I came up with the definition for Islamime in 2021 after reflecting on how I failed when pitching my Anime series MultiFacet.

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“The trailer looks amazing, I’d love to learn more.”

 

It was 2018, and I had walked backstage at Anime Expo in Los Angeles to introduce myself to a senior anime executive at Netflix.

 

Years of toiling and I had gotten an impromptu pitch with the biggest streamer in the world.

 

This was my shot I thought...

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…and I blew it!

 

Because I was scared to tell the truth. That my anime MultiFacet was inspired by my conflicted Muslim identity and at its core was about a sci-fantasy anime world where Islam is a contested definition.

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The truth is, I wanted to use my anime to fight the Islamophobia that I encountered on my first day of university in Toronto: September 11th, 2001. But looking back, I now see that I would self-sabotage my own pitches with places like Netflix, WarnerMedia and others because of the Islamophobia within me.

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This Islamophobia that came from decades of consuming whitewashed pop culture references where Muslims and people of colour were the villain. So instead of pitching a scarf- wearing ass-kicking complex Muslim female who tries to unite a world at war, I hid her.

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I am done hiding. 

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I hope you are too.

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On Sep 30th 2022 I am going to facilitate an opportunity for

Muslim creatives and Non-Muslim allies to help crowd-build

the world's first Islamime. It will take place on LaunchGood

the world's Muslim creative crowdfunding platform. 

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Follow the Islamime newsletter on LinkedIn, or social media,

or email me to get notified first. See you there Inshallah!

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Muslim nerds aren't niche. We are next.

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-Nadir Shirazi July 13,2022

Creator of The MultiFacet (Islam + Anime) Project
 

Art, Creative, and Animation by Rune Entertainment Inc.