Celebrating Muslim Women in the Arts & Science

October is Canadian Islamic History Month. The theme for 2023 is "Celebrating Muslim Women in the Arts & Sciences," and this list has some great reads for all ages to help you do just that.

Updated October 2, 2023
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Arabicity contemporary Arab art
Issa, Rose, editor, contributor. 
Paper Book
Arabicity reflects on four decades of the aesthetic, conceptual, and socio-political concerns of contemporary Arab artists. Beautifully produced, it features over 200 artworks by 50 Arab artists including Bahia Shehab, Ayman Baalbaki, Hassan Hajjaj, and Raeda Saadeh, who explore their...
Ballet is not for Muslim girls growing up Pakistani-Canadian
Pal, Mariam S. 
Paper Book
From biryani to borscht, the food was always fabulous in Canada's only Polish-Pakistani family. Mariam S. Pal's memoir, Ballet is not for Muslim Girls, is set in this remarkable Victoria B.C. household in the 60s and 70s. Growing up, Mariam struggled to navigate three cultures: her...
Finding my voice
Hussain, Nadiya 
Paper Book
'A fascinating from-the-heart memoir' Nigel Slater'A revelatory honest read' Red magazine FUNNY, HEART-WRENCHING, GENEROUS AND TRUE, IN FINDING MY VOICE NADIYA HUSSAIN SHARES THE UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE MADE HER THE WOMAN...
Girls that never die poems
Elhillo, Safia 
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Intimate poems that explore feminine shame and violence and imagine what liberation from these threats might look like, from the award-winning author of The January Children  "Incredibly moving . . . Every single poem is stellar."--Roxane Gay,...
Home is not a country
Elhillo, Safia 
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD   "Nothing short of magic." --Elizabeth Acevedo, New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X   From the  acclaimed poet featured on Forbes Africa's "30 Under 30" list, this...
The January children
Elhillo, Safia 
Paper Book
Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets 2018 Arab American Book Award Winner, Poetry "A taut debut collection of heartfelt poems."--Publishers Weekly In her dedication Safia Elhillo writes, "The January Children are the generation born in...
Laughing all the way to the mosque
Nawaz, Zarqa 
Paper Book
Zarqa Nawaz has always straddled two cultures. She's just as likely to be agonizing over which sparkly earrings will "pimp out" her hijab as to be flirting with the Walmart meat manager in a futile attempt to secure halal chicken the day before Eid. Little Mosque on the Prairie brought Zarqa's...
Lion on the inside how one girl changed basketball
Abdul-Qaadir, Bilqis 
Paper Book
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was born to play basketball. At three, she has her own hoop. By seventeen, she's the star player on her school's varsity team. On the day of the playoffs, though, the referee says she can't play while wearing her hijab. Her teammates refuse to play, the crowd shouts its support...
Malala speaks out
Yousafzai, Malala, 1997- author. 
Paper Book
Malala Yousafzai was denied education when the Taliban took control of her town in Pakistan. She decided to speak up, despite the danger it put her in. Her story is the story of many girls. When Malala was fifteen years old, she was attacked by the Taliban for defending girls' rights to...
Maryam's magic the story of mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani
Reid, Megan 
Paper Book
From Althea Gibson author Megan Reid and rising star artist Aaliya Jaleel, illustrator of Under My Hijab, comes the first picture book about trailblazing mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the world's most prestigious honor in mathematics. Perfect for fans of...
Muslim Girls Rise : inspirational champions of our time
Mir, Saira
Digital file
One wish Fatima al-Fihri and the world's oldest university
Yuksel, M. O. 
Paper Book
A Horn Book selection for "Picture Book Biographies for Women's History Month 2022" Fatima had one wish . . . Fatima al-Fihri loved to learn. She wanted to know everything, like how birds flew, why the sky was blue, and how flowers grew. But more than anything, she...
Syria speaks art and culture from the frontline
Halasa, Malu. 
Paper Book
In Syria, culture has become a critical line of defence against tyranny. Syria Speaks is a celebration of a people determined to reclaim their dignity, freedom and self-expression. It showcases the work of over fifty artists and writers who are...
This is what America looks like my journey from refugee to Congresswoman
Omar, Ilhan, 1981- author. 
Paper Book
Named a Best Political Book of the Year by The Atlantic "This Is What America Looks Like is the origin story of a leader who, finding no set path that would take a person like her to the places she wanted to go, was forced, and free, to chart her own." -The New York Times Book Review ...
We are not here to be bystanders a memoir of love and resistance
Sarsour, Linda, 1980- author. 
Paper Book
Linda Sarsour, co-organizer of the Women's March, shares an "unforgettable memoir" (Booklist) about how growing up Palestinian Muslim American, feminist, and empowered moved her to become a globally recognized activist on behalf of marginalized communities across the country.
We're in this together a young readers edition of We are not here to be bystanders
Sarsour, Linda, 1980- author. 
Paper Book
An empowering young readers edition of We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders, the memoir by Women's March coorganizer and activist Linda Sarsour that's "equal parts inspiring, emotional, and informative" (Kirkus Reviews). You can count on me, your Palestinian Muslim...
The wonders we seek Thirty incredible Muslims who helped shape the world
Faruqi, Saadia 
Paper Book
In this biographical collection, with stunning portraits and illustrations by Saffa Khan, authors Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz highlight some of the talented Muslim physicians, musicians, athletes, poets, and more who helped make the world we know today. A brilliant...

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