Don't Panic, I'm Islamic: Words and Pictures on How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Alien Next Door

by Lynn Gaspard (Editor)

‘Bursting with creativity, wit and intelligence’ Brian Eno

How can you tell if your neighbour is speaking Muslim? Is a mosque a kind of hedgehog? Can I get fries with that burka? You can’t trust the media any longer, but there’s no need to fret: Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic provides you with the answers.

Read this book to learn how you too can spot an elusive Islamist. Discover how Arabs (even 21-year-old, largely innocuous and totally adorable ones) plant bombs and get tips about how to interact with Homeland Security, which may or may not involve funny discussions about your sexuality.

Commissioned in response to the US travel ban, Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic includes cartoons, graffiti, photography, colouring in pages, memoir, short stories and more by 34 contributors from around the world. Provocative and at times laugh-out-loud funny, these subversive pieces are an explosion of expression, creativity and colour.

Contributors: Hassan Abdulrazzak, Leila Aboulela, Amrou Al-Kadhi, Shadi Alzaqzouq, Chant Avedissian, Tammam Azzam, Bidisha, Chaza Charafeddine, Molly Crabapple, Carol Ann Duffy, Moris Farhi, Negin Farsad, Joumana Haddad, Saleem Haddad, Hassan Hajjaj, Omar Hamdi, Jennifer Jajeh, Sayed Kashua, Mazen Kerbaj, Arwa Mahdawi, Sabrina Mahfouz, Alberto Manguel, Esther Manito, Aisha Mirza, James Nunn, Chris Riddell, Hazem Saghieh, Rana Salam, Karl Sharro, Laila Shawa, Bahia Shehab, Sjón, Eli Valley, Alex Wheatle.

Genres: Nonfiction, Islam, Middle East, Short Stories, Poetry, Anthologies, Politics

181 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2017

Reviews

[Karl Baldacchino · Rating 5 out of 5]

My love for literature written by and about Middle-Eastern culture and thought has been broadened and satisfied. This book opens ones mind to see beyond the arguments made against ‘the other’ and claims the space for diversity in order to properly exist as noted in the mythic epic of Gilgamesh. It is filled with humor, color, flair and tears of the pain by Leviathan activists and drag queens and a gay black woman taking her confidence into place in the face of ‘whiteness’.

This book is all that people need to understand what is often misunderstood about our neighbors south and south east of my native country, Malta. But we and I need more and more!

[Linda Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

With an eclectic mix of entries from colouring in through photos to essays, poetry and fiction, a book endorsed by Brian Eno immediately gets my attention!

I had no real idea what I was getting when my copy of Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic arrived and to be totally honest, I’m not sure what I’ve just read. I think I’m too ignorant of the Islamic culture to understand fully all the implications of some of the entries, but I still found this an intriguing and entertaining read. Saying that, I think the book achieves what it sets out to do and raises awareness and questions in those, like me, who don’t really think deeply about Islam and what it means in today’s society. I also think that my response of ‘so what?’ to many of the pieces, because I felt they could be true of any human being, not just someone Islamic, was also the whole point. Islam has been so demonised in recent years that many see anyone from an Islamic background as a potential threat rather than another human being! Joumana Haddad’s piece on keeping her son quiet on the Paris metro really brought that home, as did Karl Sarro’s entry on getting a green card to work in America as I’ve been through that process myself and as a white British woman, found it equally as ridiculous.

I didn’t enjoy the more overtly political writings as much as the more personal ones. The essay I enjoyed the most was Amrou Al-Kadhi’s about being a drag queen. He certainly undermines the stereotyped suicide bomb wearing terrorist view of his ethnicity!

I found Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic interesting, engaging and occasionally too self-consciouly politically correct or politically angry but I feel my responses arise more out of my own ignorance than the intrinsic worth of the book. I urge others to read it and form their own views. It certainly makes you think!

[Dane Cobain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

This little collection is beautiful, and it’s a must-read for anyone right now, especially with the uncertain political climate. It’s essentially an anthology of stories that are written by or about Muslims in response to the rise of Islamic extremism and Islamophobia brought on by politicians.

It’s basically the reminder that the world needs that Muslims are people just like everyone else, and the sharp writing inside, coupled with the beautiful artwork and the thought-provoking subject matter, does a great job of illustrating both our differences and our similarities. It also pokes fun at the way that society deals with Muslims, and I thought that was fantastic. It’s self-deprecating but simultaneously right on the nail.

If you’re a free thinker who believes in equality, and if you’re sick of the way that the media portrays Muslims and minorities, you need to read this book.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vibrant, flippant and irreverent. The perfect antidote to dark times of islamophobia in the US and UK particularly

[The Contented · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally completed this. A rare essay was good. A lot of it was inaccessible.

[Aisha (thatothernigeriangirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t panic I’m Islamic is a collection of essays, arts, comics and short stories written by 34 different authors. This collection was published in response to the increased islamophobic atmosphere brought on Trump’s #Muslimban decision. Lynn Gaspard wrote in the afterword, “....it offers space to the contributors’ individual expressions, many of which are not usually heard in the mainstream.” And she was very correct.
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The collection is unlike anything I’ve read. The contributors that wrote essays and short stories were very diverse, uncommon, satirical and sometimes even abstract. The same goes for some of the arts. A few were direct in their meanings but majority had tons of hidden meaning. This is a collection I’ll definitely be rereading and it’s a 4 Star for me.
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My favorite artwork is There Are People: Cairo 2012 by Bahia Shebab and I really enjoyed Alex Wheatle’s Shade-ism, Leila Aboulela’s Majed and Moris Farhi’s Of Dolphin Children and Leviathans. You should consider picking this book up plus it’s a very light read with just 168 pages
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A favorite quote: “Actually, I love minorities.
They’re wiser because they are always discriminated as ‘others’.”
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Moris Farhi, Of Dolphin Children and Leviathans

[JitkaJen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a odd mixture of essayes, short stories and arts which aim to present a different points of view on life of Muslims as normal people who have the same flesh and blood and worries and feelings as non-Muslims. What it actually does is presenting a variety of extreme pesonalities - bunch of gays, drag queen, radical feminist and so on. Fair and square I don't get what is this collection supposed to be in the first place? The tone of the essays is at first really easy and funny - what is it like to be Muslim in a post-Trump world. And it really works, some might find it a bit exorbitant, but I liked it. But than the atmosphere changes without warning and suddenly it is really serious. Essays alternates with short stories and the topic of being a Muslim is overshadow by the inferiority complex of people of color. What the hell? The quality of texts is unbalanced and there are some really good ones and a bunch of really weak ones.
All in all it is a mediocre collection with potential to be great. Sadly it just didn't work for me.

[Rima · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘I have learned how not to live in the shadow of whiteness. I have learned that I am the sun, the object and the shadow.’ (Aisha Mirza, Yesterday I Stepped on a White Woman’s Yoga Mat)
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All the praise for Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic from @saqibooks ! Think of it as a catalogue bursting with brilliant pieces of art, subverting the stereotypes of Muslims for reactionary voices in both the East and West. Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic brings together 34 voices from all walks of religion, sexuality, colour and politics as a powerful assertion of their individuality and creativity. ✨ And holy macaroni, the images! They might have been my favourite parts!

[David Robert Bloomer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what book Brian Eno is referring to on the cover but it isn't the book I just read. What's it about and what's it for? A few of the essays were straightforward and I understood them straightaway; however a lot went completely over my head. Maybe I'm the relative of the "white" woman with the yoga mat. Explaining things in plain language would have been a lot easier. Ultimately I found it vacuous and self important. I learnt nothing that helped me understand peoples feelings about being Islamic at all. Left me cold.

[Parsa Famili · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a series of hilarious short stories about the political and cultural rhetoric surrounding Muslims in America. The first story I read was about how Trump wanted to make the visa process more difficult for immigrants who are trying to obtain their American visas in order to weed out terrorism. However, the author states that the interview process to obtain the American visa is difficult for many immigrants because the interview officers are serious and ask questions relating to immigrants' personal lives, so he thinks that the process would be even more ridiculous if Trump was to increase vetting of the immigrant-visa process. The second story I read was about a girl who grew up in an Arab household but who was immersed into queer culture in London. She was scared that she could go to hell after hearing a conversation in her Islam class and about how her mother discovered how she was interested about queer culture after investigating her belongings. The third story I read was about a girl whose boyfriend both were in France and whose boyfriend moved to Amsterdam for job opportunities. She went to Amsterdam to visit him but was caught at the airport because she was suspected to be a terrorist due to her Arab ethnicity, but she was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing.

Overall, the book is very good because it conveniently follows the election of President Trump and the policies he has to revamp the American immigration system, enhancing the appeal of the book whose audience would be people who are upset with Trump's policies and other Americans who seek to understand more about Islamic and Middle Eastern culture. I thought that it was very funny overall, and I liked how it blended in Middle Eastern and Islamic traditions in a way that is relatable to American citizens who may not understand how Middle Eastern immigrants live peacefully in the United States throughout the short stories. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who seeks to learn more about Middle Eastern immigrants' lives in America.

[Aneth Davidd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows is a collection of stories about the diversity of Muslim people across the world,their perspective on matters that have came to be associated to Islam and challenges that they face as a consequence. The stories are touching, sometimes disturbing but written with a sense of humor. It is educative and an eye opener.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The contrast between the first half of this book, which was very humorous, and the second half, which was deadly serious, was kind of jarring. I much preferred the first half. It's often more effective to use humor to make people think and reconsider than to be accusatory and on-the-nose. The fiction I found truly terrible, especially "Shade-ism" and "Majed".

[O.D.S. O.D.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible collection of prose, poetry and artworks that centre the humanity, dreams, hopes and everyday experiences of Muslim and Middle Eastern people. It’s so refreshing to see the creativity of Islamic people be celebrated in such a diverse way, with religion and politics explored in the periphery.

[Niamh Ennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of sometimes witty, sometimes heartbreaking pieces of work in various genres of writing about the multifaceted and different Muslim experiences across the world. From the downright hilarious satire of thick islamophobic Americans to heartbreaking poetic stories (fiction and personal experience).

[Rachel Yeager · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like any collection there were pieces that I enjoyed more than others. Some pieces were 3 or 4 stars, but to be honest a few were 1 stars for me. The overall collection didn't speak to me much in that it wasn't well introduced, there was little common thread (not in experience, but in theme), and I didn't enjoy not knowing what to expect in each section. :/

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't Panic, I'm Islamic is a collection of short works by authors telling of their various experiences in the post-9/11 West. Some are funny, others biting, but overall they show how foolish it is to lump all Muslims into a single group, as well as how frightening it can be to be a Muslim in this time.

[bookblast official · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books to read before turning 18 and heading out into the big wide world . . . it is the ultimate (hilarious) reality check. A provocative miscellany, Don’t Panic, I’m Islamic is subtly subversive, unpretentious, and a visual feast.

Reviewed on The BookBlast® Diary 2017

[FM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attracted by the cover but the book seems unrelated to its title. Some of the stories are humorous and the retelling of Enkidu’s tale is inspiring, but it’s dragged down by some other pieces that are a bit too much for my taste.

[Theres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like 'The Good Immigrant', this is a collection of very different essays (and stories/fables)

[Arpita · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hilarious and thoroughly potent!

[Dieuwke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turns out I had missed one story in this gem of a book. Art, cartoon, prose.
Not all to my taste, but still amazing

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is the perfect response to the current political climate, in the wake of Islamophobia fuelled by Brexit and Trump’s election. A collection of short stories, essays, poems, photography and art it is both bursting with creativity and dripping with sarcasm. A much needed and light-hearted companion during times of political unrest.

Unlike other anthologies, I didn’t favour any particular pieces. For me, it was a bit too political. The book is marketed as political humour so my dislike towards that aspect is largely due to being unfamiliar with the genre. I did really like the arrangement of pieces as well as the inclusion of a colouring page! There’s really no better form of political stress relief than the combination of reading and colouring. I also enjoyed the spoken word poem – Postcard From A Muslim Mermaid – by Sabrina Mahfouz.

Overall, this is a fantastic collection of responses, celebrating diversity with 34 contributors from around the world.

[Leda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some enlightening, others less, still a book we all need to read instead of basing our opinions on Facebook posts and rumors from the local bus stop.

[Wendelle]

Great writing from Muslim humorists in mockery of stereotypes imposed on them.