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January 2007

More Islamic Fiction, Please
By Pamela K. Taylor

January's non-fiction selection was the text of our online petition calling for more English Language Islamic Fiction. This petition was authored by Islamic Writers Alliance Director, Pamela K. Taylor. To sign the petition, click here.

Islamic Fiction in the English language – in all genres, but especially contemporary fiction – is needed and wanted by Muslim parents/teachers and readers, however Muslim publishers have rarely printed works of fiction. The vast majority of Muslim retailers, distributors, and wholesalers do not consider these published books for purchase and/or listing. We believe that this reflects ignorance about the importance and benefits of fiction in general, and Islamic fiction in particular. Muslim fiction is vital to our community for a variety of reasons:

• Muslim children, youth, and adults want to read fiction. Fiction touches people's hearts and emotions in a way that non-fiction and even true-life stories cannot. It moves us, it captures our imaginations, and affirms our understanding of the world and of ourselves. It allows us to work through issues in our lives without actually having to experience the ramifications ourselves. It allows us to explore other cultures from the safety of our homes. It makes us laugh, cry, quake in our shoes, or soar on the heights of joy, providing an emotional outlet and relieving tension and stress. This is why story-telling is a part of every culture. Currently Muslims in the West have no choice but to read books written by non-Muslims, books that often have morals and content incompatible with Islamic teachings. Even the books that are being published by Muslims in the mainstream press are at best questionable, and at worst downright haram (forbidden Islamically). We need a Muslim, Islamic alternative to this. Unfortunately, the mainstream presses are not interested in providing the kinds of books we want and need; it will have to come from within our community.

• Every state requires that children read fiction as a part of their school curriculum. Most of the books Muslim children and teachers have to choose for this required reading are filled with questionable characters, children acting and believing in ways contrary to Islam, emphasizing Christian holidays and romantic relationships. Often the main characters commit acts which are haram in Islam. Very few of these books have Muslim characters, but when they do, they are usually "the bad guys" – backwards, dirty, scary, and certainly not spiritual. Children are impacted greatly by the things they read; they want to be like the "cool" characters, dress they way they dress, act the way they act, and think the way they think. This effect is magnified when nearly every book presents the same picture of normalcy. We need Islamically sound books that show Muslim kids living in today's world trying to be good Muslims. And we need lots of them. We need books appropriate for kindergarteners and first graders, but also for fifth and sixth graders, for junior and senior high students.

• Study after study has shown that young people and adults who read fiction do better in life. Reading, and writing fiction, improves grammar skills that are vital in the workplace and increases the vocabulary. It also strengthens creativity and self-expression, helping to develop persuasive speaking skills. Not only that, important tests like the SATs and GREs require students to read, analyze and write about fiction selections. If we want our children to be competitive in the business world, we should be encouraging our children to read fiction, and providing them with quality books.

• Fiction can be a powerful tool for dawah (outreach). As mentioned above, fiction has a unique capability to touch people's emotions and bend their hearts. Even though the stories are not "real," fiction deals with real issues, real emotions, and the reader relates to the characters like friends or family members. As such, it can have a much greater impact on a person's feelings, thoughts, and beliefs than non-fiction. It can inspire them to question their values and their habits, leading to positive change, both for Muslims and non-Muslims. The immense and ever growing Christian fiction industry should serve as an example to the Muslim book industry. Fiction has the potential to alter lives.

For these reasons, the Islamic Writers Alliance and the undersigned individuals call on Muslim publishers, retailers, wholesalers and distributors to publish, stock, and sell English-language Islamic fiction.