Linda Delgado and Abdur-Rahman Abou Almajd in Dialog Around Muslim Publishing.

We have a fresh opportunity to reflect about the role of Muslim publishing in the USA.  Linda Delgado is going to speak about her views on Muslim publishing and about Islamic Fiction authors today. Before we begin let us remember:  "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds: Surah Al-Anaam:162.  

Linda D. Delgado Background

Author of the youth book series, Islamic Rose Books: The Visitors, Hijab-Ez Friends, Stories, and Saying Goodbye. The book series was recognized and Linda was awarded the 2005 Excellence in Media/Literary Arts by the American Muslim Womens Association. Linda just published the 5th book in the series titled, Reunion, in February of this year: 2012. She is the publisher of Muslim Writers Publishing and founded the Islamic Writers Alliance, Inc.  a professional Muslim organization with an International membership having the purpose of promoting literacy and goals of supporting and advancing Islamic fiction as a literary form and promoting IWA members. www.islamicrosebooks.com www.MuslimwritersPublishing.com and www.islamicfictionbooks.wordpress.com .

Q: I thank you Linda for giving me this interview opportunity. You told me the work you do is in service to Allah, I wonder how you converted Islam?

LD: In 2000, I was fifty-two years old and I had not become a member of any Christian church, but all my life I had been searching for the truth. I attended many churches and studied with their teachers. All fell short and I recognized none as being the truth about God. Since I was nine years old, I had read the Bible everyday of my life. I cannot tell you, over the many years, how many times I searched it for the truth about God.

During the long years of my search for the truth, I studied with many religious faiths. For over a year I studied two times a week with a Catholic priest, but could not accept Catholic beliefs. I spent another year studying with the Jehovah Witnesses and did not accept their beliefs either. I spent nearly two years with the LDS (Latter-Day Saints, i.e. the Mormons) and still did not find truth. I had a Jewish friend and we had many discussions about the Jewish beliefs. I went to many Protestant churches, some for months at a time, trying to find answers to my questions.

My heart told me Jesus was not God but a Prophet. My heart told me Adam and Eve were responsible for their sin, not me. My heart told me I should pray to God and no other. My reason told me that I was responsible for both my good and bad deeds and that God would never assume the form of a man in order to tell me that I was not responsible. He had no need to live and die as a human; after all, He is God.

So there I was, full of questions and praying to God for help. I had a real fear of dying and not knowing the truth. I prayed and I prayed. I received answers from preachers and priests like, “This is a mystery.” I felt that God wanted people to go to heaven so He wouldn't make it a mystery as to how to get there, how to live life accordingly, and how to understand Him. I knew in my heart that all that I was hearing was untrue.

I live in Arizona, USA and at the age of fifty-two had still never talked to a Muslim. I, like many Westerners, had read much in the media about Islam being a fanatical religion of terrorists, so I never researched any books or information about Islam. I knew nothing about the religion.

My Discovery

About a dozen years ago I retired after twenty-six years as a police officer. My husband also retired as a police officer. The year before my retirement I was still a police sergeant/supervisor. Police officers worldwide have a common bond, which we call a law-enforcement brother-sisterhood. We always help one anther no matter what police department or country.

That year I received a flyer asking for help with a group of Saudi Arabian police officers who had come to the United States to learn English at a local University and attend a police academy in the city that I live in. The Saudi police officers were looking for homes to live in with host families in order to learn about US customs and to practice the English that they would be learning.

My son was raising my granddaughter as a single parent. We helped him to find a house next to ours so that we could help in raising her. I talked to my husband and we decided that it would be good to help these police officers. It would be an opportunity for our granddaughter to learn about people from another country. I was told that the young men were Muslims and I was very curious.

An Arizona State University Saudi interpreter brought a young man named Abdul to meet us. He could not speak English. We showed him a bedroom and bathroom, which would be his when he stayed with us. I liked Abdul immediately. His respectful and kind manner won my heart!

Next Fahd was brought to our home. He was younger and shyer, but a wonderful young man. I became their tutor and we shared many discussions about police work, the USA, Saudi Arabia, Islam, etc. I observed how they helped each other and also the other sixteen Saudi police officers who came to the USA to learn English. During the year they were here, I came to respect and admire Fahd and Abdul for not letting the American culture have any impact on them. They went to mosque on Fridays, said their prayers no matter how tired they were, and were always careful of what they ate, etc. They showed me how to cook some traditional Saudi foods and they took me to Arab markets and restaurants. They were very kind with my granddaughter. They showered her with presents, jokes and friendship.

They treated my husband and me with a lot of respect. Each day, they would call to see if I needed them to go to market for me before they went to study with fellow Saudi officers. I showed them how to use the computer, and I ordered Arab papers online and began to search the Internet to learn more about their country, their customs and religion. I did not want to do things that would offend them.

One day, I asked them if they had an extra Qur'an. I wanted to read what it had to say. They sent to their embassy in Washington DC and they got me an English Qur'an, tapes, and other pamphlets. At my request, we began to discuss Islam (they had to speak English and this became the focus of our tutoring sessions). I grew to love these young men, and they told me that I was the first non-Muslim they had ever taught Islam to! After a year, they completed their studies and training at the police academy. I was able to help them with their police studies, as I had been a police instructor during my career as a police officer. I invited many of their brother-officers to the house to help with university projects and to practice English. One brother had his wife come to stay here in the US, and I was invited to their home. They were very gracious and I was able to talk to his wife about Muslim dress, prayer ablutions, and similar things.

A week before "my foster sons" were to return home to Saudi Arabia, I planned a family dinner with all their favorite traditional foods (I bought some because I didn’t know how to cook all of them). I purchased a hijab and an abeya (long Islamic gown). I wanted them to go home remembering me dressed appropriately as a Muslim sister. Before we ate, I said Shahadah (public declaration of faith). The boys cried and laughed and it was so special. I believe in my heart that Allah sent the boys to me in answer to my years of prayers. I believe He chose me to see the truth by the light of Islam. I believe Allah sent Islam to my very home. I praise Him for His mercy, love and kindness to me.

Over the past years my life has changed dramatically. My family has come to accept with generosity and tolerance that I am Muslim and will remain Muslim. All thanks be to Allah for sparing me the trials of so many reverts who must deal with beloved family who strive to dissuade them from Islam.

Gradually, I made some sister friends locally and by cyber space, dozens of sister friends became my Muslim family bringing me support, love and friendship. It was close to my first year as a Muslim that I became ill with a series of life-threatening diseases. I clung tight to the rope of Islam and was grateful for the black seed tea and ZamZam water that my sister-friends sent me from around the world along with their daily du’a’ (supplications).

Shortly after my reversion to Islam, I suffered a heart attack and had heart surgery. It was a sad time for me, as I knew that I would never again touch my head to the floor when praying, but would forever have to sit in my chair and pray. It was at this time that I truly understood the provision from Allah that Islam is the religion of ease. Praying while seated in a chair is acceptable; not fasting when one is sick is acceptable. I did not have to feel that I was less a Muslim because of these circumstances.

As I grew less able to do community services, I searched for some way to contribute to the greater Muslim community. I continually asked Allah for His help in this. One day, my young granddaughter suggested that I write books about my Saudi boys, Islam, and my family’s experience with Islam. I decided to write the books and also include stories about a group of young girls, both Muslim and non-Muslim, who were friends. The stories would include the young girls’ problems encountered at school and at home and I would use my knowledge of Islam as a guide for these book characters.

I began writing a book series that I called Islamic Rose Books. I created an e-group for sister authors and aspiring writers and this developed into the creation of the Islamic Writers Alliance. I also decided to help Muslim food banks by making donations and later decided that I would spend a large portion of my profits from book sales to buy books for Islamic children’s libraries.  I have discovered that many such libraries have lots of empty shelves where Islamic books belong.

Q: What made you take up Publishing?

LD: It was only after writing my 4-book Islamic Rose chapter book series for older youth in 2001 that I realized that almost all Muslim publishers and book retailers would not publish fiction or even use the word fiction on their web sites or in their catalogs. Then and today most Muslim publishers only publish ‘fiction’ books for very young children—little children’s color illustrated books that are usually about historical Islamic persons, events, or teachings. 

I recognized a real need for quality fiction books for Muslim youth and teens living as minorities in larger non-Muslim dominate countries (westernized). I know there was (still is) a lack of Muslim publishers willing to publish Islamic fiction stories for older youth, teens, and young adults. This is especially true of Muslim publishers outside the USA and other westernized countries.

 In westernized countries the educational systems in States and nationally require students from Kindergarten through 12^th grade to read fiction and write creative stories in order to pass from one grade level to another.  However, because most of the Muslim book industry does not publish books for our Muslim kids (chapter-style books and fiction novels), our Muslim kids have had to read stories written and published by non-Muslims all the time… for many years they did not have a choice. Islamic schools did not have a choice. They have had to read books that often include unIslamic practices and beliefs.

 In fact, a huge mainstream publisher/book distributor of children’s books (Scholastic Books) has a monopoly when it comes to fiction books being promoted, sold, and read in Islamic schools. They publish and sell a huge selection of books for all ages, offer educational games, CDs and they give the schools 50% of all money made at the bi-annual book fairs the Islamic schools have each year. They also offer free merchandize. It is difficult for me to compete with competitors like Scholastic Books.

So how do Muslim American publishers including me and others who work with me in the Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA) organization get Islamic fiction books into Islamic schools? Scholastic Books can afford to sell books at a much lower cost, too. Most Islamic schools do not get a budget that includes purchasing books. Ten years ago they didn’t invite Muslim writers to schools or book fairs or promote or sell our IF books.  I had to pay a publishing service to get my books published.

In 2003 I began giving free books to Islamic school libraries. I would also sponsor writing contests and give books as prizes. I got the schools to cooperate by giving them cash awards for their participation!  I would get friends who are published authors to send me copies of their books so I could increase the size of my donations. Then when I began publishing Islamic fiction books for other authors this increased my number of books to 19 different stories in different age levels and different genre to make a more interesting selection of books I now send to Islamic schools. 

A few years after I founded the IWA organization I convinced the membership to adopt a goal of promoting Islamic fiction books and Islamic literature to Islamic schools. Since 2007 book awards are made annually by the IWA and also by my publishing-retail business.

 I think it is important that our Muslim children have a choice and have halal books to read that are written by Muslims and published by Muslims….and I know from what parents and teachers tell me that they love having such books in their libraries for the students.

Perhaps, because many Muslim writers living in the west are reverts and have grown up reading fiction stories and because we want to share our love of Islam, many of the early pioneers in writing Islamic fiction have been converts to Islam. It is easier to write what one knows about…such as living as a minority in a larger non-Muslim society.  Our Muslim children, youth, and teenagers want to read stories with book characters and settings (contemporary) that they can relate to and identify with.

 So without any help from the Muslim publishing industry and with most Muslim book retailers also refusing to buy-list-sell Islamic fiction, there seemed to be only the fee-based publishing services  referred to as subsidy or publish on demand here in the USA for many Muslim writers.

In 2005 I was working with my best friend and writing buddy, Amatullah Al-Marwani on her manuscript that would teach Muslim youth how to write Islamic stories  (fiction stories) Part of the book focuses on the technical aspects of writing.  She lived in California and I live in Arizona (a neighboring state). She had leukemia and had been in remission but she got real sick again and needed a bone marrow transplant. Right before she went into the hospital she asked me to promise to finish her book and get it published if Allah decided she would not survive. I made the promise to her.

My friend died three weeks after the surgery. I finished her book and looked for a Muslim publisher. I could not find a Muslim publisher willing to publish Star Writers so I decided I would learn how to publish books and I would publish it myself.  I also decided to begin publishing my own work and Islamic fiction stories of other writers.

I began researching and learning about publishing. I bought books, joined online groups and forums, and asked questions of experts. I learned the non-Muslim publishing and retail business and then adapted it to how publishing  could be done within the Muslim book industry. The non-Muslim book industry is highly organized whereas the publishers/leaders/money men in the Muslim book industry are just barely beginning to meet and talk with each other….they haven’t included small Muslim publishing businesses (like my own) in any of their meetings. I just read about what they are doing through the Internet.  They have been meeting in one of the Middle Eastern countries. Most small publishers operating in the USA cannot afford to make the trip/s to their meetings. Our opinions have not been asked. My correspondence has not been responded to.

I had labeled the kind of fiction I write as Islamic fiction. Other writers I came into contact with began to identify their writing as Islamic fiction. In 2005 the IWA membership decided we needed to write a definition for Islamic fiction. At that time I created the Islamic Fiction Books web site. www.IslamicFictionBooks.com . This web site has a large listing of Muslim writers and their book titles. New authors contact me and ask me to add their name and book to the web site after pledging their book meets the definition for IF. Members of the IWA read IF books and let me know when  books meet the IF definition so I can add them to the website. This helps ensure the books that are listed are Islamic fiction . 

Q: What is Islamic Fiction?   (use a jpg of my new book Reunion here)

LD: Islamic Fiction refers to creative, imaginative, and non-preachy fiction literature written by Muslims who intend for readers to learn something positive about Islam and benefit from reading an Islamic fiction story. Islamic fiction incorporates religious content and themes in the stories and may include non-fictionalized historical or factual Islamic content with or without direct reference to the Qur’an or the Sunnah. Islamic fiction may also include modern, real life situations and moral dilemmas.

Islamic Fiction does not include ‘Harmful Content’: vulgar language, sexually explicit content, unIslamic practices that are not identified as unIslamic, or content that portrays Islam in a negative way.

Please Note–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 tradition.

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 mathab 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.

Note– this content refers to English language Islamic Fiction.

I have written to Muslim educators and Muslim publishers trying to explain the need for Islamic fiction books for our Muslim kids and slowly there seems to be a small but positive response. A few Muslim publishers are now publishing chapter books for older youth. Not in large enough numbers but there is some progress…and I notice that some of the Muslim bookstores are now using the word fiction on their web sites.  The Muslim book industry still has not established standards for fiction such as genres specific to Islam, or reading levels for fiction, or organizing their web sites and catalogs according to genre and reading levels…but I think this will be happening in the near future.

People resist change so it is important to be patient and allow time and the benefits of IF to become known through Interviews and articles written about it and published in newspapers, blogs, magazines, and in radio talk shows. The Muslim book industry also has been slow to respond to the digital age of books and ereaders. I have 17 of my books in pdf ebook format- they have been in this format for 4 years but most of the online Muslim bookstores are not prepared to sell ebooks.  Also most Muslims still prefer paper books.  This too will be changing as more and more Muslims use computers at home and in school.

 What many Muslims are doing, even outside of westernized countries, is self-publishing ebooks using mainstream pay for publishing services like Amazon’s CreateSpace and Lulu.com. There are many free-lance specialists that authors can pay to format their books for the different ereaders and these authors then establish accounts to get their ebooks listed and sold from these mainstream businesses. Barnes and Nobel, Amazon, and Smashwords are some of the most popular. I spend a good amount of time each week mentoring writers, showing them how to get their book professionally edited and designed and explain to them where and how to get their ebooks accepted by mainstream ebook sellers. I also have taught a half dozen or more authors how to setup their own publishing businesses.  Many begin by publishing their own work and then as time and money allow they publish other authors. With the new software and technologies and Internet, a writer who is shown what to do can self-publish his/her work when Muslim publishers refuse to  do so because it is fiction.

 I wish I were younger and had more money to publish more…but I do what I can with what resources Allah gives me.

 Q: Well, May Allah reward you for all your good deeds. You're the publisher of Muslim Writers Publishing and founded the Islamic Writers Alliance, could you elaborate on them, please?

LD: Yes I am the Founder (2004) and Director of the IWA, a non-profit organization. We incorporated in 2009. www.islamicwritersalliance.net and we are tax exempt.

IWA has a main web site, a secondary web site where we publish our online quarterly IWA Magazine, and a members’ only Yahoo egroup where we conduct business, hold elections, provide information and support to and for the members.  We have a 5-member elected Board of Directors that serves 2 year terms. All members are volunteers, and annual dues are $25.00. If you don’t have the $25, you can claim financial hardship and still become a member if you are Muslim and 18 years old or older. We do not debate religion or politics.

The Islamic Writers Alliance Inc. is a non-profit and tax exempt United States-based professional Muslim organization with an international membership. Members include published and aspiring writers, editors, artists, publishers, journalists, playwrights, web designers, retailers, and marketing consultants. If you are looking for a group of Muslim professionals with whom to network, gain resource information, and promote literacy and education while practicing your deen, the Islamic Writers Alliance is for you! The IWA is an inclusive organization and welcomes adult Muslim men and women of all races, ethnicities, linguistic backgrounds, abilities, and creeds. 

 
In furthering its organizational goals, the IWA regularly awards fiction and non-fiction Islamic books to Islamic school libraries and sponsors creative writing contests for Islamic schools. The IWA sponsors three annual contests open to the public: an Islamic poetry contest, an Islamic fiction story contest and a non-fiction essay contest, which was recently instituted in 2011 for the first time. The IWA also publishes a quarterly online publication, IWA Magazine. 

 
In addition to the above mentioned projects and Magazine, the IWA has collectively published 4 anthologies, with the newest officially published in January 2012. It is a unique cookbook: Serving Up Faith: Recipes-Cooking Tips-Inspirational Stories.

I have MWP books listed at online mainstream book stores and have established a small network of Muslim book retailers who purchase MWP books on a regular basis.

I have developed teacher study guides (TSG) for 5 of the IF novels I published. Just last year some Islamic schools and home schooling parents began purchasing the books and accompanying TSGs to use with classroom reading. I would develop more but don’t have the finances to do so. A wonderful organization online known as HalfDate.org helped me pay the design costs for the teacher study guides I was able to complete. They are in pdf ebook format and printable. I never charge for the TSGs.

  
Another thing that is different about my publishing house is that I allow my authors to buy copies at print cost. They get to keep all the profits…which is an excellent incentive for the authors to get out in the public to promote and sell their books.

Muslim Writers Publishing will not consider for publishing manuscripts which promote and include the following content: erotica or the promotion of hate or violence.

Q: What about the Muslim Publishing Industry in the USA?

LD: What do you mean by “what About?” 

Q: Well I mean you should give us some suggestions from your experience. 

LD: Most of the Muslim publishing businesses in the USA are in the following categories: family owned, small publisher, self-publishing authors. The family publishers like Noorart are also online book retail stores for the books they publish and occasionally they list books they do not publish.  My publishing business is considered a small publishing business and it is a sole ownership. I only sell books I publish.  Because of the rapid advances in software, hardware , and the fast growing ebook segment of the mainstream book industry, many English language Muslim writers are using subsidy (fee-based) publishing services to get ebooks published. They use the fee-based publishing services to get print books published as well.  A few Muslim publishers outside of the USA have established English divisions like Dar us Salem located in Texas. In the last couple of years mainstream (non-Muslim) publishers have shown interest in publishing Muslim authors. They are mainly looking for stories focusing on diversity and culture, so it is possible to find a literary agent within the mainstream publishing industry to help get a Muslim fiction book published in the traditional manner with a non-Muslim publisher.

Publishing is an expensive and risky business. Paying for professional book editing, book interior design, book cover design, paying for printed copies for distribution, and marketing costs to introduce a new book make it difficult especially because it takes months to produce a book and then hope that enough copies will sell to cover production costs and then continue selling so the publisher can make a profit. 

Q: I wonder how Islamic Fiction is to gain acceptance.

LD: It already  has gained acceptance by a growing number of Muslims in the USA and elsewhere. Three large book stores in South Africa are regular buyers of the books I publish. When I started promoting Islamic fiction back in 2002 and 2003 as an author and then to Muslim groups and forums beginning in 2004…. There were a handful of Muslim writers writing Islamic fiction… Br. Yahiya Emerick comes to mind as I consider him the ‘father’ of English language Islamic fiction writing. Most Muslims who wrote fiction were published by mainstream publishers and the authors left “Islam” or religious content out of their stories in order to get mainstream publishing. They wrote nice stories about culture and the usual things pertaining to kids and people and events but they shied away from writing anything that ‘looked’ religious.

 Today there are mainstream publishers willing to publish Muslims that have fiction stories which meet the Islamic fiction definition….meaning the stories have some religious content. Mainstream publishers are looking for books that have diversity in the racial and religious mix of the story characters. This is a real positive given the response from Muslim publishing has been so slow.

 I was 52 years old when I reverted to Islam so I had read fiction all my life. I simply could not understand how it could be thought of as harmful…..anything can be harmful if someone makes it thus…but I have read thousands of books in my lifetime and most would not be considered harmful.

 I wondered why it has taken so long before Muslims began to accept that Islamic fiction reading is halal and can be very beneficial.

Primary Reason: Because there are a few influential individuals in the middle  east making statements that reading fiction is a useless waste of time or they have said that writing fiction is telling lies. 

 These pronouncements are coming from individuals who grew up in schools and in countries where the educational system did not require students to do creative writing or read fiction books.

 So they have no framework to base their opinions on…. except for possibly having looked at fiction that was poorly edited and had harmful content in it. A lot of these types of books were poorly translated and came out of non-westernized countries the stories/books were not Islamic fiction.

 They could not have read the quality  English language Islamic fiction being written and published today and still think it doesn’t have benefits and is halal.

 At the beginning of professionally published IF books is a statement that the book is fiction. This eliminates the statement that the books tell lies because the reader already knows the stories are creative imaginations of the writer. With Islamic fiction a writer can include factual content regarding the Quran and even quote it or reference it if the author wants…but the best way is to show Islam in the words and actions of the book characters.

10 years after I began my jihad to promote Islamic fiction and to get IF books into Islamic school libraries and get IF books listed at Muslim retail stores, I find that today there are dozens of Muslim bookstores now using the word fiction and Islamic books and mentioning genres of IF. There are hundreds of Muslim writers who are self-publishing on their own because our Muslim book industry lacks the insight to recognize the need and lacks the ability to change fast enough to meet the growing needs and wants of Muslims who read Islamic fiction stories.

 Visit my Islamic fiction books blog and/or web site and see what readers say about IF books: http://islamicfictionbooks.wordpress.com/opinions-about-if/

 Islamic Writers Alliance, Inc. also has a Wiki page dedicated to Islamic Fiction.  You can visit it if interested. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_fiction

Q: The American Muslim Womens Association, Inc. (AMWA) selected you to receive the 2005 Excellence in Media/Literary Arts award based on her work as author of the children's book series, "Islamic Rose Books", could you elaborate on that, please?

LD: The organization reviewed books authored by Muslim writers and came to a decision that my work/4 books merited their award. They had an awards dinner and ceremony…on the East Coast (I live out west on the other side of the USA) so I was unable to attend. I wrote an acceptance speech and a good friend of mine gave the speech and accepted my award (a trophy and certificate). My friend mailed the trophy and certificate to me.

 Back then I was thought to be a pioneer because of my series and work in promoting Islamic fiction. Most people reading the books really like them, especially the kids they were written for! After 8 years I wrote a 5^th book for this series. I just published this book in February.   

My series has been translated and republished in the Indonesian language. Three of the 5 books have been translated into the Arabic language. I still need to 4^th and now 5^th books to be translated. 

 The series was/is special because there wasn’t another ne like it anywhere when I wrote it and later published it.

 I used the illustrations of some of the book characters to create a comic strip focusing on one g fiqh point. The comics were published in a Muslim magazine and online

http://islamicrosebooks.com/

 I also used the characters to create a coloring book.  I have an ‘online store’ where I sell official Islamic Rose products. www.cafepress.com/islamicrose

Q: Could you elaborate on the narrative mode in Islamic Fiction?

 LD: Islamic fiction stories are different from any other type of fiction story because the writer intends readers to learn something about Islam by reading the story. The Islamic fiction writer shows Islam rather than tells people about Islam.  Islamic fiction books are always halal. So the Muslim writer has to be creative and imaginative and write a good fiction story...and… bring Islam into the story as well. This then requires the book editor to do fact checking to ensure all Islamic content is accurate. I personally like to write Islamic fiction with contemporary themes and book characters and settings.  I like to have a diversity of book characters that reflect the world I live in and many of my readers live in: different cultures, religions, races, and nationalities.

Q: How can you manage to get Non-Muslim readers to read Islamic Fiction?

 LD: This is not a priority for me. My priority is to get quality, creative, imaginative, fun, interesting, and halal Islamic fiction books published and into the hands of Muslim children, youth, teens and young adults. The books are for them. They deserve to have stories and book characters they can identify with, learn from, and enjoy….promoting their love of reading and learning. The books will show them that Muslims can write and produce quality fiction works...just as good as or better than the mainstream fiction they have had little choice for fiction reading because for years that was all there had been because our Muslim book industry has continued or has refused to see how they are failing our own children and youth!

 A half dozen years ago one of the largest Muslim national organizations in the USA started a funding drive to purchase Qurans and other books like hadith to put in USA public libraries. This was a good idea. They raised over 1 million dollars.

That got me to thinking about the problems of getting Islamic fiction into Islamic schools and for Muslim kids who are unable to attend an Islamic school...but are home schooled.. I thought… why not raise funds to put Islamic fiction books into underfunded Islamic school libraries and public libraries?  This would make the books readily available to non-Muslim kids and also available for Muslim kids who have to attend public schools.  

 Because IF books have religious content or references public schools won’t purchase IF books for school libraries…but most kids use public libraries and there isn’t a prohibition in public libraries for IF books like there is with public schools.

I figured this would bring great relief to Islamic schools also because they are underfunded and usually don’t have funds for a library or a librarian.

 I wrote to leaders of the three largest Muslim organizations in North America asking them to consider raising funds from Muslims to do this for our Muslim kids and also as a way to make our books available to non-Muslim kids. They all said no. Said it wasn’t in their organization’s description to do something like that.

 I came back and said then why could they raise a million dollars for non-Muslims but refused to help raise money for our own Muslim kids…and the side benefit of having the books available for non-Muslims in USA libraries. They told me each Muslim community needed to fund their own schools etc.

 Well some Muslim communities are so poor they don’t have a proper masjid!  The leaders of these organizations are so full of their self-importance and their politicking they are blinded… my heart felt opinion.

However, a friend of mine who is a teacher told me about the Accelerated Reading (AR) program in Public schools. What it is… authors write 10 multiple choice questions with answers about their book. They include the book title, author name, number of pages, price, and reading level also where the book can be bought. This information is sent to the AR program. Once the book is listed in the AR program book catalog, students can choose any book they want to read outside of the classroom. Once they finish the book they take the 10 question quiz and if they pass it they get points.  The points lead to prizes and recognition for the student. 

So I always tell new authors who consult me or join one of my writers groups about the AR program.  It is not much but it is a way and means to get your book picked by Muslim and non-Muslim kids. Each school selects books to make up their reading lists for students for the different reading levels. Already several of my books were selected by kids to read through this program.

 With the current level of distrust between Muslims and non-Muslims… well among adults….. I don’t see huge changes happening on a positive level… but among our children and non-Muslim children… it is not too late to reach them if we do not taint them with our own hate, anxiety, and frustrations. (My opinion).

 Q: There are Anti-Muslim Literature, Muslim Conspiracies Science and Muslim hate Literature, I wonder how you can face them to show the true facts for all?

 LD: They are just words that I know to be untrue  that stem mostly from ignorance. I stay true to my Muslim self. The people writing and promoting hate harm themselves not me. I show by my example what and who a Muslims is. I cannot change the world. I cannot change the mind of anyone who is filled with anger or worse.  I can only be the best example of living my life as a Muslims should.  To answer lies with truth in a soft voice or silence. I do this with my writing; in the stories in my books.

Muslims need to follow the recommendations of the Prophet (pbuh) and don’t return hate for hate. You become a good neighbor and respect others. You show tolerance and an appreciation for diversity. You follow the teachings of the Quran as explained by the Prophet (pbuh). You don’t insert culture or nationalism into our religion. You don’t argue or debate and show anger. You recognize they have a right to have their feelings and thoughts, even when they are wrong. One of the best things we Muslims can do is work to become moderate in how we live, think and act in our decisions. We need to ‘show” rather than tell who we are.

Q: How should Prophet Muhammad be shown in the West?

 LD: My first thought is that I am more concerned as to how the Muslims in Arab speaking, Persia, Afghanistan, Pakistan countries are very close to idolizing our dear Prophet (pbuh).

• the Prophet (pbuh) should be shown as a man who was appointed by Allah to be His last Prophet to mankind. 

• his lineage should be explained and the linkage shown with Abraham.

• he should be shown as a human being who was not perfect. Only Allah is perfect.  He married, had children, worked,  ate, experienced sickness, joy and had a great sense of humor. He was completely human, but was given a special gift of prophethood so he could explain the Quran for mankind. He was like a guide and spokesperson just as the other prophets were in their time.

• he made sure that people living in his time understood that all prophets were the same or equal.

• he should be shown as a wise and compassionate man who cared about all people.

• he was a good husband and a good friend to have.

• by reading about how he solved problems we can use those same methods today. Islam is real and applicable in these modern times.

The reminder that he is the last prophet was not given to make him special over all prophets…he made that point very clear; it was his warning that after him there would be no other prophets appointed. The Words Allah gave him were the last words from Allah  that mankind would receive so mankind should take notice of that and learn what the Prophet (pbuh) taught.

I hope I have answered your questions fully. I am sure we will disagree on some matters. That is okay as we are each individuals with different lives, education, and backgrounds. What holds us (Muslims) together is the brother and sisterhood in Islam that Allah gave us as a generous gift  to overcome the many differences we will have because of the great diversity within our Ummah.

I thank you for your interest in wanting to learn my thoughts about the questions you asked. I am humbled by your sincerity.