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S.E. Jihad Levine
S. E. Jihad Levine (also known as Sister Safiyyah) is IWA secretary, a freelance writer, and a Muslim chaplain in a Pennsylvania prison. She blogs about writing and her reversion from Judaism (and just about anything else!) and most recently has been published in Al-Jumuah magazine. IWA member Tiel Aisha Ansari interviews Sister Safiyyah to shed some light on her life and work.
Tiel Aisha Ansari: Tell me about your names. How and when did you acquire them? Do you use different names in different circumstances?
Sister Safiyyah: "S. E. Jihad Levine" stands for Sharon Elayne Jihad Levine, the name that my parents gave me at birth. I didn't change it (legally) when I reverted to Islam in 1998. When I was studying Islam prior to my reversion, I read that Muslims should keep the names given to them by their fathers. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also told us that it is not necessary to change a name unless it means something bad.
I adopted a Muslim name of "Juwariyyah" when I first converted. She was one of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) Jewish wives, and I wanted a name that reflected my Jewish roots. But! I myself couldn't even pronounce my own name! So, I changed it to "Safiyyah" which is the name of another of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) Jewish wives.
"Jihad" is my husband's last name. I wanted to merge it into my name after marriage, so I put it before my father's name of "Levine."
TA: How and when did you start writing professionally?
Sister Safiyyah: Well, the first time I was published was in 1993. I had a poem published in a magazine called The Body Positive: A Magazine By and For People Affected by HIV/AIDS. Upon my dear friend Ramon's death from AIDS complications, I wrote a poem to him out of my grief and emotional pain and also in celebration of World Aids Day. Its title was "In Memory of Ramon Luis Rosa." The poem was special to me in another way because it was bilingual -- it utilized words from both the English and Spanish languages.
TA: Have you had any formal training in writing?
Sister Safiyyah: No! Not other than my English classes in college. However, I minored in Spanish and I had a lot of practice writing in that language, focusing on grammar, etc.
TA: I gather you were raised Jewish and Catholic, and then reverted to Islam. Can you talk about that process?
Sister Safiyyah: Oh boy sis, that could take up a whole book! Go to my blog and look at my reversion story. Also, look at my post, "Am I Still Jewish?" That post discusses my young life as both a Jew and a Catholic.
TA: Were you writing at the time of your reversion? Did it change your writing in any way?
Sister Safiyyah: No, I wasn't writing at the time of my reversion. I wrote poems in the 60s and 70s, and then started a blog a few years ago. Initially, I was a member of another writers group for Muslim women and ultimately found my way to the Islamic Writers Alliance. Blogging started my writing in earnest. So, it was after that that I started writing professionally again.
TA: All three of the religions that have touched your life have their own distinct literary traditions. Do you feel that your writing is particularly influenced by one or another?
Sister Safiyyah: Yes, I think that my writing was mainly influenced by the Judaic literary tradition. One of my favorite Jewish writers was Isaac Bashevis Singer. He was also of Eastern European heritage (like me) and wrote a lot about Polish Jews from the Eastern European shetle. Both my Jewish and Catholic sides of the family are from Eastern Europe so I was immediately drawn into the familiarity and warmth of Singer's work.
I was also influenced by the writing of Chaim Potok, American Jewish rabbi, author, and son of Polish immigrants.
TA: Do you make a conscious effort to honor different aspects of your heritage in your writing?
Sister Safiyyah: Yes, especially in my essays and blog posts.
TA: Does your work as a prison chaplain inform your writing?
Sister Safiyyah: Yes, most definitely. Prison chaplaincy is very difficult work emotionally, but it is also tremendously rewarding in many ways. The problem at this time is that I must be careful about what I write in this area due to confidentiality regulations of the correctional system. At this time, my work in this area is limited to non-fiction projects. I am working on a blog devoted to chaplains, but I haven't had time lately to devote to it. I intend, insha' Allah, to get back to it.
Another project on my plate is to write a booklet to emotionally and spiritually support Muslims in prison at the time of notification of death and illness. Part of a prison chaplain's duty is to inform inmates when news of death comes (no matter what faith tradition they follow). The other faith traditions have little booklets that the inmate can take back to their cell to read for comfort. I intend, insha' Allah, to compile Qur'an and hadith references to death, illness, patience, grief, etc. for this booklet.
I'm also working on a booklet of dua and Qur'an references for hospital chaplains to give to Muslim patients.
TA: I understand that what you hear from inmates about their lives and experiences has to be confidential. But do some of their stories find their way into your writing, under changed names and so forth?
Sister Safiyyah: Yes. I am working on a piece called "Basirah's Dua" which I have been writing for over a year. Basirah is the sum of just about every incarcerated Muslimah that I have ever known. This project sits in limbo and I go back to it every so often. The reason? Although I love to read fiction, writing it is not my strength. My "thing" is primarily blogging and straight journalism. But now that I am retired from full-time employment, Basirah's story is getting closer and closer to being told.
TA: Being a prison chaplain must be emotionally stressful. Do you find that your writing gives you an outlet for some of that stress?
Sister Safiyyah: Yes, writing is one my outlets. The outlet I find most valuable at this time is drumming. I play the daf and West African djembe. There's nothing like banging on drums to relieve stress!
TA: Have you thought about writing and publishing any nonfiction based on your prison work? Would you think there would be a market for such work?
Sister Safiyyah: Yes, there's definitely a market for this work. I wrote an article about Muslim chaplaincy and it was supposed to be published by a major Muslim magazine. Two years later, it remains unpublished. I intend to find a new home for this article. Muslim chaplaincy is a new field in America and much needs to be written.
TA: When did you become IWA secretary, and what are your goals in that position?
Sister Safiyyah: I became secretary about a year and a half ago. This position will be up for re-election, I believe, at the end of 2008.
Goals? Well, I have recently been diagnosed with MS and have many complications from this condition. Right now, my goals are to try to maintain my currently obligations and regain my health. At this time, I cannot see too much beyond that.
TA: What are some of your current writing projects?
Sister Safiyyah: Blogging...and I have been doing a lot of content editing and writing-buddy work. I am also writing the grief booklet and a project I do not wish to reveal until I publish it for fear that the idea will be -- ahemm -- "borrowed" before I can accomplish publication.
I have also submitted pieces to two anthologies, and will have a poem published in a textbook soon.
TA: What is your favorite piece of your own writing?
Sister Safiyyah: Ah, no doubt about it: "Am I Still Jewish?" One of my goals is to finish it and perhaps submit it to Lilith magazine which is the Jewish equivalent of Azizah magazine. This piece was one of the most difficult that I have ever written because I had to dredge up memories and feelings from my painful childhood. At the same time, it was liberating to write.
I also enjoyed writing "Glass Enhanced" for Islamic Horizons magazine. It was a piece that covered the ancient Islamic glass exhibit at the Corning Museum of Glass.
TA: Where do you see your writing career going, insha' Allah, over say the next five to 10 years? Do you have specific goals?
Sister Safiyyah: Insha' Allah I will publish more articles in magazines, will continue blogging, and will finish writing "Basirah's Dua." I really want to focus on Islamic fiction, even if it's only the short story format.
And though I am retired, I also maintain my substance abuse counselor certification. I may write some pieces surrounding substance abuse and Muslims.
TA: Can you mention one or two big obstacles that you've faced as a professional writer?
Sister Safiyyah: My biggest obstacle is my health. Sometimes I am just too ill to be motivated to do anything except the most necessary things.
My other obstacle has to do with the word "professional." I write because I have something to say, or as a creative outlet for emotions, or just for fun. I do not like to be pressured or locked into deadlines. I do not write well under pressure. That's the greatest part about writing for me -- it's so much fun! If I get paid or published, alhamdulillah! If not, it's still alhamdulillah.
TA: Have there been any big events or persons that have helped you as a writer?
Sister Safiyyah: Persons that have helped? First and foremost, my writing buddy, IWA member and newly-published author Saaleha Bhamjee. Sisters Widad, Aminah, and Jamiliah Koloctronis have also helped me tremendously. They have always been right there with the support and encouragement, and have always been willing to give me feedback on my drafts.
TA: What advice would you have for aspiring writers?
Sister Safiyyah: I would encourage aspiring writers to join a good writing group or organization. I would not be where I'm at today if it were not for the members of the Islamic Writers Alliance. They have always told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear and at the same time provided support and encouragement.
The aspiring writer should hang in there and most of all write what they want to write. They should implore Allah subhana wa ta'ala for guidance and help. If what you write pleases Allah subhana wa ta'ala, nothing else matters.
Copyright © 2008 by Tiel Aisha Ansari. All Rights Reserved.
Tiel Aisha Ansari is a Sufi, martial artist, and computer programmer living in the Pacific Northwest. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in several print and online venues including Islamica Magazine, Mezzo Cammin, The Lyric, and the VoiceCatcher anthology from Portland Women Writers. Her poetry has been featured on "Prairie Home Companion" and MiPoRadio. She is the author of the poetry collection Knocking from Inside, published by Ecstatic Exchange. You can visit her online at knockingfrominside.blogspot.com.
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