With a hostile environment intent on erasing their very existence, how can American Muslims preserve their identities without sacrificing their souls?
Abbas Mohamed, director of Gathering All Muslim Artists, believes it is via empowering creativity within Muslim communities.
The organization is formed as a community support group for artistically inclined Muslims yearning to express what their faith means to them. GAMA sets itself apart from similar groups by tapping into Islam’s own historical relationship with spirituality and art as their modus operandi, thereby providing a possible solution for redefining the American Muslim narrative. In spite of Muslims’ own lack of awareness, Abbas believes embracing this part of their heritage is vital in eventually shifting the discourse.
“Most Muslim artists either pursue art as a hobby or completely abolish the idea,” Abbas said. “What we don’t realize is that art and Islam have lived together since the beginning of time. No matter where Islam has spread, there has been an artistic response which captured and preserved the culture’s relationship with the deen.”
Abbas seeks to reintroduce this part of Muslim history by helping GAMA members overcome the barriers in their careers through workshops, exhibitions and their ilk. By providing the tools to develop their confidence, Abbas hopes it will enable them to reclaim the narrative on their terms.
However, GAMA didn’t exactly start out with this intention; Abbas wasn’t aware of the demand. At first, he was only concerned with nurturing his wife Zara’s passion for art. It was after brainstorming opportunities for her to do so that he stumbled on the problem.
“One of the reasons I initiated GAMA was because I realized there was no space for Muslim artists [such as Zara] to revive, express and share their work in the community,” Abbas said.
Recognizing a niche, Abbas organized a committee made up of friends and family for a small art show at his local mosque, asking to also reach out to their networks for artwork submissions.
Word began to spread, and the community responded in earnest.
“The idea caught on very quickly,” Abbas said. “We had 40 registered artists by the time we had the event, with a full 20 art pieces for our launch.”
This unexpected reception proved to GAMA that a full-blown collective to cater to Muslim voices was not only needed, but necessary.
Manizeh Raza, an artist who sold a piece at GAMA’s launch event, said GAMA has made art more accessible, leading to a growing love for it within the community.
“With every pop-up gallery or event, there are many who come to look at the pieces and appreciate art more than before,” Manizeh said. “Not only is there more appreciation for art, there is more production of it, too.”
GAMA’s accessibility, she said, has also paved avenues for both artists and admirers to be connected via a mutual love for art.
“[The launch] showed me that they needed it,” Abbas said. “This was serving a purpose that no other thing was providing — and that if we built it, it would grow.”
GAMA followed up on their initial success by hosting a couple more gallery launches and a series of events at Islamic centers throughout the Bay Area. With their growing reputation, more and more people passionate about GAMA’s vision have reached out to help develop the platform. The diversity of talents and skillsets among them has led to the formation of New York, Los Angeles and New Jersey chapters, along with a LaunchGood campaign that met its goal in three weeks, all within the span of a year.
The raised funds will be channelled into providing mentorship programs and business training for artists in order to help them gain exposure, build their respective brands and grow their customer base.
Naveed Akhter, who was GAMA’s outreach director for a while, recognizes the collective’s potential in repairing the damaged American Muslim identity.
“By providing a space for art appreciation, GAMA has become a force for community-building in a time when Muslim communities feel divided and scared,” Naveed said. “I believe that GAMA will continue to be a force for positive change to help make the American Muslim community stronger and more inclusive.”
With the fate of American Muslims hanging in the balance, Abbas believes it is time for them to take the narrative into their own hands.
“If we don’t encourage or allows Muslims to express their feelings as individuals living in America right now through their art, we leave the American Muslim narrative lacking a more humane soul,” he said.
Ayman is taking a break from 2D animation to find a more fulfilling way to balance art and spirituality. Books that broaden his horizons and lamb shawarmas fill him with joy.