Inspired in Oberlin, author releases 'Treasury of Eid Tales'

OBERLIN — Browsing the shelves at the Oberlin Public Library in the early 2000s, Fawzia Gilani-Williams found scores of books about Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. But there were none about Eid al-Adha. That struck her as odd — the Muslim holiday is one of the world's largest celebrations, yet its existence remains almost completely unknown in mainstream America. "It was as though no one here had ever heard of it," said Gilani-Williams, remembering the stumped look she received from a librarian who had never heard the word Eid. "There were plenty of fictional stories about other holidays, so many of them. … It was a gap that needed to be filled." Eid al-Adha, "the holiday of sacrifice," was celebrated earlier this month by Muslims worldwide. It honors Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to Allah. Over the course of three days, roughly 1 million Muslims travel to the holy city of Mecca, where pilgrims throw pebbles to reenact the story of how Abraham warded off Satan's temptation to turn his back on God. To mark the occasion, Gilani-Williams has finished a book many years in the making, titled "Treasury of Eid Tales." The book was conceived in 2002, when she worked at the Oberlin Public Library and noticed the lack of Eid stories there. She said Director Darren McDonough helped change the situation, making sure stories about Muslim holidays were more visible. He also asked Gilani-Williams to join the library's Diversity Committee. Crafting the book with illustrator Sarah Nesti Willard "has been a project of quite a few years," she said. "Treasury of Eid Tales" is available now on Amazon in e-book form, with a hardcover release slated for March 2023 via publisher Paw Prints. It is aimed at children in second and third grades. Gilani-Williams has authored some 40 books with the goal of making Muslim characters more prominent. They include Islamized versions of fairy tale classics like "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty" as well as educational books such as "Please Be Safe at School" about COVID-19 safety and "Ali Al Korrior the Eco Warrior." She has also penned a number of books about Muslim celebrations including Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Born in England, Gilani-Williams said she didn't realize for many years that her parents came from a Muslim culture. When she was about 10, her father became a practicing Muslim and she was introduced to many of the religion's foundational stories. She grew up to become an elementary school teacher, and after graduation moved to the United States, where she noticed a lack of literature that reflected her culture. Few children's books featured characters from any minority group, she discovered. After moving to Oberlin, Gilani-Williams said she wanted Eid to be special for her daughter and resolved to write stories about the holiday. She adapted traditional Christmas tales and drew on memories from her youth — going to Christmas parties at the hospital where her parents worked, for example — to instead highlight Eid. The goal all along was to show how holidays should be about caring and compassion for others, she said. McDonough showed that kind of kindness to her, she said. After 9/11, it was difficult to find a job but he made sure she had a place. Even in Oberlin, though, Gilani Williams said she encountered hate. She remembered one man who hurled hate speech at her at Walmart on U.S. Route 20, demanding she remove her hijab, the traditional head covering worn by Muslim women. The incident only reinforced her desire to write about the power of love, she said. Gilani-Williams worked at the Oberlin Public Library until 2008. Today she holds a doctorate in children's literature and lives in the United Arab Emirates, where she is a cluster librarian. She continues to spend time in both the United States and England. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.