Spotlight: Uplifting Muslim Voices with Aftab, an NYU Islamic Center-Based Creative Writing Magazine
By Marwa Ibrahim
We’re excited to launch the Institute for Muslim Mental Health’s (IMMH) new art-based blog with Aftab’s Fall 2024 magazine. At IMMH, we’re committed to uplifting Muslim voices – and we’re exploring new ways to do just that. Through this art blog, we hope to encourage people to embrace art along with science and community involvement as valuable tools for healing. This project reflects on how wellness and healing can be holistic, personal, and creative in beautiful ways.
We encourage artists, mental health professionals, and community members to reflect on how mental health visually looks to you and how these ideas can be actualized to create a space for healing.
Aftab: NYU’S ISLAMIC CENTER BASED CREATIVE WRITING MAGAZINE
For over a decade, Aftab has built itself into a voice for Muslims and minorities as a platform for self-discovery and stories of identity.
Born in the Islamic Center at NYU, Aftab is also a publication that serves as an outlet for cultural, spiritual, and self-expressive pieces made by students and community members. Similar to its namesake, which signifies sunlight in Farsi, Aftab sheds light on the work of artists, poets, photographers, and writers who may find themselves without a garden to flourish in.
No matter who you are, we invite you to take part in our narrative. We showcase poetry, prose, short stories, creative writing, essays, artwork, illustrations, photography, and more.
Stay Connected!
Support Aftab on Instagram and at Aftabicnyu.com.
Be Featured on IMMH!
We invite you to share your work with the IMMH community. Email your submissions to blog.editor@muslimmentalhealth.com . This includes written or art-based submissions (e.g.,
digital art, painting, photography, poetry, etc.), offering an opportunity to share insights on Muslim mental health for publication on the IMMH website and be featured on Instagram, Facebook, and the newsletter.