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Writing a MUSLIM Character 101 for NON-MUSLIMS: A Thread You're in for a ride bbs
Let's talk about Muslims, shall we? You may know one. You may have heard of one or you may have read about one. We come in all different shapes & sizes &, most importantly, experiences. This thread is for the non-Muslims who want to diversify their characters [1/x]
but are afraid to suddenly plunge into Stereotype Territory.
While I wonât be able to tackle everything here, Iâll be giving the cliff notes.
1st if the goal of your Muslim character is to portray them as having internalized anger & hatred towards their religion... [2/x]
While I wonât be able to tackle everything here, Iâll be giving the cliff notes.
1st if the goal of your Muslim character is to portray them as having internalized anger & hatred towards their religion... [2/x]
Iâd like to escort you to the door and bid you A Day. Do not write that. I will repeat this again. Do. Not. Write. That. [3/x]
"She was just lightly bullied into wearing the hijab that constricts her from freedom her non-Muslim friends are able to enjoy. Her dad doesnât hate her for being a girl but he also favors her brother more. And so she wants to be Free.â [4/x]
Listen, buddy. This isnât your experience so do not write that because those are dangerous waters. Separating religion from culture is a problem even Muslims have sometimes trouble navigating. [5/x]
This needs a whole load of research & understanding Islam as a religion to be able to write. Culture DOES NOT EQUAL religion. This is so very important as most stereotypes make culture seem like itâs religion. A dad favoring the son more than the daughter? Sick Culture. [6/x]
Parents forcing their daughter to wear the hijab? A twisted Culture.
Islam treasures women, gives her all the rights she is owed [7/x]
Islam treasures women, gives her all the rights she is owed [7/x]
Women in Islam are never oppressed. Itâs some societies that oppress them. The first university ever to be built and managed was by a Muslim woman Fatima bint Muhammad Al-Fihriya Al-Qurashiya in 859 Morocco. Memorize this queenâs name. Know who she is. [8/x]
Women were astronomers, philosophers, scientists, thinkers, healers, soldiers, generals. Do not give me the BS excuse of Islam oppresses women before I chuck you out the window [9/x]
But itâs also vital to know that the Stereotypical Oppression, though happening, is not whatâs Right. Those who practice that oppression are frowned upon in a lot of circles in society [10/x]
Iâve lived 15 years of my life in an Arab country and the way we lived our lives to the fullest would make racistsâ pull their hair with frustration 
[11/x]
[11/x]
BACKGROUND: Ask yourself where does your Muslim character come from. Not all Muslims are Arabs. In fact, itâs known that Arabs are the minority of Muslims & even within the Arab countries, though we share a lot of similar cultures, there are differences. Dialects being one [12/x]
The differences increase when youâre talking about 2nd generation immigrants in the West or reverts. Of course not to mention African or Asian Muslims. Yeah, thatâs right, there are so many of us out there. 2 billion of us. [13/x]
Knowing your characterâs ethnicity and background can help make your research more specific. Every single Muslimâs experience is different & unique but Islam unites us.
We are not a monolith [14/x]
We are not a monolith [14/x]
NAMES: THIS IS FOR ARABIC NAMES! CUZ NOT ALL MUSLIMS HAVE ARABIC NAMES [again not a monolith 
] if youâre unsure about which name to choose, always go with the most common ones. [15/x]
] if youâre unsure about which name to choose, always go with the most common ones. [15/x]
If I read one more Muslim character with a name thatâs being passed off as Arabic even though it is Not remotely Arabic, I will yodel. When in doubt, ask a Muslim friend. If youâre going for an Arabic name, ask an Arab. [16/x]
ROMANCE: Yes, the juicy part of this thread. De la Romance. If youâre a non-Muslim, Do Not Write Muslim Girl falls for a White Boy/ A Non-Muslim. Itâs not your experience because with it comes a lot of delicate subjects that need to be tread carefully. [17/x]
While Iâm not saying it doesnât happen because love works in mysterious ways, thatâs not the majority of us Muslims who fall in love. None of us are looking for a Brad, trust me. And there are SO MANY of us who fall in love with other Muslims. [18/x]
I know itâs shocking but itâs reality. I have lived in both the West and Arab countries, and everyone I met is looking for someone who shares their religion. As I said, Islam unites us regardless of our ethnicities. [19/x]
It all comes back to whether itâs your experience or not, and in this subject, I doubt Muslim Girl falls for White Boy/A Non-Muslim is your experience as a Non-Muslim Person. Leave this to someone who actually lived through it. [20/x]
Write a romance between interracial couples who happen to be both Muslim. Itâs rarely seen in books which is very sad. Write a halal romance as well. Itâs nothing to be afraid of. Halal romance doesnât bite, if anything, it can make your story even more angsty. [21/x]
What is halal romance you ask? Two people date without any of the physical interactions, both waiting until marriage. [22/x]
âBut⊠but how? How can two people be dating and not at least kiss or something? This iS OPPRESââ
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh *gif of me shushing you* Sweetie, the Western idea of romance isnât the only one in the world. Youâre embarrassing yourself [23/x]
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh *gif of me shushing you* Sweetie, the Western idea of romance isnât the only one in the world. Youâre embarrassing yourself [23/x]
There are countless & countless of cultures all around the world who have their own version of courting. Halal romance is ours. This is something practiced by a whole majority of Muslims who would LOVE to see themselves represented in books. [24/x]
An excellent book to give you an insight on how to do it? LOVE FROM A TO Z by @skali and AYESHA AT LAST by @UzmaWrites [25/X]
MUSLIM BOYS: there arenât a lot of Muslim boys in books. Soft Muslim boys. Happy Muslim boys. Muslim boys who love their families and sisters. Muslim boys who raise Muslim girlsâ voices. Muslim boys who fight against racism and who love with their whole heart and soul. [26/X]
Muslim boys who are proud of who they are. Muslim boys who love Islam. [27/X]
RELIGION: Islam isnât an aesthetic. Itâs a religion. Itâs a part of our lives. Know about our practices. Many Muslims pray five times a day. Many fast. Many do pilgrimage. And there are others who donât, but they are Still Muslim. [28/X]
Donât just slap a Muslim label on a character but thereâs nothing about their actions that shows theyâre Muslim. Muslims practice their religion in different ways [again not a monolith 
] so let us see ourselves Being Muslim in books [29/x]
] so let us see ourselves Being Muslim in books [29/x]
TRADITION: not all traditions are bad. During Eid, we have beautiful traditions of giving money to children. During Ramadan as well with all the family sitting together to break their fast. [30/x]
Speaking as a Muslim Arab, Arabic music and the language are a huge part of my life as it is so with many of my Muslim Arab brothers and sisters. Arab weddings are The Weddings of the century. Our jokes are hilarious and our food is one of the best cuisines in the world. [31/x]
And Iâm sure the same goes for all Muslims who come from different cultures
Hijab: I donât think I need iterate here âDo Not Write A Muslim Girl Who Hates Her Hijabâ Those who wear it want to, and while extremism exists, itâs not aLL OF US!!!! [32/x]
Hijab: I donât think I need iterate here âDo Not Write A Muslim Girl Who Hates Her Hijabâ Those who wear it want to, and while extremism exists, itâs not aLL OF US!!!! [32/x]
Write a girl who loves wearing her hijab and has an assortment of different colored hijabs. Itâs really not hard. [33/x]
Boys: While I really love seeing books written by Non-Muslims who show me how boys get away with anything and everything because they are boys <3 and if a girl dared to breathe she gets all her being out till 5 pm curfew privileges revoked, I think thatâs Enough Of That. [34/x]
Again because itâs not your experience. Also with the way itâs portrayed makes it seem like the Norm. Honey, itâs not. Visit any Arab country and go to the malls at 9pm and see how itâs swarming with groups of girls laughing and shopping. [35/x]
Some societies may regard boys as these angels who do no harm but things are changing and have been changing for a long time. After the wave of the Arab Spring, societies are changing. [36/x]
The revolutions arenât constricted towards governments but are tearing down misogynistic cultures as well. Itâs slow and needs time but itâs happening [37/x]
Also to show that only Muslim countries/ppl have this difference in treatment between boys & girls is Wrong. This isn't a problem specific to Muslim people & making it so is very racist. We should all as Humans work to abolish this notion bc it's harmful to our societies [38/x]
Fantasy: if the devil on your shoulder whispers that u should write the boys as harem-loving sadistic assholes then donât write that character. None of us want to see the belly dancing girl from the desert who charms the heart of the harem playboy king who kills the women..[39/x]
...after heâs bored with them. The amount of books Iâve seen that show a boy like this honestly disgusts me. Iâm sick and tired of being either fetishized or shown as an oppressed bb or a terrorist *gif of Rebel Wilson screaming enough* [40/x]
Sensitivity Reader: Hire one. We want to see ourselves represented in books and youâre not inventing the wheel here. Writing a Muslim thatâs like any other person? Itâs not that hard. Do the research, ask, make mistakes and learn from them, thatâs okay! [41/x]
Iâm not saying to create The Muslim Character who is Faultless and has the Best Life. Thatâs not how life is and itâs unrealistic but donât curate their problems as stereotypical ones with stereotypical solutions. [42/x]
Everyone in this world has their own struggles in life and of course we want to see our struggles represented in books. But see us more than that. We are humans with dreams and a history so rich, we changed the world once [43/x]
As for Muslim authors, go write your experiences boo But please make sure to separate culture from religion. There are enough people out there putting us in tight boxes for us to put ourselves in them as well. [44/x]
But please make sure to separate culture from religion. There are enough people out there putting us in tight boxes for us to put ourselves in them as well. [44/x]
And so you have reached the last tweet of this thread, dear reader. Thank you for sticking around.
I know you won't let me down. We are here to change minds and to build a generation of people who are wonderfully empathetic with an imagination that encompasses worlds [45/45]
I know you won't let me down. We are here to change minds and to build a generation of people who are wonderfully empathetic with an imagination that encompasses worlds [45/45]
Again please hype these two books. Gift them to friends. Let your students read them.
LOVE FROM A TO Z by @SajidahWrites and AYESHA AT LAST by @UzmaWrites
Use them as part of your research on how to write Muslim characters who love and live with their whole lives. [BONUS]
LOVE FROM A TO Z by @SajidahWrites and AYESHA AT LAST by @UzmaWrites
Use them as part of your research on how to write Muslim characters who love and live with their whole lives. [BONUS]
OH MY GOD!!!! I totally forgot @yesimhotinthis amaaazzinnggg novel comic THAT CAN BE ARRANGED: A MUSLIM LOVE STORY!!!!!
PLEASE HYPE THIS BOOK UP AS WELL! She is a witty, genius powerhouse who does so much! And the sweetest love story?!! I just
PLEASE HYPE THIS BOOK UP AS WELL! She is a witty, genius powerhouse who does so much! And the sweetest love story?!! I just
