ﺃﻭﻝ ﻳﻮﻡ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﺭﺳﺔ: ﺗﺠﺮﺑﺔ ﺍﻟﻄﻔﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﻠﻢ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﺭﺳﺔ ﺍﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼﻝ ﺛﻼﺛﺔ ﻛﺘﺐ ﻣﺼﻮﺭﺓ / First Day at School: The Experience of Muslim Children at American Schools as Represented in Three Picture Books

ﺃﺻﺒﺖ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ "ﻣﺄﻟﻮﻓﺔ" ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﺰﻝ ﺍﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻲ ﻭﺃﺣﺎﺩﻳﺚ ﺍﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻴﻮﻣﻴﺔ ﻣﻨﺬ ﺃﺣﺪﺍﺙ ١١ ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ، ﺣﻴﺚ ﺳﹸﻠﱢﻄﺖ ﺍﻷﺿﻮﺍﺀ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﺎﻧﺔ ﻭﺗﺎﺑﻌﻴﻬﺎ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﺳﻠﺒﻲ. ﺗﺘﻨﺎﻭﻝ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺎﻟﺔ ﺛﻼﺛﺔ ﻛﺘﺐ ﻣﺼﻮﺭﺓ ﻟﻠﻄﻔﻞ ﻛﹸﺘﺒﺖ ﺑﻌﺪ ﺃﺣﺪﺍﺙ ١١ ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﺗﺪﻭﺭ ﺣﻮﻝ ﻃﻔﻞ ﺃﻭ ﻃﻔﻠﺔ ﻣﺴﻠﻤﺔ ﻭﺗﺠﺮﺑﺔ ﺍﻟﻴﻮﻡ ﺍﻷﻭﻝ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﺭﺳﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺃﻣﺮﻳﻜﺎ. ﻭﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻜﺘﺐ ﻫﻲ ﻟﻮﻥ ﺍﻟﺒﻴﺖ ﻟﻠﻜﺎﺗﺒﺔ ﺍﻟﺒﺮﻳﻄﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﻣﺎﺭﻱ ﻫﻮﻓﻤﺎﻥ، ﻭﺗﻔﺎﺣﺔ ﺧﻀﺮﺍﺀ ﻭﺍﺣﺪﺓ ﻟﻠﻜﺎﺗﺒﺔ ﺍﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴﺔ ﺇﻳﭫ ﺑﻨﺘﻨﺞ، ﻭﺍﺳﻤﻲ ﺑﻼﻝ ﻟﻠﻜﺎﺗﺒﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﻠﻤﺔ ﺍﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴﺔ ﺫﺍﺕ ﺍﻷﺻﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﺒﺎﻛﺴﺘﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﺃﺳﻤﺎﺀ ﻣﺒﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ. ﺗﻮﺿﺢ ﺍﻟﻜﺎﺗﺒﺔ ﺃﻥ ﺍﻟﻘﺼﺺ ﺍﻟﺜﻼﺙ ﺗﺘﻤﻴﺰ ﺑﺤﺒﻜﺔ ﺳﻬﻠﺔ، ﻭﺗﻨﺘﻬﻲ ﻧﻬﺎﻳﺔ ﻣﺘﻔﺎﺋﻠﺔ ﻧﺮﻯ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﺇﻣﻜﺎﻥ ﺍﻧﺪﻣﺎﺝ ﺍﻟﻄﻔﻞ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤﻊ ﺍﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻲ، ﻛﻤﺎ ﺗﺘﺴﺎﺀﻝ ﻋﻦ ﻣﺎﻫﻴﺔ ﺍﻟﻘﺎﺭﺉ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺨﻴﻞ ﻟﻬﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻜﺘﺐ . "Islam" has become a familiar term in the American house- hold and daily discourse since the events of 9/11, when both the religion and its followers have come to be viewed negatively. This article examines three children’s picture books written after 9/11 about Muslim children’s first day at American schools: The Color Of Home by British author Mary Hoffman, One Green Apple by American author Eve Bunting, and My Name is Bilal by American author of Pakistani origin Asma Mobin—Uddin (illustrated by Karin Littlewood, Ted Lewin, and Barbara Kiwak, respectively). The article shows how all three books follow a simple plotline, ending optimistically with the possibility of these children’s integration within American society. By doing so, the article questions the identities of the imaginary readers of these books.