Educating About the Muslim American Experience: Breaking Stereotypes with Children's Literature

by Asma Mobin-Uddin

During my entire childhood growing up in Ohio, I never once read a book that had a Muslim girl character in it. Sometimes I think of this as a loss. Other times I think of it as a blessing because of the experiences of my friends. Friends in other schools at the time had to read books about Muslims that were usually stereotypical, did not accurately reflect Muslim cultures, and often had characters involved in horrible, atypical situations that were blamed on their culture or religion. Being American Muslims who regularly visited our relatives overseas in the Muslim world, we knew these books were not representative of the mainstream Muslim experience either here or there. My friends often felt upset and ashamed that their classmates associated their faith or culture with the events in these books.

I would like to think we have come a long way since my school days, but unfortunately I am concerned that the literature in many classrooms today about Muslim life still lacks balance and perspective. Part of the problem is that there are not many authentic, sensitive books about this community available, especially for older children.

When I took time off from my pediatric practice to stay home with my young children, I decided to write children's books. I wanted to introduce accurate books about the Muslim American experience to the general American community and to write books in which Muslim American kids would see themselves.

Countering Misinformation and Stereotypes with Education

Children's books have always been an important way that kids have learned about others. Books and education about other cultures can help children from diverse backgrounds connect with each other on a human level, bypassing the walls of mistrust, anger, and ignorance. Educating children about other cultures early in life lays the groundwork for a lifetime of acceptance, respect, and understanding.

People have realized the need for more books about Muslim American children, and we are seeing such books reaching the shelves. Some of these books are good. Others fall short. Books by Muslim authors published by mainstream American publishers are still very rare.  I would like to discuss some areas where I see children's authors from outside the Muslim community not accurately or effectively representing the Muslim experience.

Immigrants in America—Is the Goal Assimilation or Acculturation?

I am seeing books that try too hard to show that Muslim American children are exactly like their peers or are looking to assimilate completely as their goal. These books are often about children who come from immigrant families.

While I appreciate the good intentions of the authors, I am uncomfortable with the underlying message of these stories and the way the cultural heritage of the immigrant child is downplayed or even demeaned in some of these books.

As a child of immigrants, I know how much families value the rich and beloved cultural heritage and traditions they bring with them to America. They also celebrate and are grateful for the new traditions they learn and adopt in their new country. The result is a merging of identity and culture into a uniquely American outcome that maintains the flavor of both past and present.

A more authentic representation of the immigrant experience in children's books occurs when cultural distinctions naturally add flavor, identity, and realism to the stories. The stories should give voice and authenticity to the experiences of immigrant children by recognizing the influence and value of their backgrounds while also sharing their journey as they adapt to American customs and ways. The goal should not be seen as hurrying up a process of losing one's distinctiveness and merging into a common, homogenous whole.

Stereotypical Portrayal of Muslim Female Characters

The Muslim women I know, including my mother, community members in America, and my relatives in Pakistan, are educated, confident, independent women who are dedicated to their families and their faith. It is their example I have grown up with and internalized.

The female characters in my books reflect the reality I know. Ayesha, Bilal's older sister in My Name Is Bilal, is confident in her approach to the bullies who tease her about her headscarf, and she maintains her sense of humor. Aneesa's grandmother, in The Best Eid Ever, is a wise, loving, independent woman who delights in the special relationship she shares with her granddaughter. In the same book, the Muslim refugee girls are not afraid of the resoluteness of their father as they reach out to the warmth and tenderness they know in him. Inspired by my own experiences, these characters help me share with readers a real view into the lives of Muslim girls and women.

Solution to Problems Go Against Islamic Teachings

In other cases, it seems that instead of being a mistake, the author is purposefully implying that the solution to the problem lies in abandoning the religious observance. In stories like these, the author's critique of the practice and his or her inability to appreciate its value within the other culture can be clearly heard between the lines.

To bypass some of the concerns I have mentioned, I believe we need to encourage more Muslim writers to share their stories. Encouraging collaborative efforts between Muslim Americans and experienced writers outside of the faith might also help meet the need for these books while maintaining authenticity of experience.

Recommended Books with Islamic Themes or Muslim Characters

One of my own books,My Name Is Bilal (Boyds Mills Press, Honesdale, PA, 2005), is about a Muslim American boy, Bilal, who is afraid to let his classmates know that he is Muslim. Trying to hide his religious identity, he tells his class that his name is Bill. His sister, who wears the traditional Islamic headscarf, is being harassed, and Bilal is feeling guilty about not standing up for her. As he learns more about his religious heritage and the beloved figure in Islamic history for whom he is named, Bilal grows more comfortable with his religious identity and finds the courage to be himself.

Part of Bilal's struggles for self-acceptance reflects the struggle for identity that I went through growing up as a Muslim child in a small Ohio town that had few Muslim families.

My Name Is Bilal won the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, Grades 4-6, and was recognized by Bank Street College of Education in its Best Children's Books of the Year list.

Children of different ages will be able to appreciate this book. The watercolor illustrations make it appropriate and accessible for younger children. However, there is more text than in most picture books, and the themes that are covered include those of identity, self-esteem, and prejudice. I have had many middle school teachers tell me they use this book when teaching sections on religious prejudice or cultural understanding.

My second picture book, The Best Eid Ever (Boyds Mills Press, Honesdale, PA, 2007), is about a Muslim American girl, Aneesa, on Eid al-Adha, the biggest holiday of the Muslim year. Aneesa's parents are away at the Hajj pilgrimage, and her grandmother from Pakistan has come to spend Eid with her. Initially, Aneesa misses her parents and feels sad that she has to spend the holiday without them. After meeting a refugee family at the morning prayer service, Aneesa and her grandmother carry out a plan to make sure the family's holiday is special. The Best Eid Ever has just been honored by being named to the 15th Annual Skipping Stones Honor Awards list.

Other books I recommend include the following. I start with picture books and illustrated stories and move on to chapter books and others for older children.

James Rumford's Traveling Man. The Journey of Ibn Battuta, 1325-1354 (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2001) tells the story of Ibn Battuta's travels across the world in the fourteenth century. His journey through life is beautifully told in words and intricate pictures.

Demi's Muhammad (Margaret K. McElderry, New York, 2003) is an excellent biography of Islam's Prophet Muhammad for young readers.

Fiona Macdonald's  A 16th Century Mosque (Peter Bedrick Books, New York, 1994), illustrated by Mark Bergin, takes readers back in time and describes the building of and life surrounding the great mosques of the Islamic world.

Susan Douglass's Ramadan (Carolrhoda Books, New York, 2004), illustrated by Jeni Reeves, introduces Islamic observances during the month of Ramadan and the subsequent festival of Eid-al-Fitr.

More than 70 percent of the world's refugees are Muslim. The Color of Home (Phyllis Fogelman Books, New York, 2002) by Mary Hoffman is an important book which deals with the refugee experience. The book is necessarily intense, as are the experiences children face when fleeing from war. It shares the horror that little Hassan experienced before his family fled from Somalia, but it ends on a hopeful note.

In The Day of Ahmed's Secret (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, New York) by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland, a young boy in Cairo waits throughout the day to share with his family the accomplishment of being able to write his name.

The Roses in My Carpet (Holiday House, New York, 1998) by Muslim Canadian author Rukhsana Khan shares the story of a young refugee boy and his family in war-torn Afghanistan. In this story, I appreciated the way the young boy is shown caring for his younger sister, reflecting the importance of family in Muslim culture. His struggle to take care of his family during traumatic times reflects the struggles of many such children of war and tragedy.

Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs. A Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents (Eastern Washington University Press, Spokane, 2004) is a beautiful collection of writings compiled and adapted by Sarah Conover and Muslim educator Dr. Freda Crane. It contains traditional stories from across the Muslim world, based on teachings and stories in the Qur'an, the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, folktales, stories of historical figures, and other writings. This book could easily be used by younger and older students.

For older children, one of the few fiction titles I strongly recommend about the American Muslim experience is Ask Me No Questions (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, 2006) by Marina Budhos. This book provides a real look into the experiences of a Muslim family in America after September 11, 2001. In this excellent book, fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents leave Bangladesh for New York City, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11 bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family.

Recommended nonfiction titles for older readers include the following two books:

Michael Hamilton Morgan's Lost History: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers, and Artists (National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C., 2007) details the work of Muslim scientists and scholars who a thousand years ago developed algebra, algorithms, and trigonometry. He also writes about their advances in medicine and astronomy and other fields, and he brings to light little-known facts about these Muslim pioneers and how they laid the cornerstones for the European Renaissance and contributed to the development of the modern world. Students might read the whole book or select chapters devoted to a specific topic.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley (Ballantine Books, New York, 1987), is a powerful and moving personal story of Malcolm X's life as he rose from a life of crime to become a leader of the black revolution to his conversion to mainstream Islam shortly before he was killed. His life-changing experience on the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca profoundly affected his views in the last stage of his life.

Educators can use resources such as the ones listed above to help students learn about and appreciate different aspects of Islamic history and culture. These books can also help students break down stereotypes and get to know their American Muslim neighbors.

Much of this article originally appeared in "Capturing Culture: Writing the Muslim American Experience for Young Readers," 2008 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market. For more information, see http://www.wdeditors.com/wordpress/writers-market-annuals/childrens-writers-illustrators-market.

Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin is a pediatrician and children's author. As president of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, she frequently trains educators about cultural sensitivity to Muslim students and discusses children's literature with Islamic themes. She has also written articles on similar subjects. More information about her books and work can be found on her website at www.asmamobinuddin.com.

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