A distinct American Muslim voice is quietly emerging in the arts.

This article from the Christian Science Monitor brought back memories of the ISNA Convention I attended in 2003. It featured a Muslim film festival, and that's where I spent the majority of my time. There were feature length films and shorts, documentaries and dramas, and even comedies! It was so inspirational, and gave me a glimpse into a growing art movement that is taking shape among young Muslims. Woo hoo! One of the highlights of the weekend was getting to see Zarqa Nawaz talk about her filmmaking, and to finally see the two films she'd made thusfar. I look forward to seeing her next film, a documentary, called Me and the Mosque.

A growing discussion among American Muslims centers on this observation: We are missing from the diverse cultural space of American life. The focus on terrorism and the vague war against it threatens to relegate and typecast Muslims forever. What more can we do to encourage and empower American Muslims to produce and show their art, to express what they value through literature, theater, film, song, visual arts, and even humor?

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A vigorous cultural presence, one hopes, can help a people reclaim their right to show who they really are while protecting the interior narrative of their faith from being co-opted by fringe extremists, whose deeds, then, are trumped up by media "experts" who often peddle medieval fears about Islam with impunity. When people are known at a visceral level - something pushed along by the puissance of art - their place in society becomes layered and authentic. Their sense of belonging strengthens, as does their voice in public debate.

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