NbA Muslim Women Writer Releases Online Short Story Series

By Layla Abdullah-Poulos

Native-born American author Umm Zakiyyah is providing readers with access to one of her stories. This NbA Muslim woman writer uses her skills to craft stories that provide nuances to American Muslim cultural experiences.  There is a prevailing assumption that Islam and Muslims in the United States are exclusively foreign in origin. However, there is a large population of native-born American Muslims, who are producing cultural artifacts that demonstrate how they merge their Islamic faith with their American backgrounds.

The writings of Umm Zakiyyah also represent a growing genre of literary works written by African American Muslim women.  Often a silenced subgroup in the American Muslim subculture, the novels published by these women utilize fiction to assert a distinct Muslim American perspective and social commentary on how religious, racial, and gender intersections affect one’s cultural identity and worldview.

Umm Zakiyyah is building a body of literary works that address various experiences of NbA Muslim converts as well as those born and raised in Islam.  Her online short story series gives readers a chance to become acquainted with her writing and complex characters her novels contain. Her first serial of short stories, “His Other Wife“, follows two American convert friends as they navigate through courtship, marriage, and divorce.  “Hearts We Lost” is the newest short story series that offers readers a peek at Umm Zakiyyah’s novel of the same name.  The novel’s male main character Sharif engages in Muslim cultures at home in the United States and abroad and struggles to find his niche to practice his faith. The short story’s first installment was released on July 23rd, and the second installment was released on July 30th.

Umm Zakiyyah’s books are available on amazon.com. The author also offers discounted ebooks on her website www.ummzakiyyah.com