MIPSTERZ, a non-traditional arts and culture collective for emerging Muslim creatives, is bringing back GOOD FUN MUSLIM FRIENDS CLUB (GFMFC) for its first 2024 show. The virtual Muslim variety show will bring together speakers, artists and performers from all over for an evening of entertainment.
According to the MIPSTERZ website, GFMFC is a social performance in the form of a variety show. It champions the unapologetic self, complete with its vast multitudes, beautiful differences and cultural complexities. GFMFC explores these concepts by caricaturing the way non-Muslims other their fellow Muslim citizens and the ways that American Muslims are forced to participate in their own othering. The performance also lampoons efforts by Muslims who fall into the sociopolitical trap of “Good Muslims” who rely on assimilation to feel more American, giving up part of themselves in the process.
“We feel strongly that it’s more important than ever to check in with our community and to find ways to collectively uplift the spirit and work of folks fighting the good fight,” MIPSTERZ wrote in a post on Instagram introducing the event.
The event promises to feature a variety of Muslim entertainers throughout the show. Two of the guests announced so far include Serena Rasoul, a recent Harvard Fellow and founder of the MENA and Muslim–elevating MA Casting and Consulting, and Ali Sahir, a musician who specializes in fusing together musical elements from across the world. More guests will be announced on the MIPSTERZ instagram leading up to the event.
The GFMFC show will take place virtually on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. ET. The event is free with registration via Google Form.
The feature-length “Ramadan American” comprises five narrative short films written by American Muslim writers, featuring stories about the holidays Ramadan and Eid.
"I spend so much of my time basically trying to show the real harms that can happen to people through these supply chains and through the ad tech surveillance model and world that we live in because that's the business model of every company that we interact with right now."
The Initiative, a partnership between the Islamic Scholarship Fund and Rifelion, was created to support up-and-coming American Muslim writers. Each winning team includes at least one person identifying as a Muslim. This year's theme was "stories about Ramadan or Eid."
