Director: Linda D. Delgado (Sister Widad) Assistant Director: Mahasin D. Shamsid-Deen Secretary: Balqees Mohammed Financial Officer: S. E. Jihad Levine (Sister Safiyyah) Marketing Officer: Zabrina bint Abu Bakr Legal Officer:Deborah McNichol (serving in a non-voting, advisor capacity)
Each of these elected positions of the Board of Directors is on a volunteer basis.
Work for Hire Positions –
Sister Umm Junayd bint Naeem is the Editor in Chief of Islamic Ink, IWA’s quarterly magazine.
The two anthologies, Many Poetic Voices, One Faith and Many Voices, One Faith II-Islamic Fiction Stories, which were published by MWP (Muslim Writers Publishing) in 2009 can be found at various international booksellers as well as the list at Amazon. For more information on both anthologies, which both showcase the many talents of many IWA members, go to the organization’s website: www.islamicwritersalliance.net or directly to the publisher: www.muslimwriterspublishing.com. You may also contact any of the IWA Board members for information on purchasing.
The publisher is offering a generous discount of 40% for retailers off the listed price of $8.95, although there is no offer available for consignment, whether for sales or distribution.
If you are interested in advertising the books on your websites or blogs, please contact Sr. Zabrina, IWA Marketing Officer, to attain the new IWA logo/banner and jpg with text for the anthologies.
IWA Catalog:
A comprehensive listing of all participating IWA members who have paid for advertisement for their inclusion, this catalog is an excellent additional marketing tool at a reasonably low price for all and any members interested in being included in future updates It is also an excellent and helpful marketing tool to have on hand when visiting bookstores, schools, educational professionals, or anyone else who you are interested in raising interest with for the presence and purpose of the IWA.
To view the catalog, log onto the website: www.islamicwritersalliance.net and then choose the catalog from the navigational links on the left.
For those interested in downloading a printable version, please contact the IWA Marketing Officer, Sr. Zabrina or the IWA Director, Sr. Widad.
501C3 Non-Profit Status & Administrative Measures
As of September 11, 2009, the IWA achieved non-profit status, and is now officially known as Islamic Writers Alliance, Inc.
Measures are to resume soon for application of IRS qualification, which will mean that we will be eligible to receive tax-exempting donations.
IWA Website
The IWA now has a fully working and updated website, due to the joint efforts of Sis Widad, IWA Director and Sis Balqees, IWA Secretary. Please visit it to see the new changes of our public face: www.islamicwritersalliance.net.
There are still some members who have not yet sent in their appropriate information to be included on their Member’s Page, which is a form of free advertisement for all of our dues-paying members. For those of you who have not yet sent in your own bio for the completion of this important advertising tool, please do so soon. Take a look at the ‘members and associates’ page, and click on any of the members names to view how the new format of the bio looks, and send in your information to either Sis Widad or Sis Balqees so that your section may be completed on the organization’s website.
An important new section was added, titled the “Business Directory”, which is a listing of all IWA members and associates who have a business outside of the organization. If you have a business and have not yet had it listed in this list, please send your information to Sis Widad, including in the ‘subject’ line of the email: Business Directory addition.
The ‘Books and More’ section is an excellent venue showcasing all IWA members who have published works. We are always keen to keep this updated as well, so if you have any work that has been published and it is not yet listed, please send that information also to Sis Widad for application to the website.
Islamic Ink
Islamic Ink, the IWA’s online magazine published and distributed quarterly, is yet another excellent venue which showcases IWA talent. The editor-in-chief is an IWA member, as well as the content, both editorial as well as other, are all contributions from IWA members. Subscription is free, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to enjoy yet another excellent aspect of the IWA. Past editions as well as information on how to subscribe can be viewed via the IWA’s website: www.islamicwritersalliance.net.
IWA Administrative News:
As of the end of March 2010, Sis Safiyyah (S.E. Jihad Levine) announced her final decision of resignation from her post of IWA Financial Officer. During the past years, she has served the IWA in various positions-that of secretary, director, and financial officer. As well, she has been a consistent force in providing support and encouragement for fellow IWA members. On behalf of the IWA, we of the IWA Board would like to extend much gratitude for her kind services, time and devotion to the organization.
IWA Member News & Accomplishments:
Linda Delgado (Sr. Widad), IWA Director, wrote her monthly FOCUS article, “Jamamrii”, which will be published in the April edition of Crescent Times of Australia.
Linda Delgado completed the rewrites for her new fiction novel, Catch Me if You Dare. The manuscript is in final editing with editor Deborah McNichol, IWA Legal Counsel, and the cover design was created by Shirley Anjum, IWA member, and has been approved to be applied to the finished book. The novel will go to interior design shortly and then published as an ebook through Smashwords and Kindle eReaders. The tentative publishing is mid-April.
Linda Delgado, owner and operator of Muslim Writers Publishing, created new marketing materials for Islamic Fiction pdf ebooks and accompanying teacher study guides which will be used to promote MWP ebooks to Islamic schools in the USA.
Sr. Maryam Funmilayo, IWA member, announced that she was privileged to attend the Triangle Area Freelancers Conference on Saturday, March 27, 2010 in Raleigh, NC. Although the conference was secular, still she mentions having been moved and inspired by the good advice, suggestions and feedback she received while in attendance. She was also happy to announce having won the door prize, which was a basketful of 8 books on writing, including Writer’s Digest, which she had been wanting to get. Her reading of some of these books has also inspired in her some questions as to how a writer is to market himself, and if it is necessary to have a blog or a website, among other things. Sr. Maryam also expressed an important tip she learned through her connections at this conference, that it is advisable to have business cards made up and with you at all times to hand out to people who you may meet and whom you hope that they will remember you.
Br. Irving Karchmar, IWA member and published author, is pleased to announce the upcoming publishing of his article “Healing Through Compassion” in the next issue of Sufi Magazine, which is to be available in July 2010. To access the article before it is published in the magazine, you can log onto the Darvish blog: http://darvish.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/healing-through-compassion/
On the more personal side, Br. Irving proudly announces that on March 15, 2010, he completed one whole year smoke-free. Congratulations, Br. Irving, and we are all praying for your continued strength in abstaining from this very bad life-threatening habit.
S. E. Jihad Levine, (Sister Safiyyah),has completed her first booklet for incarcerated Muslims and prison chaplains. "Out From Darkness ... Into Light" will be uploaded to the Pennsylvania Prison Chaplains Association (PPCA) website (http://www.PennsylvaniaPrisonChaplains.com) shortly, Insha Allah. "Out From Darkness ... Into Light" will also be introduced to prison chaplains at the annual training conference of the American Correctional Chaplains Association (ACCA) in April. A special thanks goes to IWA member, Sis Deb, who edited the booklet.
Sister Safiyyah was a member of a group of American Muslims invited to Istanbul, Turkey by Wisdom Net Foundation, a group of Turkish Muslims committed to Turkish-American scholarship and cultural understanding, among other goals and objectives. While there, Sister Safiyyah and the group had the opportunity to visit numerous Turkish newspapers, and to speak to numerous media owners, managers, editors, and journalists. Sister Safiyyah will, Insha Allah, begin to provide newspaper content to the "MilliGazete" newspaper (http://www.MilliGazete.com.tr) as a freelance foreign news journalist, writing articles about Muslim life in America. Finally, Sister Safiyyah and the group appeared on two television programs at "Hilal TV" (http://www.HilalTv.org), where Sister Safiyyah had the opportunity to talk about Islamic Fiction and Muslim chaplaincy. http://www.Shaalom2Salaam.com
Sr. Balqees Mohammed,IWA Secretary, announces the completion of another revision and editing (including some translation) of the soon-to-be-published English translation of Some Etiquettes of Hajj, Umrah and Visiting the Prophet’s Mosque, authored by Abdullah Al-Jarrash of Saudi Arabia. She also completed a final editing review of a thesis for a student in the Master’s program for English Language at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Balqees wrote and submitted her monthly article for publication at www.islamunveiled.org, this last month’s article titled “To Celebrate or Not”, dealt with the question of the practice of celebrating birthdays, namely the birthday of the Prophet (SAAW).
Current Dues-Paying Members: 58
Current Associates: 43
Total Current Membership: 101
*There were two new members during the month of March 2010, and two who were previously associates paid their dues to become full members. Hence, 4 new additions to the members list, and two were removed from the associates list.
Report Prepared and Submitted by:
Balqees Mohammed
IWA Secretary 2009-2010
April 5, 2010
