Forthcoming Book of Muslim Poetry—A Peace Offering
At a time of growing hostility towards Islam, a faith with nearly 2 billion followers, I am honored that 11 of my poems are to be featured in an anthology, A KALEIDOSCOPE OF STORIES, Muslim Voices in Contemporary Poetry -- coming soon from Lote Tree Press.
I passionately believe in the healing power of poetry, and regard it as a finer form of diplomacy than politics. The more we know one another, the less we fear each other. Ignorance is not bliss; it's deadly.
This upcoming anthology brings together voices of over 50 poets from diverse backgrounds, to express in verse what it means to be Muslim, today. These poets of faith share their experiences, in hopes of offering an antidote to the dangerous caricature of Muslims we, often, see presented in the media.
The poems address our inner life and that of the spirit in a manner that can be appreciated by Muslims and non Muslims, alike. In some cases, such as my own work, the poems are not even overtly religious. By way of example, here is one of my poems featured in this collection:
I hope such a book might be of interest to you and, in turn, that it might expand and enrich the definition of what it means to be a Muslim, especially, for those whom the word fills with fear or loathing.
Peace _/|\_
Congrats, and your poem is very very beautiful. Your book would make an excellent present for my son. Are you on discord? Could you DM me when it comes out? Or comment on one of my posts? I would greatly appreciate that.
Thank you, for your kindness. I was on Discord, but can't find my password or figure out how to get back on (sigh middle age...)
Nice to connect and hope to keep you posted
_/|\_I had that problem and just went back in on a different email. I can't advise on technology at all, but it was much easier the second time around, I know that. I had to sign up again for the servers I was on before.
I'm serious about wanting this book, so I hope you do try to find some way to contact me when it is published. Thanks!
The cover of the book is also very beautiful. Calming and inviting.
Thank you, @owasco. I posted another excerpt from this forthcoming book, today, with a link to the publisher (in case I fall off the face of this earth).
Out of curiosity, is your son a Muslim, a seeker, a poetry lover, a poet, all of the above?
Have a blessed day
_/|\_A seeker and poetry lover, with a nascent interest in Islam. He has been teaching himself ancient Arabic because he wants to read all the Abrahamic religious texts in their originals. He appreciates Islam more than Judaism (in which he was semi-raised) and Christianity (in which I was semi-raised) and believes the Koran has been misinterpreted. It would be marvelous if he started writing poetry. Maybe your work will inspire him.
Oh, Islam needs its allies, especially, now... Your son sounds like a swell guy (might I ask how old he is)? Here's a book that I reviewed last year, for World Literature Today, that might be of interest to him: https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/blog/book-reviews/radical-love-bliss-beauty-and-islams-mystical-tradition-yahia-lababidi
Also, figures like Karen Armstrong, Hamza Yusuf and Reza Aslan, if he's not aware of them, already. There are more I could suggest if he's interested.
Wishing him a safe and rewarding Journey and grateful for your trust
_/|\_Congratulations
on your inclusion in this athology! And dittos to this:
I passionately believe in the healing power of poetry, and regard it as a finer form of diplomacy than politics.
Yes. And to me fiction conveys the truth better than news reports and documentaries can.
The more we know one another, the less we fear each other. Ignorance is not bliss; it's deadly.
Yes! I need to create my own curation project like @curie or @tipu. If I were a whale, I'd "slap" this post with approval!
me too! Thanks for resteeming it or I would have missed it.
You are a whale, in your big-heartedness, & I consider myself slapped with your approval <3
Wow. (Face tingling.) Do you ever say anything that doesn't sound poetic?
I swear, every word...
you're such a natural! Thank you
You are a sensitive soul and I am... tongue-tied. Brave New Day, my friend
_/|\_OMG that whale tail resemblance a heart (or angel wings) -
you are sheer genius!!!!
I have no idea how I missed this the first time around, especially with @carolkean resteeming it, but this is awesome!!!
And I so agree, @yahialababidi. I have an older sister who has posted some truly awful things about Muslims, which caused a rift between us when I repeatedly called her out for it, and refuted the untruths she was repeating.
I went to high school and college with many Muslims, dated one for over three years, and have nothing but good things to say about them as people.
In getting to know them, I was invited into homes and hearts, treated as a person of value, and never once felt threatened, dishonored or demeaned. They were wonderful to me.
Your words are so true. The more we know one another, the less we have to fear, and the more we realize that we have far more in common than we ever knew.
And your poem in stunning in its beauty and truth.
Bless your big heart for this, new friend
_/|\_If we stand up and speak up, in our inner circle (as you've done with your sister) we promote peace and tolerance and love.
Terrorism has no religion, and hate is the opposite of faith... Thank you, for daring to care -- your support means a lot <3
Beautiful sentiment and photograph - thank you!
I've been a peacemaker all my life, imperfect though I am, and it has always irritated me when people claim to be persons of faith, but act in opposition to their own professed beliefs.
So when I saw the hate posts, I simply posted quotes from Yeshua, where he states emphatically not to do so. And for that I was unfriended on Facebook.
;-)
I'd do it again without hesitation.
All we can do is what we can do. And in a world where our "president " is spewing hatred and lies on an hourly basis, and rank and file citizens are doing intermittent battle in the streets, it can seem insurmountable.
But if each of us makes an effort, and lets it be known that such hate-filled, maligning words will continue to be called out, we can make a real difference in creating a kinder and more peaceful world.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it. ;-)
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Thanks, for your trust & peace activism ✌🏼
Any time, my friend. Any time. ;-)
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