#muslim rep

Heres the creator's tiktok:

And here is her kickstarter!

Great question! I've actually found a Medium article discussing this exact issue:

The truth is, another thing that is important to consider is the level of accuracy you want. For example, the article says that having Muslim characters in a world with multiple deities is considered rude. However, I personally have never minded seeing that. If I were to write that, I would simply have the character believe these 'deities' were a form of extremely strong jinn causing issues, or leading people away from faith. As long as the character themselves isn't a demigod, and their belief is neither confirmed nor denied, this could work. It really depends on how the story is spun.

Another thing mentioned in the article is that other sapient creatures cannot be included, however, I also do not personally mind that. While it wouldn't be 100% accurate to Islam to have creatures such as mermaids or dragons be sapient, I would be willing to suspend my disbelief for the sake of the story, so long as the character themselves was still represented nicely.

One idea that wasn't considered in the article would be a Muslim character becoming a werewolf or some other creature. If you would like, you could have it be the result of them being cursed by a jinn. There are a lot of workarounds one can come up with.

As a person who grew up Muslim and specially AFAB, I'm not going to deny the harm that our community and sometimes culture causes.

A big distinction that I feel people should be more aware of when writing Muslim characters (especially if you yourself aren't Muslim and trying to represent said population) is the overlap between religion and culture. Oftentimes people mix those two together and get a false impression on one of the two.

My biggest take on that is "Don't judge the believer but the religion itself." Because many believers tend to nitpick what they like and use it against others. A huge example of that is men picking only what benefits them and ignoring what compels them to have some responsibility towards the women or others in general.

I wont get too deep into that though. I'm going to break down some of the harmful stereotypes people have and explain why sometimes no matter what, you aren't qualified to write on those with your perspective if you, yourself haven't lived that.

- Muslim people are backwards and very fanatic. I've seen it many times. Someone makes a character either for a story or for a roleplay and they pick a Muslim girl and make her terrified of her parents, make her uneducated, sheltered, naive, easy to trick all because she's Muslim and her Dad and Mom are restricting her freedom. That, is oftentimes VERY offensive, especially if written by a white non-muslim man. Especially if the story they want to explore ISN'T something they should be telling. To me it just feels, very weird for someone to attempt and spread that message when they themselves never ever experienced it. It's like a non-black person writing about a black person being under slavery in an attempt to talk about slavery. That's simply not your story to tell. Leave it to others.

- Muslim women are uneducated or married off. While oftentimes, women in Islamic countries end up being wed at an early age or not getting education, the issue lies in the blame that people point towards it being related to them being Muslim. This issue mainly stems from the culture and the circumstances of said countries. We all know many Islamic countries are poverty ridden and or under wars that are caused by the Western countries. (USA, ISRAEL, BRITAIN ETC). LIKE. Let's be for real. Under poverty getting your education gets hard and making a livelihood gets even harder, so it's only a natural causation that many muslim women living in poverty laden countries end up getting married without getting their education. Of course I do not agree with that sentiment and how a woman's education takes the backseat in sake of the sons receiving their education BUT TRUST ME, even men don't receive education in these countries. My mom and dad, both Palestinian Jordanians, had a different course regarding their academic lives. Someone ignorant would probably assume that my dad received education and my mom didn't, right? Well. It's the exact opposite actually. My mom received higher education and my dad quit highschool and had to work. They were both poor as well. Even further, my dad's both and only sisters GRADUATED from university with degrees in Mathematics and Religion Education. People that live in the better part of islamic countries like the Gulf (kuwait, saudia etc) receive education regardless of their gender and even have governmential benefits pushing them towards higher education. That does not erase the women who are forced to quit school to marry or to take care of the household; again an issue in culture, misogyny and economical status usually rather than the religion itself. Even women in the western world still experience these gender based discriminations.

- Muslim people want to kill their kids if they deviate from the image they have for them. Now this is a very HEAVY and sensitive topic because it usually ties into LGBTQIA matters as well as religious expectations Muslim people might have of their kids or fellow Muslim people. As member of the LGBTQIA, I won't ever come out to my parents. Unfortunately, culture wise and religious wise there's a certain level of hatred people hold towards LGBTQIA Muslims. And it's unfortunate because according to Islam, YOU shouldn't be judging these people, you should try and guide them against it. Now I won't get into that part and what my stance is on it, simply because it's something i myself am struggling with rn and not agreeing with, but its what I grew up with, so essentially its not something I can speak about clearly. But, seeing non-muslim people try and write stories about Muslim characters getting killed or hunted by their Muslim parents about being gay? That shit pisses me off. It's not your story to tell. You aren't allowed to demonize the parents when it's a very sensitive topic and dependant on the dynamics people have with their families. Some people will have more accepting parents others won't. But that goes for non-muslims too. I've seen so many atheists disown their kids because they came out to them. Even christians...but it's only Muslim characters that i ever see getting bodily harmed or even killed when that's not something limited to muslim people? It just rubs me off the wrong way.

- Muslim people being depicted as barbaric and more accepting of hurting others around them. Now this is a notion that has slowly started to fade away THANK FUCKING GOD, but many times people writing muslim characters make them seem jaded towards others getting hurt? And its built on the harmful stereotype that Muslim people are fine with others getting hurt when that's not even something I've seen from actual Muslims and when that trait is something anyone from any background could have? Is it possible that many muslim people are jaded towards pain due to their countries being involved in conflict and pain? Yeah it is. But that does not mean we are ACCEPTING OF IT. It's just when you grow up hearing about your relatives getting bombed and murdered that you grow to view these things as common, but it doesn't mean you accept them. It's just the only way you can process losing your family to the violence enacted on you by the western world.

- As a Muslim person you'll get crucified if you drink alcoholic beverages. Riiiight. So this is a notion I see a lot. While drinking alcoholic beverages is DEFINITELY prohibited and haram, if you live in the Western world as a muslim person, chances are you a) drink, b) have muslim friends who drink, mainly because it depends on how religious someone is. I have a Muslim friend who isn't that religious and drinks. I dont. I know friends of my dad in Jordan who drink, even when they're heavily frowned upon. So people making Muslim ocs and then making them be super puritans and avoiding everything is... Weirdly infantilizing imo? We aren't perfect human beings. We are gonna commit acts that are considered sins. Sometimes some people will freak out about those and sometimes they won't. Not everyone is gonna feel the same amount of guilt over what they consider prohibited. Some muslim people get into dating despite it being prohibited. So shrug.

Anyways my main take away is that people should be MORE careful when writing a story about something they aren't. That's not to say you aren't allowed to write for these stories but it's more about whether you incorporate HARMFUL stereotypes only and end up with a representation that will only do damage.

Research. Talk to people. Generally not only when writing about Muslims. Even if you yourself are disabled, you can still write shitty disability rep about a disability that is not yours. Just cause you're ADHD it doesn't mean you cannot perpetuate harmful stereotypes about NPD ppl for example. Right?

Delhi breathes through these pages — smoky mushairas, fading power, and words sharp as knives. This book is for lovers of language, history, and stories that linger.

1857. When a poet is found dead after a lavish mushaira, Mirza Ghalib—yes, the legendary poet—reluctantly takes on the role of detective, uncovering secrets, suspects, and a political conspiracy amid the storm of rebellion.

Murder at the Mushaira leans more towards historical fiction than it does a traditional mystery. The author, Raza Mir, paints a vivid portrait of Delhi in the 1850s, just after the aftermath of the Sepoy Rebellion. Through a blend of real historical figures and fictional characters, the book immerses readers in a society teetering on the brink of collapse, largely due to the encroachment of the East India Company.

If you're picking up this book expecting a classic mystery, you might find yourself disappointed, as the mystery element serves more as a backdrop to the historical and political drama unfolding. The plot revolves more around the cultural and social landscape of the time than solving a crime.

However, I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional account. The portrayal of the poet Ghalib as a detective was both entertaining and realistic. The characters were engaging and well-developed, making it easy to become invested in their journeys. One of my favorite aspects of the book was how Raza Mir seamlessly integrated Urdu within the English narrative, which added depth and authenticity to the story, making it all the more enjoyable.

I also loved how Delhi was portrayed in the book. It felt almost like a character in its own right. As someone originally from Shahjahanabad, it was especially meaningful to see the city come to life through words. The rich history and culture of Delhi were beautifully captured, making the setting an integral part of the narrative.

Another highlight was the depiction of the different layers of society at the time. From the Nawab to the worker, the poet (shayar), the courtesan (tawaif), and the Englishmen, each character’s reality was portrayed in a way that felt authentic and tangible. The diversity of perspectives brought the social dynamics of 19th-century Delhi to life in a way that was both immersive and thought-provoking.

It’s clear that the book is well-researched, with historical details woven seamlessly into the narrative. The language is rich without being unnecessarily flowery, making it accessible yet still elegant.

✦ My rating: 4.25/5 stars ✦

10 Bi4Bi Titles

Considering RF Kuang herself is not Muslim, I just have to commend how excellent the South Asian Muslim rep in Babel was as it pertains to Ramy. Literally the first thing Ramy notes upon meeting Robin is how the only thing he can really eat in England is fish (see: most of the meat would not have been halal at the time). He also notes that he threw away the port that his sponsor gifted him. Like right off the get-go it's established that Ramy is practicing Muslim.

We get Ramy reading his Maghrib prayer at sunset. We also learns he is quite annoyed at being forced to go to Church lest he face expulsion, something that he repeatedly asks Allah for forgiveness for. He says inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un when [redacted] dies. He's fearful of staying out in the dark after Maghrib prayer because of jinn. Also, not once does Ramy actively put aside his religious values to fall into the plot. I believe they also talked about Ramy fasting for Ramadan at some point!

But honestly, xiran jay zhao wrote an awesome novel that somehow encapsulates and represents a queer muslim character without those two being the only identifiers of the character. Oftentimes, characters that are queer or muslim only focus on those parts and seeing zachary ying is just so refreshing.