F215. Writing Secular Muslim Experience
Friday, March 6, 2020
1:45 pm to 3:00 pm
Muslim stories are often told from the viewpoint of terrorists or new immigrants. These narratives can reinforce the idea that Muslims are profoundly "other" to American culture. Writers will discuss work that features the characters or viewpoints of those who come from a Muslim background but who reflect the full range of our experience, making an argument for secular Muslim cultural identity and highlight counternarratives to the stereotypes often represented in media.
Participants
Moderator:
Mohamed Asem has an MFA in creative writing from Kingston University, London. He is the author of Stranger in the Pen, a creative memoir based on his detainment by British immigration officers at Gatwick Airport, UK.
Aatif Rashid is the author of the novel Portrait of Sebastian Khan. He's published stories in The Massachusetts Review and Arcturus, among other places, and nonfiction in The Los Angeles Review of Books. He currently writes regularly for The Kenyon Review blog.
Samina Najmi
