Today we’d like to introduce you to Saadia Faruqi.
Hi Saadia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
After 9/11, I experienced firsthand a lot of hatred and suspicion towards the Muslim American community. It hurt my heart to see my friends and family, even myself, treated in such a way by our own countrymen. I realized that if only people knew me, learned more about my faith and culture, they’d see there was nothing to fear from the average Muslim in their neighborhood or community. I became an interfaith activist to bring people together through dinner dialogues, book clubs, presentations and more.
For several years I worked voluntarily on a number of projects, big and small, including training the entire Houston Police department on cultural and religious sensitivity. I also began writing articles in local and national newspapers about things that kept me awake, such as the challenges of raising American kids in a post 9/11 world, trying to protect them from suspicion and misrepresentation. As my kids grew older and I witnessed bullying in schools, I decided to focus my attention on this age group. I wrote a children’s book called Yasmin the Explorer, about a little Pakistani American girl like my daughter. Instantly, this story captured the hearts of readers and turned into a popular early reader series about Yasmin’s adventures in second grade. I continue to write books for children, all of which focus on the immigrant, Muslim experience in a world forever changed by 9/11. As a well-known voice in the world of children’s literature, I find myself able to change perceptions, bring people together, and help create love and understanding.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge to interfaith work is people who resist change and have a vested interest in demonizing those who they think is “the other.” Over the years, I’ve had attendees to my presentations and training curse and threaten me. When children read my books, their parents or teachers may not like the message of inclusion I stress. Such challenges only serve to motivate me, to remind me why my work is important and why I must continue to speak and write my truth.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I write children’s books about immigrant, Muslim families, their challenges and accomplishments, their fears and dreams. I’m best known for the early reader series YASMIN, which continues to be a well-loved series for young children around the world. Some of my books have won awards, such as the middle-grade novel A Thousand Questions, which was an honor book at the South Asia Book Awards in 2021.
Contact Info:
- Email: saadia@saadiafaruqi.com
- Website: www.saadiafaruqi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saadiafaruqi/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaadiaFaruqi
