Open Letter to Justin Chanda and S&S BFYR,
I have been a fan of Simon & Schuster’s teen books since I bought Tithe by Holly Black in 2004. My shelves are full with many of your authors, and when Salaam Reads was announced, I thought “Look at that! A Big 5 publisher doing right.” I’m writing to you because you are VP & Publisher. I would email, but I don’t have it and feel uncomfortable asking around for it.
Today I discovered AMERICAN TERRORIST by Todd Strasser. We all did. “We” being the YA community. These are the things you need to know.
1. I witnessed many Muslim voices feel like they could not publicly react to this title. They were afraid to speak up about this book. They were afraid they would be targeted for calling out how problematic this book could be for our community. And why should they be alone in this?
2. They, thankfully, are not alone. There is a chorus of people right now wondering how this book made it through editorial, through the people who champion Salaam Reads, through a house that is thought of as an ally of diverse voices.
3. Here are some of the reactions that the team should be aware of. These were the ones I was able to get permission to use. There are many, many more.
I mean, there’s plenty more, but you get it. At least, I hope you get it. I *know* you get us. So why this book? Are we missing something? Are we not in on the plot twist?
Here are some other things we would benefit from knowing:
1. Why? I don’t mean this in a sarcastic or flippant way at all. This letter comes from a place of dialogue. I really mean why this book? I am not Muslim, but I know when something sounds wrong and this book looks irresponsible.
2. Why whitewash the cover on top of it? Is the ending a plot twist where Khalil is a white boy named Dylan Roof?
3. Or, if the character is a white Muslim and the author is “trying” to subvert the stereotype with the reader’s own prejudice, did anyone consider how this is profiting off of the current violence towards not just dark skinned Muslims, but also Sikhs and anyone who might “look” the part?
4. If this is a giant promotional click-bait to make the American Terrorist be a white boy in a Muslim country, then the copy is deceptive. It isn’t even unreliable-narrator-deceptive, it’s just deceptive. You can’t joke with the lives of real people suffering in this country.
5. How can you uplift the voices from Salaam Reads when there are so many people hurt today?
I know how publishing works. I get it. But in a time when D*nald Tr*mp and his anti-Muslim rhetoric has secured his GOP nomination, how can you in good conscience go through with this book?
For everyone else, hey Ramadan is coming up! There’s a hashtag going on right now called #RamadanReads started by Aisha Saeed.
There’s a great group dedicated to the uplifting of Muslim voices in the publishing and media narrative. They are the Muslim Squad. Check out their links and book recommendations.
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