Established in 2006, MWA is an internationally-based collaboration of Muslim women writers and advocates working together to counter negative and inaccurate perceptions regarding members of the Muslim community and the Islamic faith.

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Showing posts with label Farah Kinani. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Farah Kinani. Show all posts

Monday, June 24, 2013

MWA's Zainab John Reviews Children's Book: Ramadan by Farah Kinani

Leila, the daughter of one of Kinani's friends, was the inspiration for this book. Leila told Kinani what happened one day at School when she told her friends she would not be joining them for lunch. Her friends who at the time did not know nor understand anything about Ramadan,the Muslim holy month of fasting, encouraged Leila to hide and eat or have something to drink, and some even thought Leila was being punished or on a time out. Kinani, shocked by the children's response, decided to visit Leila's school to give  a short talk about the holy month of Ramadan. Hence, this book is the author's attempt to educate and answer questions about Ramadan and to give mainly the non-Muslim reader, primarily children and teens, some idea of what Muslims do during Ramadan.

It is a well-informed piece of writing with several colourful illustrations, a glossary and Islamic calendar at the end of the book. The language and writing style is simple and very descriptive, making it easy for children to read and understand. Therefore, I  think it's a wonderful and smart choice of book for both Muslim and non-Muslim children alike to learn about Ramadan, its significance and the different rituals practised by Muslims during this month. I think it would also be very useful to teachers who wish to educate their class of majority non-Muslim children about Ramadan.


Zainab John on Facebook
Farah Kinani on Facebook
Originally Published at Muslimah Voices
Purchase "Ramadan" Online

ABOUT MWA MEMBER ZAINAB JOHN
Michelle Alicia John, also known by her Islamic name, Zainab John, is Guyanese by birth and born to parents who converted from Christianity to Islam. She migrated from Guyana, South America to London, England where she currently resides. She graduated from the University of Guyana with a Diploma in Social Work and Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) and is currently a Trainee Chartered Legal Executive Lawyer with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). Michelle is also a wife, stay at home mum, blogger, parent mentor, child protection advocate volunteer and an aspiring author.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER FARAH KINANI 

 














 

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

MWA'S Janette Grant offers insight on children's book 'Ramadan' by Farah Kinani


By Janette Grant 

MWA member, Farah Kinani.
When a friend of Farah Kinani’s daughter, Leila, told her classmates that she would not be joining them during lunch one day, no one understood that Leila would not be eating with them because it was the beginning of Ramadan; the Muslim Holy month of fasting between sunrise and sunset, also known as one of the pillars of Islam. Leila's classmates, instead, implored her to hide and eat, or to at least drink. Some even thought she was being punished or given a time out.

Leila's mother, concerned about the confusing and stressful situation her daughter had fallen into – due to the lack of understanding among her peers – decided to prepare and deliver a small talk at the school on the subject of Ramadan.

During her presentation to the 4th graders at the middle school her daughter attended, Ms. Kinani answered basic questions about Islam, shared anecdotes about Ramadan's first-time fasters, and made a brief comparison between fasting traditions within various other religions.

The feedback Ms. Kinani received was both encouraging and inspiring. (Read More)