Words are powerful. The right words can provide shades of meaning, nuance, and clarity of expression. The words we use to tell our stories, describe our identities, and disrupt oppression are particularly powerful. In a world that doesn’t always appreciate the rich diversity within the Muslim American community, we need space to develop our language and skill to better describe ourselves and understand others. Literary Societies are part of our history and provide opportunities for creativite expression and collaboration.

We’ve transformed our Heart to Heart Book Club into a Literary Society! Join us for our first regular discussion! This month we will examine three topics - the question of whether Muslim women need saving and women’s voices and experiences in Palestine, from the 1880s to the present, through the lens of settler colonialism, and the Indigeneity of the peoples of North America. Access the reading list here. Our discussions will focus in particular on the following questions:

• Do Muslim women need saving? How does oppression present itself?

• How should we respond to oppression?

• What might decolonization mean in a real world context, and how might it open the possibility for justice and equality for all peoples?

• What is indigeneity and who are settlers?

• In what ways do we uphold and benefit from colonialism, and in what ways are we marginalized by it?

• How can we uplift and support Muslim women?

Learning from one another’s histories, identities, literacies & language practices

• Histories include members' family, local, national, and global histories.Avoid practices that are ahistorical or lack examples of literary practices from culturally and linguistically diverse populations.

• Identities are multilayered and related to racial, ethnic, cultural, gender, academic, individual, and community ties. Members need spaces where they can make sense of their lives, self-identify, and learn about the identities of those who are different from them.

• Multiliteracies acknowledge that literacies are layered, nuanced, and complex. Practices should be diverse, addressing the ways members read, write, speak, and know the world.

guided by a Four layered equity framework

1. Identity Development

   • The ability to read and write your own life. To understand the self and make meaning of our various identities.

   • "How will our readings help members learn something about themselves and/or others?"

2. Skill Development

   • Learning and practicing the acts of reading, writing, and speaking. Finding meaning in language.

   • "How will our readings build members' skills for leadership development?"

3. Intellectual Development

   • The practice of reading, writing, and speaking to gain academic knowledge across subject areas.

   • "How will our readings build members' knowledge and mental powers?"

4. Criticality

   • Reading, writing, and speaking for the purpose of countering injustice and misrepresentation.

   • "How will our readings engage members' thinking about power, equity and the disruption of oppression?"