My Name Is Bilal

Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin wrote My Name is Bilal because “she had difficulty finding good books in this area to read to her children,” the back informs. In this story young Bilal learns that he can be proud of his religion, his name, and his identity. One of the most powerful moments is when he declares, “My sister and I are Muslims…And America is our country. We were born here.” Mobin-Uddin even mentions at the beginning that part of the reason Bilal and Ayesha feel so uncomfortable is because they have moved from an area with many Muslims to few. Students may be able to relate to feeling like they are the “only ones” at their school.
Although the book has a great message about feeling okay about being different, I wonder why the author chooses to write about Bilal and not Ayesha. It is Bilal that ultimately stands up to the bullies. It is Bilal who plays basketball and feels more accepted. Why not Ayesha? A female Muslim voice would stand more powerfully through the silence, especially since Americans have heard so much about the abuse some Muslim women have encountered in the Middle East.
The name is a pivotal part of identity, especially when it deviates from the “norm” of the society to show ethnicity, religion, or language. The book may ultimately be too optimistic when Bilal and the bully Scott become friends. However, that it shows how an activity (prayer) that the majority do not partake in can be incorporated into everyday life is a hugely positive message. It implies that one not only can display one’s identity freely, but in everyday life, too. This book serves to be both a “mirror” and a “window” for listening students.