Delhi, India, March 18 (IPS) – In public discourse today, Muslims often appear as subjects of debate rather than as authors of their own history. Discussions about Muslim societies tend to revolve around geopolitics, security or conflict, leaving little room for the cultural, artistic and intellectual traditions that have shaped Muslim communities for centuries.
So reclaiming these narratives is about reclaiming narrative authority. As a Muslim woman, I have often seen how Muslim voices are sidelined even when conversations focus on our own communities and past. It is in this context that I, along with my friend and colleague Ashwini KP, who is currently the UN Special Envoy on Racism, initiated Muslim History Month in 2020 and decided to celebrate it during the month of Ramadan. Hosted on www.zariya.online, the initiative emerged from a simple conviction: communities must have a space to document and tell their own histories.
Muslim History Month also draws inspiration from earlier community-led initiatives such as Black History Month and Dalit History Month. These movements have long shown how marginalized communities can reclaim pasts and their present that have been ignored or distorted.
They remind us that history is not only about remembering the past, but also about challenging exclusion and reshaping how society understands itself. Muslim History Month builds on this legacy by creating a platform where Muslims, and other allies, reflect on the diversity, complexity and richness of their historical and cultural experiences.
What started as a modest collaborative project has evolved into a global platform bringing together writers, scholars, artists and activists to explore the overlooked dimensions of Muslim history. Contributors write from Egypt, the United States, Palestine, Nepal and Russia, among others, representing a range of communities including Pasmanda, Tskhur, Roma and Uyghur Muslims. This year alone there have been contributors from more than 6 countries, from Lebanon and Palestine to India, Egypt and Indonesia.
The urgency of documenting these histories is reflected in the commitment of the contributors themselves. Rima Barakat, an academic in Islamic art history from the Lebanese American University (LAU), wrote her contribution from Beirut this year. Explaining why he decided to participate in our effort despite living in the midst of an ongoing conflict, he said:
“War always provokes me to act culturally and contribute amidst political turmoil. Historically, during World War I and World War II, artists and writers produced in abundance and contributed to sustaining the cultural economy. I do the same today and how survival is measured by cultural and artistic stamina.”
His words reflect something fundamental about the role of culture in difficult times. Artistic expression is often considered secondary to immediate political realities. Yet history shows again and again that culture can become one of the most powerful ways communities endure, remember, and rebuild.
The first edition of Muslim History Month brought together writers from different parts of the world to document the overlooked aspects of Muslim communities. Contributors wrote about topics ranging from Shidi Muslims in Pakistan to what Ramadan/Ramadan means. The second edition focused on Muslim women around the world who are no longer with us, many of whose contributions have faded from historical memory, from architect Zaha Hadid to Indian spy Noor Inayat Khan. Revisiting her life and work, the edition sought to address the erasures that often shape the way Muslim women’s lives and experiences are recorded.
The third edition, launched this year, turns its focus to Muslim art and architecture. Rather than limiting the discussion to just monumental structures or gallery-based art, this edition explores a broad spectrum of creative practices. The art and architecture here includes performance traditions, calligraphy and mosque architecture, craft practices such as lacquer art, cultural rituals such as the wearing of amulets, and everyday acts of creativity through which communities express belief, identity and belonging.
For example, a contribution by Kawthar Alkholi Ramadan in Canada reflects on the aftermath of the Afzal family murders in London, Ontario. In 2021, the Afzal family was deliberately targeted and killed in an act of anti-Muslim violence that deeply affected the local community. Rather than focus solely on the violence of the attack, Ramadan’s article examines how Muslim women responded through creative and cultural expression.
Such stories challenge traditional notions about what counts as art. They show how creativity often emerges most powerfully in moments of crisis, when communities search for ways to cope with trauma and affirm their presence.
For example, another contribution from Indonesia, by Adjka Hanina Albari, explores the performative art known as shalawat musawa. Shalawat refers to the devotional invocation offered by Muslims in honor of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The article examines how shalawat musawa It has become a space where discussions can be held around gender equality. By encouraging women’s participation in a devotional practice historically dominated by men, artists are using art to engage in emerging debates about gender and social justice.
Throughout the edition, similar stories emerge from different parts of the world. Some pieces deal with contemporary artists, including an interview with world-renowned Tunisian calligrapher Karim Jabbari, articles by Palestinian jewelery designer Mai Zarqawi and Egyptian academic Balsam Abdul Rahman Saleh. Others explore artistic traditions shaped by migration, diaspora, and local cultural history.
Muslim History Month III highlights how artistic expression remains embedded in everyday life. From neighborhood cultural initiatives, architectural marvels, discussions on the Bihari script Quran to devotional performances at a Dallas museum, these practices reveal how creativity continues to shape the social and spiritual landscape of Muslim communities.
They also reflect the diversity within Muslim cultural production. Muslim societies are far from unity, nor are their artistic traditions uniform.
At a time when public discussion often limits Muslims to political headlines or security-related narratives, these stories offer an important counterpoint. They remind us that Muslim history is also a history of creativity, scholarship, craftsmanship and cultural exchange.
Documenting these histories is an act of preservation in itself. History, and for that matter the present, remains unwritten, easily forgotten or misrepresented. When communities claim the right to tell their past and present, they challenge the structures that have historically excluded them from broader cultural narratives. Muslim History Month, therefore, is not just about looking back. It is also about shaping how Muslim history will be understood in the future.
As Rima Barakat’s reflection from Beirut reminds us, even in times marked by war and uncertainty, cultural production continues. For many communities, survival is measured through artistic endurance.
Beyond the stereotypes and headlines that dominate public discussion lies a much richer narrative, shaped by art, architecture, memory, and the collective imagination of communities committed to telling their stories.
Maria Salim Co-founder of Zaria. She is a human rights activist and an international SGBV expert based in Delhi India.
https://zariya.online/category/muslim-history-month-iii/
IPS UN Bureau
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