But with a passion to give back and the will to make a difference, Sarah Hafeez developed that same notebook into a colorful children’s magazine for Muslims called Mini Muslimeen.
Hafeez, a graphics design major from Seneca College, said she desired to do something to relieve the stigma about being Muslim and liking Islam by beginning at the source — the children.
“I saw some things that would scare me about the future,” Hafeez said. “I want to make them (Muslim children) feel ‘I’m proud to be Muslim.’ I want them to be proactive and give back.”
A mother of two girls, Hafeez created a Muslim children’s magazine to benefit not just her children, but other’s children as well.
“It’s (the magazine) not just for me or for my kids, it’s for our kids,” she said. “It may do a little bit now, but it may end up having a huge impact on their lives later on.”
One of her main priorities for Mini Muslimeen is creating content that doesn’t “scare” children but still emphasizes Islamic character, Hafeez said.
“Those words — I don’t want them in my magazine,” Hafeez said. “You don’t want your kids to fear Allah — don’t want them to fear Islam. Too much fear and you don’t do anything, and too much love you won’t do anything.”
The magazine hosts a wide variety of topics from making your own snacks and crafts at home to science articles and crossword puzzles that relate back to Islam. There is something that every child can enjoy and learn from, she said.
“They’re learning without even knowing that they’re learning,” Hafeez said.
Hafeez’s four-year-old daughter said she loved everything about the magazine, especially the pictures.
“I like the pictures — lots of fun. It’s so fun to color,” Noura Patel said while coloring the mosque inside the magazine.
One feature that Hafeez hopes to implement in the magazine in the future is AMAZING KIDS, which highlights a child who helped out their community to encourage other kids to also give back.
Another thing that is great about the magazine, Hafeez said, is that it is something that comes in the mail every month specifically for the kids.
“Getting something in the mail makes a child feel important,” she said. “When they go online it’s not personal.”
Hafeez owes the successful outcome of the magazine to her supporters, especially her husband.
“If fathers could be more like him, it would be awesome,” she said. “At the end of the day, when I’m mentally exhausted, he’ll take over and read to them.”
Suleman Patel, Hafeez’s husband, said that he gave her all the support she wanted because he believes in her vision.
“This is something that is definitely lacking in our community,” Patel said. “And the time was right.”
Hafeez does everything, from writing the articles to designing the pages and most of the pictures.
“Every night after they (her two daughters) went to bed at 7:30 p.m., I’d sit with my big pot of coffee at the computer and work on the magazine,” she said.
For the first issue, Hafeez said she received help from various supporters who helped by giving feedback and illustrating for the monthly magazine. She said she hopes to continue getting feedback to develop the magazine into a much stronger tool for Muslim children.
The magazine is not simply a product, but instead it’s a partnership with the subscribers. Hafeez and Patel said they regularly want to know what the readers, and their parents, think about Mini Muslimeen.
The full-color magazine is planned to be released in August/Ramadan. To order or if you have further questions go to www.minimuslimeen.com or call 714-955-4810. The two price ranges include a one year subscription for $45, which includes 12 issues, or a two year subscription for $80, which includes 24 issues.
When there is enough surplus from subscriptions, Hafeez and Patel said they hope to donate the money back to children’s programs.
For now, the money pays for printing costs.
