This response is lengthy, necessary so please read All the content. Thanks.

As Salaam’Alaykum

Thank you for taking the time to comment and voice your opinions about this article.  All POV are acceptable here on the IslamicFictionBooks blog.

First I will copy and paste some text taken from the IslamicFictionBooks website pertaining to Islamic Fiction works.; make some general comments about IF;  then respond to various comments you made within the entire commentary you wrote.

This will be a very long reply but please read through to the end. Thank you. J

From www.IslamicFictionBooks.com:

“Differences in Islamic Practices and Teachings
While Islamic knowledge presented in Islamic Fiction may be taken directly from the Holy Qur’an and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as well as from Islamic history, not all of the Islamic content in these books will be considered factual or acceptable by all Muslim readers. This is due to differences between a Muslim reader and the writers, editors, and publishers with respect to personal practices, beliefs and knowledge, as well as the influence of his mathab, culture, and traditions.” 

AND

“Islamic Reminder
Determining the accuracy and permissibility of Islamic content is the responsibility of every adult Muslim reader. This may differ according to individual differences in madhab and practice. All Muslim parents, guardians, teachers, and school administrators must determine whether a book’s content is halal for their children and students. This Islamic Reminder holds true for all materials a Muslim reads.”

My General Commentsabout IF:

1.      Many Muslims do not want their children/youth/teens to read books that contain the content described as harmful on the IFB website.  This is their choice and they have the right to choose. I think you will agree. I define children/youth/teens as any age under the legal age for an adult. It is my belief (one held when I was a non Muslim and held as a Muslim that parents/teachers/guardians have an obligation and duty to know what their children are reading and screen out books with inappropriate/harmful content. Muslim adults are held accountable to Allah for what they choose to read.

2.      In most Islamic schools today teachers, school administrators do not have a “choice” between fiction books authored by Muslims and fiction books authored by non Muslims for youth and teens simply because Muslim publishers do not publish fiction books for these reading levels be it Islamic fiction (as defined on the IFB website) or Other fiction written by Muslims for these reading levels.

3.      Most Islamic schools sponsor book fairs and promote/sell books authored by non Muslims which have content inconsistent with generally accepted Islamic teachings/practices such as dating, boys and girls mixing, celebrating Christian holidays, eating harmful foods and consuming harmful drinks such as dinner wines etc. These books do not have Muslim book characters and Muslim children/teens have difficulty identifying with many of the situations and book characters.

4.      As to using curse words… most Muslim parents would fnot like their children/yout even teens reading vulgar words such as the four letter “F” word and taking the name of Allah in vain ….extremely objectionable in my opinion… As an adult I do not like reading books that are riddled with this kind of content…but that is my choice. Right?

I seriously doubt whether you have read any/many Islamic fiction books. Such as the Echoes series by Sister Jamilah Kolocotronis (4 books published) with the 5^th and final book in the series in rewrites slated for editing.  This is a family “saga” series spanning several decades and is about the lives of generations of a family and extended family…their loves, trials, marriages, failures, challenges, problems, and such.  The  characters are reverts, Muslims born into Islamic families, and non Muslims. The settings and situations are in modern times in the USA.  The challenges, trials, human failings of the book characters are woven into the compelling stories as are the triumphs and most importantly for Islamic fiction…. Key elements about living and practicing Islam…without one bit of “preachy” content.  The characters are flawed as we humans are… they struggle and turn to Allah after many trials and errors.  Yet… this fine Islamic series is not riddled with explicit sexual content or descriptions, the books are not riddled with curse and swear words although as adult fiction you might read (sparingly) a cuss word of a non vulgar nature!

The book Muslim Teens in Pitfalls and Pranks (targeting Muslim teen readers- LOL) is another fine example of Islamic fiction… the story has 7 primary Muslim teen book characters and they live in the USA and attend public high school…one is attending university. The story is about common challenges our Muslim teens face as Muslim minorities living in a much larger non Muslim society.  The book characters and situations/challenges described in the story are very believable.  The 7 Muslim teens are “not perfect.”  There isn’t any “preachy” content either.

One situation I will briefly describe.  A brother is participating/playing as a member of the high school’s football team.  He begins to feel the pressure of seeing non Muslim classmates dating and mixing… hugging and kissing and he sees teen non Muslim girls dressing in sometimes provocative manner or at the least not covered as many Muslim sisters are.  One of the team’s popular cheerleaders shows interest in this brother and is a common enough practice among non Muslim teens …she flirts and tries to get his attention… she succeeds.  She is very attractive and invites the brother to meet with her on various occasions.  The brother is troubled by his adolescent feelings and natural urges which are to be expected in  young Muslim teen males. He discusses with a Muslim confident the fact that he is considering meeting with this girl… sneaking about so as not to be seen by other Muslim friends or taking chances that his parents will find out.  He asks for advice from an older brother attending university, but he does not act on the good Islamic advice given to him. Instead he meets with the girl more than once…even experiences being kissed by the girl … and he feels guilty and knows what he is doing is unacceptable in Islam. He does not tell his older Muslim confident that he is sneaking about seeing the cheerleader and kissing and such. He is stricken with remorse and knows he has sinned not only by his sneaking around and having such contact with this girl but by all the lies he tells to cover up what he is doing. He cannot take his guilt any more and…….well I will not spoil this story for readers but believe me he is not taken out and beaten or whipped! LOL

Do you find these Islamic fiction examples so objectionable and puritanical?

What sets them apart besides the criteria for harmful content not being present is the inclusion of correct Islamic teachings and responses to the unIslamic conduct/decisions/ situations which is delivered in a way that is not dogmatic or preachy or that alienates the reader!

The Islamic fiction writer intends for the reader to learn something about the truth and beauty of Islam.  Also the IF writer may include cultural practices by Muslims which are mistakenly believed to be islamic and the IF writer weaves in this fact and provided Islamic information without the dogma.

Muslims who do not write Islamic fiction do not have as a primary goal the intentions for readers to learn about Islam through the telling of the story…weaving Islam into the story in a manner that does not debate, alienate, be preachy, or dogmatic.

There is a market for Islamic fiction works. You may not include yourself as part of this market and that is okay as it is your choice to decide what you read.

As to classics written… fables and such… it should be  (in my opinion) at the parents discretion to determine if some of this literature should be read by their under legal age children/youth/teens.  Children’s’ maturity and comprehension levels should weigh heavily versus the actual content in the decision on which books to provide to children/youth and young teens. I use 18 years and up as my yardstick for the adult reading level.

Even in the secular book world there are “standards” upheld as to what is considered appropriate content. As Muslims we need to have appropriate standards for content also for what we write and what we allow ourselves and those younger under-age Muslims to read that we are acountable to Allah for.

Your Comment: Islamic Fiction, as you define it, would potentially exclude classical Muslim literature such as a 1001 Nights. Martin Lings, one of the most revered Sufis of our time, loved Shakespeare - yet his plays are full of bawdy humor (Hotspur’s wit was particularly lewd). Would you, like the middle class parents in Orwell’s ‘A Clergyman’s Daughter’, ban his works from the Muslim classroom?

My Comments:  I don’t believe I used the word “ban” anywhere in the article you commented on. If an adult Muslim chooses to read books authored by Muslims which contains bawdy content., etc. …that is the adult choosing. I do not think books like this have a place in the school classroom where it is left to teachers to try and determine what each parent or guardian of his/her students will think about “bawdy” content being acceptable. A university student is of an age and hopefully maturity where books like this could be read if required or desired.

Your Comment: As Oscar Wilde affirmed, art is art and there is no such thing as inherently moral art. A murder in a book is not a murder in real life, nor will it make murder in reality more likely.

My Comment:  did I “ban” as you stated murder from Islamic fiction works? Did I state anywhere that murder is not a reality? I think not. Please don’t put words in my mouth that I have not thought or spoken.  If an Islamic fiction story included the murder of a person/s in the story you can be sure that the Islamic teaching about murder will be woven into the story as well without being any of the things “you think” negatively about Islamic Fiction being present.

Your Comment: Moreover, Islam does NOT ban swearing!! Even al-Qaradawi only argues a Muslim should not to swear often (See his Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong).

My comment: I do not think using swear words is appropriate in fiction Muslim children, youth, and teens read.  For adults this is another matter. In any instance using Allah’s name in vain or using coarse and vulgar phrases/words is not really necessary if the writer is skilled and creative… the same emotions and impact can be evoked without actually using the words. Any writer worth his/her salt as a professional writer should be able to do this.  My opinion. J

Your Comment:  This is really puritanical art you are peddling and, as such, it will simply exclude all those human failings that are the source of drama and hence all those things that make art interesting. Arguably, art is Islamic because it is beautiful, and beauty is evocative of Allah (swt).

My Comment: This last comment of yours is based, in my opinion, on your ignorance (lack of knowledge) about what Islamic Fiction works really are. Perhaps you haven’t read an Islamic fiction book?  This would not surprise me as few Muslim publishers will publish any kind of fiction beyond little kids’ color picture/illustrated books for reading levels lower than 3^rd grade! And for the Islamic fiction books which Muslim authors have managed by many trials to get published … Muslim retailers (most) will not make the books available. Not because they are poor quality as to stories or editing or book production… but just because they are fiction.

I challenge you to read one of the Islamic fiction Echoes series books or one of the two teen Islamic fiction books I published for two very fine Muslimah authors.

I will even send you a copy of one of the Echoes series books and one of the teen books if you will as Muslim… promise to come back to this blog and comment on the books for visitors, J  You can send me your mailing name, address and phone number to my email address is woodad@mindspring.com  I will then use this info with the rpinting company and have your books shipped directly to you…..no charge.

You see I am so confident you will be so pleasantly surprised and appreciative of the work of these IF authors that I am willing to pay for the books and mailing costs to send them to you. J

Your comment: Bad art - like Aboulela’s ‘Minaret’ is simply dull and benefits no one, except moralists on a mission!

My Comment: I have no experience with the above so I can not comment on your statement.

Salaams,

Widad (Linda Delgado)

Author and Publisher of Islamic Fiction books. 

Why Do We Need Labels for Fiction Written by Muslims?

I write Islamic Fiction and from my own experience it is much easier to write fiction than Islam Fiction.  The example provided is a brief example of Islamic Fiction:

In one chapter of the Islamic Rose Books series, Stories, Camelia’s poem was disqualified from a poetry contest because the Arabic phrase for peace was included. The judge said the poem was to be in the English language only and Camelia broke the rule by including the phrase…As Salaam’Alaykum…a greeting for peace in Arabic.

Rose, her best friend and non Muslim, was angry about this decision and wanted to organize a demonstration using posters while picketing the awards program in order to disrupt it. She wanted to call attention to the unfairness of the judge’s decision. Her intention was to try and stop people from attending the program.

Rose sounded out her PLAN to the two Saudi police officers staying in her grandma’s home as guests while they studied English at a local university.  The Saudi officers sat quietly and patiently waited until Rose had vented her anger and told them her big PLAN.  Instead of telling her not to do the demonstration or scolding her or telling her she was wrong, the Saudi officers told her the story of how the Prophet (pbuh) created a peaceful way to solve the problem of placing the black stone back in the Kabal when the workers each wanted the honor and were threatening violence towards each other.

By telling Rose this story they allowed her to think about the purpose of their telling it  and then she was able to apply the Islamic principle of using a peaceful response to the problem.

When writing this chapter I had to think about a modern day event/trial/circumstance which would be a problem for any child and then match it up with an Islamic principle or practice that could be applied in order to demonstrate that Islam is viable for problem solving today. Islam has practical uses to guide and help us even in this modern age.  A lot of thought and planning went into writing this fiction chapter as did each chapter in each of the 4 books in the series I wrote.

Demonstrating to Muslim children and teens or any reader  that they can apply the lessons learned from stories of the Prophet (pbuh) and Islamic principles to problems and challenges in their present lives is one of the critical elements in any good Islamic Fiction story.

There is nothing “preachy” in this chapter, yet a valuable Islamic principle was presented to the reader and also a piece of Islamic history.  It was my  intention that the readers of this book would  learn something about Islam through the Islamic fiction story.

Islamic Fiction books: This refers to creative, imaginative fiction books written by Muslims and marketed primarily to Muslims. Islamic Fiction may be marketed to secular markets, too. The content of these books incorporates some religious content and themes, and may include non-fictionalized historical or factual Islamic content with or without direct reference to the Qur’an or the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). The stories may also include modern, real life situations and moral dilemmas. Islamic Fiction may be written in many languages.

Islamic Fiction does not include any of the Harmful content Listed below:

- vulgar language
- sexually explicit content
- unIslamic practices that are not identified as unIslamic
- content that portrays Islam in a negative way

Islamic Fiction does intentionally include content that will provide readers with information about Islamic practices, beliefs, or application of them in the story.

There is a HUGE difference between Islamic Fiction and other fiction written by Muslims.

What Do I Mean by Other Fiction Written by Muslims?

Technically all fiction written by Muslims is Muslim fiction but not all Muslim Fiction is Islamic Fiction. I think the example I provided clearly demonstrates why labeling all fiction written by Muslims as Muslim fiction is erroneous.

When writing fiction that is not Islamic fiction the Muslim author does not spend time in thought, research, and taking such precautions to write a good story and make Islam an integral part of the story… ensuring that an Islamic fact or history is present without being preachy or dogmatic.

There are nice fiction stories written by Muslims. The authors do not have the intentions when writing their fiction stories to have readers learn anything of a religious nature about Islam.  There is no intent for the reader to learn about Islam.

There isn’t any intent by the author to have content in the story lead any reader to become “Islam conscious” when reading the story. Islamic Fiction authors go out of their way to make sure there is Islamic content incorporated into their stories.

Often non Islamic fiction stories written by Muslims are focused on a cultural practice. Many of the stories are written in such a way as to focus on the things Muslims and non Muslims have in common rather than to show differences between Muslims and non Muslims. The authors will avoid any content which might be thought to be unacceptable to non Muslims.  An example would be writing positively about the Prophet (pbuh) having multiple wives or including the reversion to Islam by a book character.

Sister Rukhsana Kahn who writes other fiction that is not Islamic fiction stated it very simply…her goal is to write a good story and have it published. Her goal in writing other fiction is not to promote or have her stories be sources of Islamic teaching or information. She tried to get her Islamic fiction published and when her work was rejected by Muslim publishers, retailers and Islamic schools she turned to writing other fiction and getting it published in the secular publishing industry.  She has written Islamic fiction but has had her first successes in the secular book industry with her other fiction books.

There are also other fiction stories written by Muslims that unfortunately contain unIslamic content such as graphic sexual content, vulgar words and phrases and even content which is incorrect about Islam or slanders it. These fiction books are harmful, yet, they  are Muslim fiction books… authored by Muslims. Personally I would categorize this type of fiction written by Muslims as trash.

There must be a distinct category for Islamic Fiction and criteria established for it. The easiest way has been to describe what is not Islamic Fiction.  This has already been accomplished and the criteria are posted at the Islamic Fiction Books website at www.IslamicFictionBooks.com

 Why Is It So Important to have the Label Islamic Fiction?

Why do Muslims remain obtuse or even non supportive  about this matter?  Why don’t Muslims see that there must be a separate category for Islamic Fiction books… separating this category from all other fiction written by Muslims?

The Christians and the Jews insist on identifying their fiction books as “apart” from other fiction books…and their books are different from other fiction. Christian and Jewish fiction has standards and criteria and is recognized by the secular book industry as is their categories, sub categories and genre established for their fiction books. . 

Islam needs to have a place in the secular book industry like the other two Abrahamic religions have established a place for their fiction books.

The secular and Muslim book industries need to recognize that Muslims write and have published fiction books and that there are different categories and genre of fiction being written and published by Muslims.

I do not think Muslims, even those who lean to or accept the label Islamic Fiction, truly understand the importance of establishing this category and genres of fiction in the Muslim and non Muslim book industries.

If Muslims who know there is a difference between Islamic Fiction and other fiction written by Muslims do not give 100% support to the Islamic Fiction labeling and its promotion… most Muslim authors and their works of fiction will continue to remain obscure to Muslims and the general public and difficult to find and purchase even by Muslim readers. 

Islamic fiction is not recognized in the secular book industry. Muslim fiction is not recognized either. Why? There isn’t a category for either in the BISAC coding database. Muslim publishers that publish Islamic Fiction or any fiction authored by a Muslim must categorize the books they publish under “General” categories in the two main Adult and Juvenile Categories for Fiction.

BISAC coding is used to locate books by retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and public libraries. BISAC codes determine list placement in databases and print catalogs. Having BISAC codes for Islamic Fiction books and other fiction authored by Muslims will make it easy for libraries to appropriately place our fiction books on library shelves and create sections in the library for this kind of literature.  It will also help other commercial book buyers learn about fiction books written by Muslims.

Right now our books are mixed in with millions of other books in all these various databases and print catalogs and there is no easy way to locate our book titles/publishers/authors/and locations where the books can be purchased in the current system.  The Muslim book industry has no such system or database for locating any book be it fiction or non fiction.

The BISAC Coding advantage is lost to Muslims and non Muslims because books written by Muslims are scattered throughout libraries and various databases and catalogs without any identification of a book being Islamic Fiction or even written by a Muslim.

It is as if fiction does not exist in the Muslim and non Muslim book worlds!  Muslim writers-authors are not recognized unless they get published by a secular publisher and their book makes national media news… and that is not often…just as it is not often for most secular fiction books!.

It is Important that we (Muslim writers, editors, publishers, retailers) get our act together and work together. I have been waiting for stronger support from the Muslim community for fiction and the labeling and acceptance of Islamic Fiction.

Once support solidifies I can contact the BISAC Coding Committee and request an Islamic Fiction Sub Category and types of genre within this sub category be included in the Adult and Juvenile Main Fiction categories in the BISAC Coding system.

Conclusion

Ignorance about the importance of correctly labeling fiction written by Muslims can be changed by education and providing information. This is the huge task for those who think that it is important to have the label Islamic Fiction to differentiate it from other fiction written by Muslims and it is important that fiction written by Muslims be identified in the BISAC Coding system. When readers understand that they can have confidence in choosing an Islamic Fiction book  which has high quality standards, I believe we will see more support and progress in getting more Islamic Fiction books published and available in our bookstores and Islamic schools.

© 2008 Linda D. Delgado  All rights Reserved

(Update for 7/8/2008 Donation Total is Now $1,592.77)

On May 8, 2008 the HalfDate organization www.HalfDate.com  (Half Date’s motto is “Approaching Jannah half a date at a time.”)  implemented a funding drive to help Muslim Writers Publishing (www.MuslimWritersPublishing.com) raise money for the design of 5 teacher study guides for Islamic fiction books intended for use by students and teachers in Islamic school classrooms.  One TSG is nearing completion and 4 others are being written at this time!  Many thanks to all who have helped and Praise and Thanks to Allah.

Linda Delgado

Publisher, MWP

All Praise and Honor to Allah and thanks for His gift of the sister and brotherhood in Islam

Champions for Muslim Teachers and Students

(Update for 6/12/2008 Donation Total is Now $1,232.77)

On May 8, 2008 the HalfDate organization (Half Date’s motto is “Approaching Jannah half a date at a time.”)  implemented a funding drive to help raise money for the design of 5 teacher study guides for Islamic fiction books intended for use by students and teachers in Islamic school classrooms.

I am deeply grateful and humbled by the response by sisters and brothers in Islam from around the Globe that made this project a success!  As of today I have received in my business PayPal account $1,122.77.   Br. Ahmed, the HalfDate.com representative that has been working so hard on this project, told me that pledges are still coming in.  It is safe to report that the goal established will be met! 

 A heartfelt thank you to each of you donating directly through www.halfdate.com

Many sisters and brothers in Islam donated time, money, and wrote articles and posted them to blogs and Muslim groups…thank you.  Also appreciated are the businesses which initiated activities that contributed to the fund raising effort. Many Muslims gave generously saying du’as for this project’s success.. thank you!  May Allah reward each of you generously.

As the owner of Muslim Writers Publishing I thank each and every one of you: 

–HalfDate.com’s organization management of this project: br Ahmed and Abu Maryam 

–Sister A’ishah (Raza Sulejmanovic) for writing and publishing the promotional article: Strong & Successful: Contemporary Sisters with Inspiring Stories

–Brother Tariq Neison for writing and publishing the promotional article Two Heart Attacks…But Full of Love  http://tariqnelson.com/

–Brother Dawud Israel for writing and publishing the promotional article A Role Model Muslim Woman and the new HalfDate Drive http://muslimology.wordpress.com/

–iMuslim published an article on Ijtema at:http://www.ijtema.net/2008/06/01/what-does-one-sister-have-to-say/

– For recommending HalfDate.com sponsor the TSG funding drive. Also $1.00 donated for each survey completed up to 100 surveys. Sister Iman, Optimize It. Designs.

–SISTERS Magazine  and Sister Na’ima Robert, owner and publisher.

–RUSH magazine at http://rushmag.com/

–Care4Converts http://care4converts.com Group: Omar, Ansar, and Tanweer

–Individuals who donated in memory of ”Umm Abdulkarim Mai” who passed away June 2, 2008.

Individuals who sent a donation through PayPal to Muslim Writers Publishing for the TSGs on behalf of Muslim Teachers and Students:

Mohammed Aman, Los Angeles, CA 

Safiyyah  Levine, Selinsgrove, PA (IWA member)

Arshad Khan, San Jose, CA

Zabeen Patel, London, United Kingdom

Mahdi Mekic, Gratkorn, Austria

Aminah Otmani, London, United Kingdom
Therese Bachhuber, Middleton, WI

Yamen Nanne, Los Angeles, CA
Syed Basheeruddin Ahmed, Santa Clara, CA
Ali Ardekani,  Sherman Oaks, CA 
Gloria Cano, Meriden, CT 
Qamar Khan-Malik, Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Mahdi Mekic, Gratkorn, Austria
Shabby Elegance,  Australia
Mazen Hasan, Toronto, Ontario - Canada

Mafaza Mahroof, Auburn New South Wales, Australia
Mazin Jillood, Edmonton, Alberta-Canada
William Yost, Syracuse, NY

Debora McNichol, North Carolina (IWA member)

 Eva Huang, La Mirada, CA 

RUSH Magazine, Montreal, Quebec - Canada
Fatima Dasti, Germantown, MD 

Syed Ashraf, San Jose, CA 

Qamar Haider, Mira Loma, CA 

Sumayyah Meehan

Zaheer Awan, Houston, Texas

Optimize It. Designs Owner-Sis Iman (IWA member)

Aamer Saadi
Mr. A S Mahmoud

Grateful thanks and appreciation to the 4 sisters-members of the IWA

(www.IslamicWritersAllaince.net ) who are spending time this summer creating the content for the 5 teacher study guides:

Sister Brooke Benoit

Sister Amel Abdullah

Sister Sabah Negash 

Sister Farzana Hussain

Salaams Everyone

May 8th the HalfDate organization generously began a fund raising campaign to try and get donations for my publishing business to design 5 teacher study guides: 4 for Islamic fiction books and 1for a non fiction book I have published.  Pretty cool..right?

The intentions were the very best but somewhere along the way… our Muslim children (who were the focus–the teacher study guides being created for their benefit—seemed to get lost in the promotional activities being done by many generous Muslims trying to help pursuade Muslims to donate money.

Some how the focus has come to be aimed at me and my disabilities and it seems to me that the work I have been doing publishing books for Muslims and trying to help Islamic schools get quality literature for our Muslim kids …. well all the attention pointing to me as  doing something other than my duty and responsibility is causing the true focus to get lost.

Truly.. I have been doing what as a Muslim I am supposed to be doing… nothing more than that… using my time and resources in excess of my essential needs to work and spend in His service for others.

I have been pointed to as a Muslimah of strength and a role model..  and that is so far from reality. Fooie! I say to that!  Before I got so disabled that I must keep to my house mostly… I use to go to the local masjid and gripe and complain about this and that..such as lack of community services dollars assigned in the masjid budget, inadequate funding for library books and equipment, lack of services for identifying the elderly, sick and sisters among our community needing help or some kind of assistance.  Believe me I was and am not one to speak with flowery and soft pursuasion… I was impatient (a constant character flaw of mine) and I lack diplomacy. In fact unintentionally I overheard a brother refer to me as “the big mouth”!

I set high goals and long term objectives for myself and incorrrectly try to shove my idealism and expectations at others to the point where I become pushie and alienate people. Hey…. it is probably a good thing I am homebound so I can do my work and not raise lots of discord in my local community! <grin>  So when you read all that well intentioned stuff about me…. remember what I just wrote.

I know that those individuals writing about me are well intentioned… but really… my disabilities pale in comparison to the trials and harships that millions of Muslims suffer daily. 

So… I want to ask everyone to do is refocus their thoughts, efforts, and work on our Muslim children/youth/teens who are the future of our Islam!

What Muslims need to Focus on:

1. In the USA and other westernized countries reading fiction books is a requirement of Language Arts courses. Children must also learn to write creatively.   Islamic schools must teach this and provide fiction books in the classrooms in order to meet State and National educational requirements .. or be accredited. ..same as public schools.

2. Many Muslim parents don’t realize this..that fiction reading beyond the little kid’s picture book reading level must be done by their children and teens.

3. Most Muslim publishers don’t produce the Islamic fiction books needed by our Islamic schools and Muslim students because they are ignorant about the need for such books and this might stem from reading fiction and writing creatively NOT being a requirement in majority Musim populated countries.

4. Muslim retailers (and many Muslim publishers serve as ther own retailers) don’t buy/list/make available the Islamic fiction books written by Muslims (English language) because they believe they will lose money because the books won’t sell to Muslims. Their may be some basis in fact here, too!

5. Many Muslims do not understand what fiction is… let alone Islamic fiction and many mistakenly think that it is lies or a useless waste of time. See the website www.IslamicFictionBooks.com to learn more..become informed.

–Seems lots of Muslims need some information and education…right?

6. Islamic school principals and teachers are well aware of the need for quality fiction books that have to be read by students through their high school years.  They complain with some justification that there aren’t sufficient quality and quanity of Islamic fiction books authored/published/avalable for them to use in their classrooms. (the chapter books and non picture reading level books)

7. So they have become used to sponsoring once or twice annually book fairs which promte to students, family and the community fiction books authored and published by non Muslims.  Many times these books have content that is inconsistent with Islamic teachings/beliefs/practices.. but they (teachers) tell me that these secular books come with teacher study guides which make it easier for them to use these fiction books in the classroom and which enhance the stusents learning experience.

REFOCUS—NOW!

1. MWP, my publishing business, has been busy locating, publishing, and trying to make available to Muslims and Islamic schools quality islamic fiction books.

2. The teacher study guides are being created to ensure the books can be used… that teachers will want to use… the Muslim authored, published and halal fiction books in their classrooms.

3. Muslim students will have the opportunity to see by reading IF books that Muslims are talented and creative writers cabable of creating quality fun and interesting stories with book characters and challenges which they can relate to as minority Muslims living in a larger secular society!

4. Four Muslimahs have donated their time and talent and are creating the content for the 5 teacher study guides.  I need $1,250 or $250 per TSG to have them designed and made ready in  pdf booklets. The TSGs will be given to teachers/schools at no cost to the schools.

5. If you make the decision to donate and help me with this… you are NOT doing so for me..but for, Allah willing, hundreds of Muslim students.. and their education IS your responsibiluty just as it is mine.

6. I ask each of you to visit an Islamic school in your area or write to an Islamic school and find out what these schools need for our children. Do what you can with your time and money to help them.

I always think… when this road I am traveling on gets bumpier than usual …. of the first word the Angel Gabriel said to our dear Prophet (pbuh). It was READ!   I think this pretty much sums up where I take my direction from…… to provide books so our children can READ.

You can be part of the solution to the problems I have outlined or you can not. With or without your help I will get the TSGs ready for our Musim kids. I don’t give up and I don’t give in. I trust in Allah. Pray on this matter brothers and sisters in Islam.

Widad (AKA) Linda Delgado, Publisher, Muslim Writers Publishing

www.MuslimWritersPublishing.com

Special Edition of WritersWeekly.com

As Salaam’Alaykum

My name is Linda Delgado—“Widad.” I am the owner-publisher of Muslim Writers Publishing – a traditional Muslim publisher. I am also the author of 6 published books. Four are the award winning Islamic Rose Books series which has also been translated into the Arabic and Indonesian languages.

This letter is about a wonderful opportunity being offered by the HalfDate.com organization. Please read on…

Half Date’s motto is “Approaching Jannah half a date at a time.” 

A representative of the HalfDate.com organization contacted me and kindly offered to help raise needed funding for the creation of 5 teacher study guides to be designed and created in pdf and print ready file formats. The TSGs are planned to be ready for the Fall 2008-2009 school year.

MWP has been helping Islamic schools for the past 6 years by donating free books and sponsoring creative writing contests for Muslim students. Please visit my website to see the list of schools receiving MWP donations to date.

http://www.muslimwriterspublishing.com/schools.html

I am very excited about this Promotional and funding opportunity and Allah willing you will catch my excitement and join with MWP and HalfDate in the TSG project!

Salaams,

Linda Delgado (Widad)

MWP Publisher

Publisher- www.MuslimWritersPublishing.com

Author - www.widad-lld.com

Islamic Fiction Books at www.IslamicFictionBooks.com

Islamic Writers Alliance at www.Islamicwritersalliance.net