discuss the titles they have read.

What are some your goals for the group in the coming year(s)?
Insha Allah, we hope to get e-books on the online store and also make more sales, increase traffic on the website, get the discussion forum running and also get an in-house imam to answer questions that come up for the readers and of course, this would be a confidential service.

Insha Allah, it is also in the pipeline to host webinars to educate members and the public in general the importance of knowledge-seeking through reading beneficial books. We are also working on getting the Islamic fiction titles into the National curriculum in Nigeria, insha Allah.

Books, reviews, interviews and Fawziyyah’s writings are available at http://muslimteenreads.com/. The group is available to join via http://www.facebook.com/muslimteenreads and follow their tweets via twitter @muslimteenreads.

~~~

This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of SISTERS Magazine.

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An Especially Inspired SISTERS Reads – SISTERS Magazine

SISTERS contributors suggest some of their most inspirational reads by and about Muslimahs…

Brooke Benoit Picks:
For the People, By the People: Muslim Voices, Human Lives an Anthology edited by Sabha Hadi
A wonderful new collection of musings written by both converts and raised-Muslims, both brothers and sisters in the deen. Sharing a range of insights from all over the world about their experiences around issues of identity and religiosity, For the People, By the People surely and generously offers inspiration and wisdom to all its readers. Enjoy an excerpt by contributor Tasia Kazimi on page 114.

Sumreen Wasiq’s Picks:
The Size of A Mustard Seed by Umm Juwayriyyah
Classified under the genre of Urban Islamic Fiction, The Size of a Mustard Seed is a literary accomplishment of the talented author, Umm Juwayriyyah. Given the fact that hundreds of dubious fictitious novels abound in bookshops around the world, novels like The Size of a Mustard Seed are the need of the hour in providing Muslim youth with quality Islamic literature. While reading the book, I particularly noticed the powerful writing style of the author. Doing justice to all of her characters, Umm Juwayriyyah delivered each new story through them, resounding with so many of us Muslims in our daily lives. She addresses core Islamic issues plaguing Western Muslims in an effective manner and also offers practical solutions to them. Set around a young American Muslim woman, Jameelah Salih, the novel reflects her everyday struggles and makes for a truly interesting read.

Welcome to Islam by Lucy Bushill-Matthews
Reading the accounts of reverts’ journeys to Islam always rejuvenates my own faith. Such is the remarkable tale of Lucy Bushill Matthews who takes the reader along with her as she unfolds her past and reveals her exciting experiences. The author’s writing style is direct and unobtrusive. Rather than detailing her sojourn with long and dreary prose, she shrewdly breaks them into short and enjoyable portions with catchy sub headings. Belonging to a Christian family, her conversion and the subsequent sacrifices she had to make are sure to inspire any Muslim. However, as much as she practises the new faith, Lucy also attempts to retain her English identity by amalgamating the British and Islamic values that coincide with each other. I also found her determination and focus in clearing away the misconceptions that arise in the minds of non-Muslims to be very motivating. While discovering more about the beauty of Islam, she logically questions the prevalent practices in her society. It is through her charitable and social work for the Muslim community that she hopes to bring forth a positive change, which is on its own a commendable virtue.

Now You Are A Mother by Du’aa Ra’oof Shaheen
Experiencing two pregnancies up till now Alhamdulillah, I have realised through my experiences that an educated pregnancy is the best one. Although this book came after the arrival of both of my bundle of joys, I nevertheless find it like a wise friend offering me support and guidance when I need it most. Sound and succinct, this new release by the acclaimed publisher Darussalam is a must have for Muslim mommies to-be. Covering every aspect imaginable of a baby’s life in ten detailed chapters, Now You Are a Mother is a comprehensive and practical guide for keeping the sanity of new mothers intact. It presents this sacred relationship in a balanced manner; by sufficiently covering the physical, emotional and mental needs of both the mother and the child from birth to 4 years, as well as focusing beautifully on the Islamic requirements and injunctions on raising Muslim kids, this book promises to be a great companion during the ups and downs of motherhood.

The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson
Written down to precise perfection, G Willow Wilson’s memoir about her journey to Islam is rich and intense. Reverting in Egypt, Wilson’s wonderful experiences of navigating through love, faith and culture add a new dimension of a convert’s sojourn. Her prose is lyrical and she has the canny ability to draw out profound lessons from each of the incidents. A bit controversial at times, Wilson is unabashed and rebellious. Her description of Cairo and the Middle Eastern culture also makes for an interesting read as she clears away various false impressions of the Arab world. The role of her husband, Omar, must also be mentioned as he successfully breaks the stereotypical image of an Arab man. I admire Wilson for standing up for the Islamic scholars and exposing the ignorant and exploitative behaviour of Western journalists while presenting Islam to the world. Poignant and warm, this memoir is a blend of the best and the worst of East and West.

Sumreen Wasiq is a mother of two, aged 3 and 1, with a third on the way. She is passionate about reading and writing, as well as whipping up new dishes now and then. She would love to travel around one day and see up close the world that comes alive in so many books.

Fawziyyah Emiabata’s Picks:
From MTV To Mecca – How Islam Inspired My Life by Kristiane Backer
Far from religion and spirituality, Kristiane Backer was in a world of her own – the entertainment, music and pop video industry, which in turn became a means to discovering herself. In her personal memoir, From MTV To Mecca – How Islam Inspired My Life, the former musical television video jockey (VJ) gives us a full account of her spiritual journey to Islam. Though faced by many challenges, her strong faith gave her the inner peace she had always sought. As one of the very first presenters on MTV Europe, she made a lot of money and met a lot of who’s who in the society – from major artists to famous musicians of her time. She was very successful in her career and anyone in her shoes couldn’t ask for more, but as the saying goes “Money can buy you anything in the world but happiness”, and so the quest for peace of mind began for Kristiane.

I personally admire Kristiane’s courage and her open heartedness to learn, as they seem to have helped a lot in getting the answers to her quest for life and its meaning. The lessons she learned along this journey of the love for the divine (Creator), which is greater than that of the physical or emotional love she felt for some of the closest people she met along the way while climbing on the spiritual ladder, made it so easy for her to let go any physical or mundane affairs. When she got her heart broken and let down by someone she had the hope ofgetting married to, it was her high level of spirituality and her love for the divine that helped her to be forgiving. I was particularly moved by this act of hers. There is no doubt that this book will be enjoyed by all, as it is very interesting, informative and will inspire both Muslims and Non-Muslims alike.

From My Sisters’ Lips by Na’ima B. Robert
Beautifully written and with utmost clarity, Na’ima gives us an account of her journey back to her original religion, Islam, in her memoir From My Sisters’ Lips. Through Na’ima, we also get to meet other sisters from different parts of the world who share their experiences from reversion to submission, nikkah, divorce, hijab, bereavement, niqab and so on. From My Sisters Lips was the first Islamic book I ever read, as it actually came to me in a period when I was facing some challenges in my life and I found it so interesting. I found solace in Allah I through this book as the trials faced by some of these sisters were nearly exactly what I was facing then. It was a great iman booster for me, Alhamdulillah, and I was able to evoke major changes in myself partially inspired by this book. From My Sisters Lips is highly inspirational and motivating. I would recommend this for every woman.

Love in a Headscarf: Muslim Woman Seeks the One by Shelina Zahra Janmohamed
Love in a Headscarf is highly readable. In this personal memoir, Shelina, a British-Asian Muslim woman, shares the secret of how in her teenage fantasy, she had set her standards so as to fall in love with the man she would marry. Considering her Asian background and culture, this seems impossible. Having tried the recommendations of the “Buxom Aunties” and some close family members, but still without a suitor to match the earlier standards she had set, Shelina decides to follow a Muslim-style arranged-marriage route to finding her Mr. Right. Along the way she discovers her faith and herself.
Generally, I found Love in a Headscarf quite interesting. At one point, I felt pity for Shelina when she first felt she had found the right one, but he turned out not to be, and then she got stood up by another person. It was also a great read for learning about a culture different than my own.

Love in a Headscarf is highly recommended for anyone contemplating marriage in particular and women in general.

Turning the Tide by Suma Din
Turning the Tide is a comprehensive summary of a woman’s journey, marked by events from conception to death. The encyclopaedic nature of this book makes it very accessible as the author shows a detailed account of our purpose of existence and some of the ups and downs we face in order to fulfil this special purpose. Suma uses adequate quotations from the Qur’an and ahadith which point to the very meaning of these life events, what we should do and how to go about it.

The use of a strong ‘myriad poetic voices’ by the author makes Turning the Tide outstanding and unique. I especially loved this part of the book and was always looking forward to what ‘the voice’ had to say when I got to a new chapter. It seemed all the time that the words of ‘the voice’ were replacing or representing my own voice. My world is far from the author’s, yet our voices are very similar – I conclude that this stems from the universality of the beauty of creation! I took my time to read this book as it’s not one to be read in one sitting. This book helped raise a lot of questions and from it as well, the answers were presented right before me. It is a book I really enjoyed reading and can confirm that it is a book for every day.

Fawziyyah Emiabata is currently taking a course in Freelance writing and hopes to achieve a lot with it insha Allah. You can read more book reviews on her website www.muslimteenreads.com

Miriam Islam’s Pick:
Return of the Pharaoh by Zainab Al Ghazali
“The door to a dark room was opened. I was hurled inside and the door crashed shut behind me… The next moment the door was locked and a bright light switched on. Now their purpose was revealed; the room was full of dogs! I could not count how many! Within seconds the snarling dogs were all over me and I could feel their teeth tearing into every part of my body… The dogs were unrelenting, digging their teeth into my scalp, my back, shoulder, everywhere. I repeatedly invoked my Lord.” I think this one passage alone sums up the entire lurid contents of Return of the Pharaoh. Although I was captured from the first page, this incident really brought it home. I couldn’t believe what I had read: did such events really take place?
I had to accept the bitter truth, but in the process I learnt about one of the most amazing women to have existed in our time. Zainab Al Ghazali; Beacon of Light, Patron of Hope for the orphans and destitute, this is a true account of her time spent in Egypt’s prison.

Wrongly accused of conspiring to murder President Nasir, she underwent the most unspeakable acts of torture in an effort to make her swear a false oath and forego her Islamic duties. Her only mission was to establish Islam and uphold pure monotheism for the lost people of Egypt. But bringing this about under the rule of Nasir was an almost impossible notion as he had sold his soul to the devil and its allies.

There are very few women who have walked on this earth that can be compared to Aasiyah t, wife of Firawn, and Summayah t, Family of Yasir, but the more I read the more I believed that Zainab was one such woman like them – a woman who is a testament that such people of true faith do still exist. She achieved their rank in both hardship and sweetness of iman. Giving up the dunya and all its allure, she patiently suffered everything with her sight set on the hereafter; for Jannah was within her heart, so what could they do to her?
In vivid detail, Zainab describes all that happened to her and others around her who were unjustly imprisoned. Words alone can’t describe it; it must be read to be appreciated. This is a beautiful, haunting book that makes you weep and burn with anger for the injustice of it all.

Miriam Islam was born and brought up in the UK and is married with two delightful little children, and Insha Allah, another baby on the way!(as of posting here- make that three kids alhumdulillah) She has contributed articles to Habibis Halaqas and also writes on a freelance basis on health-related topics.

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This article originally appeared in the February 2013 issue of SISTERS Magazine featuring Inspirational Muslim Women! 

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The Artful Muslimah – Earth, Ink, Digital and Endless Possibilities with Idil Abdullahi

Community advocate, workshop facilitator, mother, and self-taught artist, Idil Abdullahi has recently returned to university to finish her first fine arts degree in ceramics, while continuing to expand her repertoire of mediums for “story telling” through visual art.

[Brooke Benoit] When did you begin experimenting with art/self-expression? When did you recognize yourself as an artist?

[Idil Abdullahi] I first began to experiment while I was in high school, mainly because my English was so poor at the time. The only subjects that I could relate to and engaged me then were the visual arts. Also, during art classes, my work was being commented on by classmates who didn’t otherwise speak to me at all, so I thought there must be something there, though I really had no concept of what an “artist” was at the time. I just knew I wanted to create, and that feeling of being so immersed in what I was doing became addictive.

My artistic journey has been anything but linear. There was a long absence from creating and then I began experimenting with various mediums which left me with more self-doubts. As such, it was still difficult until very recently to think of myself as an “artist.” It was going back to studying that has given me a fresh point of view and renewed energy to keep going and continue. Upon reflection, I think that I have come full circle and it truly feels like a coming home, Alhamdulillah.

[Brooke Benoit] What made you decide to formally study art?

[Idil Abdullahi] It wasn’t something I planned. After working in the community settlement sector, I wanted to get more qualified in that area, so I initially applied to study social work.  Around the same time, I became involved in community arts initiatives and after lots of encouragement, I got the courage to change my course just in time to fine arts instead.  Straightway, I felt like everything was fitting together so much better and being a product of community arts myself, I was looking forward to continuing to be a part of that once my studies were completed.

Just as someone may write ideas down and organise them to try and get some answers, in the same way I am driven to create – to make some sense out of it all.

[Brooke Benoit] You have emphasised that what you “hope to highlight in the works are issues and feelings of being erased from history past, present and future as the unrest back home [in Somalia] continues to worsen.” Just by creating your work, of course, you contribute to continuing the traditions and history. For people viewing your work – especially your ceramics – they may just see beautiful pottery, can you please explain what some of the meanings are behind the forms?

[Idil Abdullahi] That idea of being erased are the emotions that are fuelling my current work, and in the same way  whether it’s my ceramics or henna paintings, they are indicating questions or experiences I am wrestling with at any given time. Just as someone may write ideas down and organise them to try and get some answers, in the same way I am driven to create – to make some sense out of it all. Many times the ideas come first and they are very concrete, other times it’s a very intuitive process of being drawn to certain forms or colours.

For example, my dervish series are on the surface inspired by the graceful movements of the Sema ritual, but on another level it was a period in my life where I felt that I had to hide my belief that Tasawuf or Sufism is an integral part of Islam. The Sema itself represents growing through love and that’s what I hoped the form would embody as well as opening the door for conversation. They were my first formal ceramic works and thinking back to the days when I was making them still fills me with so much love and gratitude. Not many people notice, but on the turquoise dervish there is this very faint “Bismillah” on it, which at the time was a mark of prayer for blessed beginnings into the ceramic world.

[Brooke Benoit] You have said that you are “very much process driven, and thrive on experimentation. The making, the changes, the accidents, everything you might not see in the end product is just as important, if not more,” which is absolutely horrifying for some people who may see this idea as wasting time and/or resources or may just not be as ‘daring’ to try new things. Can you please explain what the internal process is for you when you are experimenting in artistic mediums and processes?

[Idil Abdullahi] Different materials can convey different emotions, so experimenting, in that sense, to me is important. I probably don’t do enough of it myself due to those same apprehensions you mentioned. And experimenting doesn’t necessarily mean using more materials, in fact it could mean using less.

As an example, I have used all the established painting materials and was never satisfied or enthusiastic about the outcome. And then, by His grace, I saw a window to experiment using henna as a painting medium on watercolour paper, layering it with ink and the results were significant. Here was a medium I have been using for years, but since I knew it as a medium to traditionally adorn the body, it never occurred to me to try it outside of that. So my approach now is more experimental and instinctive; I make lots of samples to begin with and see what is working and whether an idea is worth pursuing.

[Brooke Benoit] Often so much emphasis is placed on the final outcome of someone’s work or an artist’s successes. Are there any mediums you have tried and strongly dislike? If so, what lessons were you able to take with you from those attempts?

[Idil Abdullahi] I wouldn’t say I strongly dislike them, but I really struggled to paint in oils.  More time was spent cleaning the brushes and drying my work and I would ruin pieces because I kept working on them before the layers dried, so I had to start again which irritated me. What is interesting though is after my trials with oils ended, I was convinced that I like to work fast. Yet here I am today working with clay, one of the most unpredictable and time-consuming mediums there is. I don’t know how to explain it but there was this immediate magnetism to clay, whereas with oils I couldn’t wait to finish with them.

[Brooke Benoit] Please tell us about your work with Somalia Drought Relief efforts, as well as your work with refugees in your community?

[Idil Abdullahi] I was involved in various famine fundraising initiatives, primarily using the arts, to raise much needed money and the response was enormous. There is still much work to be done, and there needs to be sustainable prevention programs and strategies put in place. I don’t feel that I have personally contributed very much at all. But because of the positive response to those initiatives, we are hoping to utilise the arts again for programs that involve the community here while at the same time benefiting the community back home.

[Brooke Benoit] Have you been able to return home in the last two decades since you had to leave Somalia? Do you have any plans to do so in the immediate future?

[Idil Abdullahi] No, I haven’t been back there largely because I grew up in the capital city of Mogadishu, which is still one of the most unsafe places in the region. However, I do have extended families in other parts of Somalia and lately I have been yearning to go back, maybe because I am getting old or something, I don’t know. I have been trying to prepare myself to go next year, insha Allah and I am truly excited and looking forward to it.

[Brooke Benoit] You successfully and beautifully use a wide range of mediums – ceramics, photography, henna, performance, painting – are there any mediums or art forms you are dreaming of using in the future, but haven’t had time or access to yet?

[Idil Abdullahi] I would love to do some digital illustration of my henna designs to make them sharper and also more useful outside the body. Video is another medium that is very appealing, the way it engages all of the senses is exceptional. Right now I think the best solution is to collaborate with other artists skilled in those areas rather than taking on too much.

Idil’s work, along with several other Muslim women’s art, is currently on display, May 12th – July 8th 2012, as part of the No Sugar Added exhibit at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in New South Wales. To view or purchase her work and learn more about aiding in Somali drought relief, visit Idil’s portfolio page http://www.artfiles.com.au/idilabdullahi and email her through there.

~~~

This article is from the June 2012 issue of SISTERS Magazine (the magazine for fabulous Muslim women). 

All images courtesy of Idil Abdullahi.

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Hujrah Wahhaj Brings Her Father’s Legacy to The Mic – The Artful Muslimah

What is your background as a spoken word artist? When did you begin writing and performing poetry?

When I was about 12 years old I would sing along to the songs I heard on the radio, mostly rap. I would position myself in front of the mirror, grab a brush as my microphone and “perform,” as if I was really on stage. I didn’t begin writing my own poetry until 2005, while I was visiting family in Atlanta, Georgia during a rough time. They had an Eid celebration hosted by a poet who was fierce. There, I saw young Muslims with incredible talent get on stage and perform. They were modest, God-fearing and super talented. It was such a new experience for me. I knew that day that I had found my voice. They gave me permission to be a fierce poet, and an even fiercer Muslimah. I left Atlanta a changed woman. That night I wrote an entire album from the energy the Muslim artists had brought. I began performing shortly after that and people continue to love it. They give me incredible feedback mostly and say I inspire them. That is the true blessing.

On your blog you say that your dad took you along to his “fiery speeches and lectures” but that you “just looked forward to the road trips and the free food we ate at the various venues.” At what point was there a ‘click’ for you, when you knew that you were also like this, that you also had the urge and means to inspire?

This actually transpired when I was working as a secretary for my dad at his masjid. I had to deal with people from all walks of life with unbelievable circumstances. The majority of the time I was dealing with people in crisis and as my dad’s secretary I had to intercept, and help find fast solutions to solve their problems. Alhamdulillah, I had a natural ability to make people feel comfortable enough to open up and share with me. I always listened intently to their words, deciphering the real message (what they were not saying) and then offered solutions based on that. Alhamdulillah, people were coming into my office on the verge of suicide in some cases and left with new found hope. It was then, I realized I had my dad’s passion and zeal and my calling was to help save and motivate the masses.

You must look at our own uniqueness and find strength in your journey. Your personal path was written for you to do something great, something phenomenal.

How is poetry and spoken word different or not different from straight forward lecturing?

Spoken word and lecturing, to me, is the same. I have a message or a story that I want to tell. Whether it is lecture-style or spoken in poetry, I deliver it so that it pierces the heart and penetrates the soul. I’ve been to many lectures where the information may have been excellent but the delivery was so boring that the audience was lost. Having watched my dad give fiery lecture after lecture, my expectations when I hear a lecture are high. I want it to be good and beneficial, but I’m looking for it to move my soul. If either one is lacking it just does not hold my attention long enough and it becomes useless to even attend. I look at each of my performances this way. Whether it’s my radio show or performing a poem or lecturing, I want people to walk away so pumped up, ready to make a move towards change. I am not satisfied unless the majority of my audience has been moved in such a way that they cannot go home the same person as they were when they came.

In the piece ‘My Journey’ you write “Two choices speak up or sit in the corner over there, because she told herself all her life its immodest to speak her opinion, impolite to raise her voice, or share her inner wisdom, so she stagnates herself suppresses what she has to offer, but her core, her inner most being is burning,…” Have you personally experienced this dilemma? How has your family – especially your mom and dad – felt about your own journey as a woman who stands and speaks up?

I was very passive when I was younger, I wanted to be liked so I would bite my tongue and let people walk all over me. I would agree to do things I really didn’t want to because I thought I was being a good Muslim. I wouldn’t dare critique anyone else other than myself. It came to a point in my life where I was getting sick all the time from not being unable to say “No.” I remember thinking one day, this makes no sense. It doesn’t matter if people don’t validate me because I say no. What’s most important is my health. Slowly but surely I started pulling back and getting the courage to be more assertive. Alhamdulillah, now I’m much better at expressing my needs and wants and keeping everything in my boundary lines. People respect you more when you speak up for yourself. My parents are extremely supportive of me speaking up about my journey. In fact, my mother used to tell me from when I was a little girl that I was supposed to be on stage, that I had a lot to say. The day I stopped fighting my power and inner wisdom and accepted that Allah swt placed me here to inspire the masses and spark change, was the best day – I truly found myself.

Have you experienced any adversaries – people not supporting you, as a Muslim woman, to stand and speak up?

Alhamdulillah, I must say I haven’t had any adversaries thus far about my art or my profession, but I know it’s inevitable. You cannot please everyone and I do expect to have my share of naysayers just like anyone else. You have to be bold and courageous, believing in your work in order to sustain yourself should the naysayers come after you. Alhamdulillah, my blessing is that I no longer seek validation from humans. I seek validation from Allah (SWT). When I want to make a move or a decision I plug deeply into Allah (SWT), making Istikarah, seeking His guidance and approval, and when He gives me His stamp of approval I move with confidence and clarity. You must find your comfort and repose through the Creator. It’s the only way to sustain yourself in a world that could break you down if you let it.

Tell us about Q.U.E.E.N. What are you doing with this program currently and what is your vision for it?

Q.U.E.E.N. Quest for Unity through Empowering and Enlightening the Next generation is an initiative I started to save our young women ages 11-18 from becoming statistics. I founded Q.U.E.E.N. in NY in 2009 and relocated to Atlanta, GA in 2011. Q.U.E.E.N.’s goals are to empower our young women by developing character and leadership building skills, finding and developing their natural talents and gifts, helping them find their voice, passion, and purpose, and raise consciousness and awareness of those who are less fortunate, in extreme poverty, and destitute. Q.U.E.E.N. creates a safe, nurturing, supportive, and stimulating environment for young Muslim women to express themselves, and find their place in this world, and to help contribute to the world around them. Q.U.E.E.N.’s vision is to unite all young Muslim women across the globe, and to have a chapter in all major inner-city states and eventually in every country. Q.U.E.E.N. girls are taught lifelong skills such as cooking, sewing, writing, and individual talent development. They are also given leadership roles and are held responsible for weekly tasks and goals. Insha Allah, Q.U.E.E.N.’s future endeavours include, but are not limited to: soup kitchens, visiting the sick, charity events, fundraisers, and trips to Africa to help those who are less fortunate. We strongly encourage young women over the age of 18 to volunteer with us as peer mentors as they will be develop and grow along with our girls.

What are some of your thoughts about Muslims, especially young Muslims, and expressing themselves through various forms of art?

Young Muslims must express themselves. We live in a world full of boundaries and guidelines. We can’t keep telling our young people “No, no, no. Haram, haram, haram” expecting them to not dibble and dabble into the very same things we are trying to stop them from doing. If young Muslims are encouraged to express themselves, especially artistically, they will develop a sense of passion and belonging. Right now they feel like outsiders, this is why the Muslim girls take off their khimars at school and the young Muslim brothers prefer to have non-Muslim nicknames. They feel like they don’t belong and are trying to find their way. Giving them a platform to find their way and express their thoughts and concerns artistically is lifesaving. They can begin to find power in their voice, becoming trendsetters and leaders instead of followers. Young Muslims, I encourage you, to step into your Light now. Find out what it is that you like, that makes your heart sing, that makes your soul dance, and then go and do it. If you have to get creative and find a way to make it halal, then seek out daleel, do proper research – by all means, do it.

It is not okay to stifle our children’s creativity because all that suppressed energy has to come out and it will unfortunately in destructive ways, which could cost your child’s soul. Expressing yourself creatively and artistically is the difference between living and existing. None of us should merely exist, we should all be living. We were not created to be free floating atoms, aimlessly flaring about. We must stand up and make a choice to be Great. We must realize we were sent here to this place to do a specific job. No one else can do the job you were written to do. You must look at your own uniqueness and find strength in your journey. Your personal path was written for you to do something great, something phenomenal. The sooner you stop stifling yourself, the sooner you begin to peel back your layers and express yourself creatively, and the sooner you will begin to move up your ladder of success. Step into your light, step into your greatness no matter what your current circumstances are, regardless of your age or status. If no one else ever did it, let me be the one to tell you, I give you permission to be great, better yet Allah (SWT) has given you permission to be THE BEST!

To learn more about Hujrah’s work, including her recently released spoken word CD “Warrior of Love: I’m Here Now” visit her website http://www.hujrahwahhaj.com/, but the best way to connect with Hujrah and follow her prodigious works is through her Facebook page.

Brooke Benoit is an American artist who is home-educating her 5.5 children in Casablanca, Morocco. Her current most-used mediums are dirt, seeds, worms, balsa wood, and glitter paint.

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This article originally appeared in the May 2012 issue of SISTERS Magazine- The magazine for fabulous Muslim women.

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Casual Container Gardening – Unschooling

I’ve been meaning to start-up some container gardening for, uh, a couple of springs now, but haven’t been able to get sprouting. At the beginning of this year Jamila of Successful Muslim Homeschooling issued a Gardening Challenge and oh how I love a challenge, so here we go!

One of the many things I have learned about myself since moving overseas is that I tend to get very and unnecessarily caught up in details. Though haste can make waste, over-thinking and especially thinking I need specific tools/items to do projects also makes a waste of both time and money. Let’s not talk about the stuffed cupboards and baskets I have of craft supplies waiting to be used. I did need containers to start my garden on my balcony as we already reuse and recycle the few things that could have been used and I easily enough found containers which fit perfectly on our balcony ledge, but previously I have always gardened using little starts from the nursery or sometimes seeds. Here in Morocco I began a futile and time-wasting search for vegetable and herb seeds while I scrapped seeds from my souk-bought produce into my compost bin. Yeah, I know, a bit dense sometimes.

Clockwise from top left: Pumpkins 1, Red Bell Peppers, Pumpkins 2, Avocado

My rigidity didn’t wane too quickly though, the kids and I began googling which seeds needed to be dried and which could be used immediately and then finally I had my khalas moment! We began just soaking any and every seed we came across, including a few bean varieties from the pantry. In the photo above the 1st pumpkin seeds had already sprouted inside the pumpkin- easy enough! The red bell pepper seeds never started, think those probably need to dry out as I discovered my mother-in-law does to them. The 2nd pumpkin seeds are my favorite (sweeter) local variety. And the avocado, well, I did read up on how you are supposed to do that stabbing-submerging thing, but didn’t have a sunny windowsill to put it on, so maybe that’s why it never started. Going to try that one again now that it is warmer.

Currently we have on our balcony sweet peas, lentils, chickpeas, navy beans, and two variety of pumpkins. We also threw in some strawberry seeds found in the bottom of our smoothie cups, but got no sproutage from those either. The thirteen year old researched which local bean varieties produced the prettiest flowers, but in the end that which sprouted got planted and that which didn’t- didn’t.

We actually have about eight pumpkin plants growing in just three containers and I am dreading doing any transplanting- worried about killing them! But plan to ‘just do it’ sometime this week, insha Allah, and will try to get some new pictures up as per instructed by The Challenge, which you can follow on facebook: Successful Muslim Homeschool.

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the artful muslimah – The Professional Artist – Nadia Janjua

“Artist” is a loaded label, with many possible connotations. Struggling, brooding, and solitary may fit Nadia Janjua at small intervals, though vibrant, multi-faceted, and innovative are better ways to describe her and her work. Maybe hustler is most fitting. Nadia is constantly on the move, hustling to make, sell and often give away her art for charity. A vast archive of her activities and work spans from her own blogs and websites to profiles on several professional artist organisations, a handful of social network pages with thousands of followers, an Etsy shop, a regularly published newsletter, and a Deviant Art account. Browsing her online photos, one can find her architectural works, fine art paintings, and jewellry, as well as her travel shots from all over the world and photos of the artist at work in her studio and on the road.

Nadia’s flurry of activity shows not only in the quantity of her work, but the global reach and size of her contributions are quite impressive as well. Like many artists, Nadia’s interest in art started very young and her parents were able to give her “a lot of independence and space,” in which she ultimately found making art to be her natural calling.

  My art work is my strongest tool for giving charity, for sadaqa jariya (continuous charity), and for spreading beauty and remembrance of Allah; it’s an obligation for me to use it in the best of ways.

“My conviction and dedication to my craft and (the) creative process from an extremely young age didn’t allow my parents to see what I was doing as frivolous.” Though they naturally have concerns about their daughter “choosing a life of financial risk and uncertainty,” Nadia is thankful for their support. “My parents have attended nearly every art exhibit I’ve ever had, and they’ve helped fund my creative pursuits when I’ve needed it, which is tremendous and I’m grateful for it.”

Nadia’s main areas of work are traditional canvas painting, architecture, and personal adornment, such as earrings and key chains; all of which she has somehow or another been able to donate to charity. “My art work is my strongest tool for giving charity, for sadaqa jariya (continuous charity), and for spreading beauty and remembrance of Allah; it’s an obligation for me to use it in the best of ways.”

Nadia has had the opportunity to work with several charitable organisations, including Habitat for Humanity, Architecture for Humanity, Islamic Relief, CARE for Haiti, Children International, CalEarth Pakistan. “Any time there is a natural disaster in any part of the world, I am quick to respond in whatever small way I can

by raising money and researching reliable sources to donate to.” In late 2011 she had planned a trip to Turkey following her completion of the Hajj, and arrived soon after the devastating earthquake. Before leaving the United States, Nadia got into gear: “I started a fundraising campaign to sell my art work and collect a percentage of that to distribute directly to those in need, or buy immediate supplies for earthquake victims.” Once on the ground, she wasn’t able to reach Van to distribute the funds as planned, but she was still able to give the funds directly to homeless individuals in Istanbul, and another reliable relief group operating in Turkey.

Though Nadia plans her annual trips as best she can, forced flexibility is one of the many challenges and lessons she appreciates about travelling. “This sense of adventure and fearlessness is important to me as an artist; art can be so risky, and so controversial – if you don’t have faith in your moves and in yourself, you’ll never get past that blank canvas. The same goes for travelling – if you choose to stay in that resort and not mix with the locals for fear of being in uncharted territory then you really haven’t travelled. And travelling is hard! The physical act of sitting in a plane for hours, of uncomfortably squirming in your bus seat on an overnight trip, of trying to buy a ticket for the train and not knowing a single word of the local language – it’s all very challenging but it’s the triumph of experience over all of the other stuff – that’s what it’s all about. Same with art – my personal philosophy is to never focus on the end product as much as I do the journey. If I’m so distracted by the outcome, my process will never be in harmony. It’s when I can let go of how things will end that I truly come to realise my potential, and the beauty of the process – and in the end, that’s what keeps me very grateful.”

Through the many events Nadia has participated in, opportunities for exciting collaborations and new directions have opened up. In particular, being invited to the IMAN Artist Retreat in April 2011 exposed Nadia to the range of talented Muslim Artists and creative thinkers who currently exist. “The experience was phenomenal – it was intense and mind-opening and heart-breaking and simply a blessing to be surrounded by such talented Muslim artists from all over the world!” Among her long-term plans, Nadia says, “I know that I really want to work with my art in therapy settings and I want to keep working to help build awareness of the validity and necessity for the arts within the Muslim community.” She is also interested in expanding the way she uses her larger scale work – architecture. Nadia, still a ‘young architect’, is most interested in residential work, “and exploring the unique ways in which we live our daily lives,” however architecture is yet another avenue for the artist to recognise her appreciation and give her work and talents for the sake of Allah I. Nadia is also involved in architectural relief efforts: “The post-disaster recovery and rebuilding process is one which I feel architects are not as involved in, and yet we have the capacity to contribute so much to this field.” Art to live in, art to look at, art to wear, art in “everyday life” is Nadia’s goal when creating. “All in all, there’s nothing I consider unreachable or off-limits for myself as a creative individual – if there is joy and honesty in the process of making it, and if it contributes to the greater good of spreading beauty and encouraging consciousness amongst people, then I consider it within the scope of my work.”

Most of Nadia’s work can be viewed on her main website www.njartitecture.com, and you can also find her works on Facebook, Etsy, Deviant, Tumblr, and at various art fairs and showcases, such as an upcoming Community Café event hosted by IMAN; and a solo show at BloomBars, an inspiring non-profits art community space in Washington, D.C.

Brooke Benoit is an American artist who is home-educating her 5.5 children in Casablanca, Morocco. Her current most-used mediums are dirt, seeds, worms, balsa wood, and glitter paint.

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This article originally appeared in the April 2012 issue of SISTERS Magazine- The magazine for fabulous Muslim women.

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The Craft of Life from The Artful Muslimah column in SISTERS Magazine

When I first stumbled upon the burgeoning sisters’ craft niche in the Muslim blogosphere, my cynicism hijab must have been wrapped too tight. Why? I wondered. There are g-oodles of craft blogs, websites, online video tutorials and so on, why would the Muslimahs want to add to that clutter? And then I scrolled down – and it was love at first sight: a Muslimah-only international craft swap!

Farhana Faruq started her blog Sketched Soul way back in 2006, and it is one of the oldest of the Muslimah craft blogs on the Internet. Fresh onto her Canadian ISP, Farhana’s interests in creativity, encouraging sisterhood, sharing a love of reading, and her family’s various grassroots charity projects immediately showed through in her first few posts: “Surfing the net I realised there were a lot of people out there like me. Creative but broke. Wanting to give but not having enough. So Sketched Soul was born. It was (and still is) meant to be a means for creative (and the not-so-creative) people to come together and help with little projects that make a huge impact on the lives of those less fortunate. At the same time, the blog brings (mainly) sisters together through the different projects and swaps.”

A graphic designer with a love for fashion, Farhana’s sister-to-sister “swaps” and charitable “projects” have become a staple of her blog,but her compulsion to craft also keeps the blog filled with a wide range of tutorials and innovative art and craft suggestions, such as her Arabic calligraphy wedding cake topper, annual Ramadhan crafts, and a fabulous stencilling tutorial. This winter, between uploading photos of her recent hand-painted leopard-print skirt project and a headband tutorial, Farhana also synthesised her several years of e-community building know-how to help put together an international book drive for an orphanage her uncle has built in Zambia.

Educators and entrepreneurs have long known that fostering creativity and actively pursuing hobbies gives people the confidence to amass new skills, try new things, and therefore tend to be more successful in their endeavours and lives. While they’ve all had their fair share of admirers gush “Oh, I could never!”, longtime crafters know that actually folks really could – if not this, then maybe that. While someone may not have the patience or ambition to learn a particular craft, art-making processes, like all other things, can be learned and all learning begets more learning across different mediums. For these sisters who initially just wanted to chat stitches and knots, branching out and subsequently building up are re-occurring themes .

“An artist/artisan of sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery … and sometimes craft,” Sabina Taylor has over 30 years of experience in fibre arts as well as a multitude of other mediums she has mastered to incorporate into her work. Like all the bloggers, Sabina simply loves her craft; she is thankful to Allah I to have her talent and she has a drive to share both her appreciation and knowledge with others. Sabina first stepped away from her Kenmore and dye baths long enough to put up some blog entries on Slip Stitches and More when she was living overseas in the United Arab Emirates. What “began as an outlet while acclimatising to the Mideast” ultimately increased Sabina’s tech-skills online: “as I grew in SEO and pc/web knowledge I began to ‘get it’ and incorporate all this into my handmade business.”

Sabina’s modest blog has grown into a nice little brand for her with a YouTube channel, a few social network pages, and an Etsy shop. “The novice sewist” is still Sabina’s motivation and while the blog is a great showcase for her work, Sabina freely shares her decades of know-how with many tips and tutorials that can be especially beneficial to sisters, such as her videos of an easy caftan-making lesson and how to repurpose a butterfly abaya into a shoulder abaya. In turn, as someone who has benefited a great deal from da’wah and knowledge-based websites, Sabina has also expanded into a second blog which is Islam-based and she has had the opportunity to share plentiful information about the deen with her non-Muslim craft readers.

Erum in Pakistan has long been a compulsive crafter and wanted some way to record and maybe share all the projects she had done for her family, such as the fancy holiday dresses she makes and embellishes for her daughters. Her nephew suggested she get a blog and with little know-how, Arts Crafts N Hobbies was hesitantly started in 2010. Craft blogging has turned out to be an amazing experience for Erum who has met many talented and generous people all over the world: “The blog polished my creativity and has given me a chance to learn and try out so many new things.” While she continues to enhance her skills and expand her repertoire, Erum has also begun to dabble a little in selling her crafts locally.

Another seasoned blogger of several years, Ginger Davis, aka UmmLayla of the Crafty Muslimah blog [whoops! That's the Crunchy Mama blog!], posting from the American Midwest, just recently started a second craft-focused blog where she hopes to highlight her aim to make one project a week during 2012 with the goal of making herself a whole wardrobe. On her other blog, Ginger’s original Ramadhan crafts always garnered a lot of attention from readers searching for Islamic-related items unavailable commercially and for those who are more likely to do-it-yourself. Ginger tries to wear something handmade every day and by simply uploading pictures of projects she is already doing, “in the end maybe other people will be inspired to do the same.” Ginger loves the process of creating something from start to finish, beginning with the rawest of materials, figuring all the bits out, and finally arriving at the finished product. “If I could go from baby sheep to finished sweater, it would be fulfilling a dream of mine.” Sounds like someone has a lot of blocking and blogging to do!

If you are a crafty Muslimah – newbie or master – you can find like-minded souls, not only among the Muslimah craft blogosphere, but there are also e-groups budding up all over the Internet. If you don’t have time or access to quilting circles or beading classes in your area, you can still enjoy the camaraderie of other crafty sisters on Facebook, Yahoo, Flickr, and throughout Cyberville.

Brooke Benoit is an American artist who is home-educating her 5.5 children in Casablanca, Morocco. This year when people ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over her kids’ Ramadhan projects, she may begrudgingly admit that the brilliant ideas were not originally her own.

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This article appears in the March 2012 issue of SISTERS Magazine (the magazine for fabulous Muslim women). 

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Intersections: Woman, Artist, Muslim. An Anthology

Please check out, share and submit! to this, insha Allah, upcoming anthology Intersections: Woman, Artist, Muslim. on WordPress, on Facebook, on Tumblr…

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Intersections: Woman, Artist, Muslim

Ruminations on Being, Creating, and Believing

Bismillah al Rahman al Raheem

This is a call for submissions for a new project, the anthology Artist Intersections: Woman, Artist, Muslim. As you well know art and all its various forms, such as poetry, performance, film, illustration, fashion, are often misunderstood and even demonized in the greater Muslim community. The intent of this project is to reflect on the experiences of creative/creating Muslimahs to (insha Allah) dispel some of these myths as well as to inspire others to maximize their God-given talents and the blessings available through doing so.

As this project hopes to reveal (notice we didn’t say “unveil”!) a wide scope of the artists and artistic happens, both visual and literary, across the ummah, we are open to accepting a diverse array of writing styles, including and by no means limited to essays, dialogues, creative non-fiction writing and poetry that is directly relevant to the subject matter. We would also like to include some inspiring, entertaining and/or insightful interviews of artsy sisters. You are welcome to put together an interview for submittal, contact us for suggestions of sisters of interest, or run by us ideas of potential interviewees.

Works which include excerpts from Quran, hadith, and other Muslim Maxims are of course welcomed in this project, however if your style or preference does not include such, your work is also welcome as we strive for inclusion of a diverse representation of believers, respecting the individuality in each Muslim point of view. This is not an anthology of “Islamic Art,” rather it is an anthology of Muslim Women Artists. In the spirit of inclusivity we ask that writers consider their readers and therefore cannot accept any work which includes vulgarity or explicit depictions of sex. Submissions from Sisters of Color are especially appreciated.

We would love to hear about issues related to being a Muslim woman artist, such as:

• Internal and external struggles with accepting yourself as a artist
• Rectifying your culture, art and religion
• Epiphany-like moments related to being an artist
• Art and dawah
• Art as ibadah
• Art as rizk: Being a working (as in selling) artist
• Accepting yourself as being a creative being or non-working (as in selling) artist
• Creativity and your community
• Reflections on historical Muslim arts and artists which inspire you
• Anything else related to your being an artist, a woman and a Muslim

Submission Guideline Details:

• Email all submissions both as .doc and pasted in the content of your email to intersectionsanthology@gmail.com
• Maximum 5,000 words
• Include a 2-3 sentence biography
• If you have one, include website or blog url
• Submissions due March 1^st, 2012

Information about compensation, copy rights and similar will not be available until a publisher has been secured, minimally each accepted entry will receive a copy of the anthology.

Please help spread the word! Share the submission guidelines for Intersections:  Woman, Artist, Muslim on your blog, website, social networks and with all of your creative sisters.

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The Hijrah Dialogues: Part Three

Part Three: Brooke Benoit talks with Dr. Jamillah Karim, professor of religious studies at the all female Spelman College, “anthropologist at heart” and author, about her mini hijrah to Malaysia and how becoming an immigrant and Other will help Karim in her life’s work within the ummah.

What brought you, your husband and your two young sons to Malaysia, and is it the only Muslim-majority country you have visited?
Malaysia is the first Muslim-majority country that I lived in and visited. I traveled to Malaysia the first time in 1997 as part of a forty-member Muslim youth delegation, invited by the Malaysian government to see an example of Islam thriving in a modern society and to then apply our discoveries in our home communities. At that time, our group was impressed with the way in which the Malaysian government sought to apply traditional Islamic thought and law in ways that accommodate modern values.  As ethnic and religious minorities in the United States, we found it especially compelling that Malaysia emphasized Islam as the majority religion at the same time that it embraced its religious and ethnic diversity.  We also found the treatment of women in Malaysian society favorable. Women in traditional Muslim attire appeared to fully participate in the public sphere.  

After that visit, I traveled to Cairo for an eight-week Islamic Civilization course, to Mecca and Medina for the hajj, to Fez as part a ten-day interfaith pilgrimage, and to Istanbul for my honeymoon. In 2010 my family lived in Malaysia for a year while my husband to attended the International Center for the Education of Islamic Finance (INCEIF). My husband has an MBA in finance from Georgia Tech, but he has always been interested in Islamic Finance and exploring how this alternative system could be applied in the American context.

 I appreciated and embraced the display of diverse religious communities.

Was there anything markedly different about how Islam is presented in Malaysia compared to the other Muslim-majority countries you visited?

 

It had been over a decade since my first visit to Malaysia and with my travels and acquired academic background in the studies of Islamic cultures I did have insight of the unique features of Malaysian Muslim socity. Many of the features of this society that stood out back then reemerged during my recent residence in the country. Certainly, what makes Malaysia unique compared to all of the other Muslim-majority countries that I visited is its substantial non-Muslim population. Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and other religious groups make up forty percent of the population. I appreciated and embraced the display of diverse religious communities. This appreciation is influenced, I am sure, by my American ideals of religious inclusion, but not even in America do you see minority religious holidays recognized with such high public profile in the way that you see them celebrated in Malaysia. I kept my eye toward the Chinese and Indian Malaysian experience in the country, as opposed to that of the Muslim Malays, which was definitely influenced by the fact that I lived in an upper-class expatriate area where a substantial number of Chinese Malaysians lived or owned businesses.  My eyes were opened as I listened to non-Muslims describe their feelings about social policies that favor Muslim Malays and the recent proposals made by political groups to create laws that impose religious standards or preferences.

 

Living in Malaysia I gained a better sense of the ethnic and religious tensions and realized how the substantial minority presence actually contributes to Malaysia’s reputation as a progressive Muslim-majority. The diverse voices, even within the Muslim population, continue to push the society to think about and embrace ways to identify as a Muslim society in which religious minorities feel fully recognized and integrated in the society.

Do you feel that you practiced your deen any differently while living in Malaysia? How has living there improved your deen, if at all?

I loved the way in which decorations for Eid were put up well before the holiday and the way in which Eid was cherished as a time to spend with family. It reminded me of the Christmas holiday season here in the US. In the convert community in which I grew up, I saw Eid practiced as a community affair, but now with my generation having children and our Muslim families expanding, Eid is increasingly becoming more family-based, being experienced as a time for extended family to come together as well as community activities. Otherwise, I wouldn’t say that living in Malaysia made a great difference in the practice of my deen. Islam as practiced in the United States is so rich and accessible that I never imagined traveling abroad as a critical component to increasing my personal faith, except for the pilgrimage to Mecca, of course.

On your blog you have said that as a stay at home mom in Malaysia you had the unique opportunity to connect with women from all over the world and this would be the #1 thing you would miss when leaving Malaysia. This was a little surprising to me, after all we both come from The Melting Pot where diversity is loudly touted, so what was the difference that made these connections possible in what, I would think, is a less diverse country than the US?

In the states I live in a black neighborhood in a majority-black city, I work at a black college for women, and I attend a black mosque. Depending on where you reside in the United States, there may not be opportunities to connect with people from all over the world. In my book I highlight the ways in which many of us are tied to ethnic locations in the United States while occasionally we have the chance or we deliberately make an effort to cross ethnic boundaries. Living in a diverse expat area in Kuala Lumpur, I had neighbors from all over the world. I wasn’t the only one making this observation. I remember an expatriate from Australia talking about how wonderful it was to meet people from everywhere.

Before going to Malaysia you were very candidly told that you would experience racism in more “direct” ways than in the US. Why wasn’t racism a deterrent for going abroad and how was the racism different than what you experience in the US?

It wasn’t a deterrent because we wouldn’t let the scare of racism prevent us from missing a once in a lifetime opportunity. Perhaps too it is because we haven’t experienced racism directly like our parents and grandparents did to really be scared. When my husband mentioned to his aunt that people said we might face racism, she responded that we don’t even know what racism is as our ancestors had experienced it in the last century.

Racism in Malaysia was different in that it was direct, but not just towards black people. Malaysia is a very race and ethnic conscious country and it is understood that people are preferred in different situations based on their race. In the United States, if you call an apartment complex to inquire about leasing, no one’s going to ask you directly or immediately about your ethnic or racial background. Perhaps they will take cues from the way you speak or discriminate after seeing you, but they wouldn’t directly ask you if you are black or immigrant on the telephone as I experienced in Malaysia.

In your book, American Muslim Women: Negotiating Race, Class and Gender within the Ummah, you explain some of the dynamics which keep the ummah in the United States from being more unified, especially among immigrant and African American Muslims. How has living as an immigrant in Malaysia evolved your perspectives of these dynamics?

I thought about this question a lot. I am now more understanding of the dilemma that immigrants face as they try to make it in a new country.  How is it even possible to integrate into the new society without ascribing to some of the long-standing race and class dynamics? I still agree with the tone of my book as it celebrates those immigrants who’ve tried to resist wholesale assimilation into these racial patterns, but I’m more sympathetic to those who haven’t.

How long have you been back in the states and are you experiencing any of the repatriation discomforts? What, if anything, are you missing about Malaysia and do you have any plans to live abroad in another Muslim-majority country?

I have been back in the United States over two months and I’m experiencing hardly any discomfort. I’m very happy to be with my family and community. Of course I think back fondly on my time in Malaysia. I miss the friends that I made, especially those in the expat Muslim community. I’m missing the Malay family that took us in last Ramadan. I’m missing the food, sweet and savory and halal. I’m missing all the vacationing and tourist stuff we did in Malaysia.

No, I don’t have any plans to live abroad. I’ve always been exceptionally hopeful and excited about the great things American Muslims are destined to do here at home. I’m grateful to be among the first generations of Muslims in America. I look forward to making a contribution and continuing the legacy of establishing an American Muslim home and community for my children.

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This article originally appeared in the November 2011 issue of SISTERS Magazine (the magazine for fabulous Muslim women).

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