Cupertino 2012 Silicon Valley Reads
Essay Contest Awards Event

Authors Sumbul Ali-Karamali and G. Willow Wilson helped kick-off the Cupertino 2012 Silicon Valley Reads Essay Contest event on March 3, 2012, co-sponsored by The Cupertino Library Foundation. More than 140 people filled Cupertino’s Community Hall to meet the authors and celebrate with the Essay Contest winners.

Authors Inspire Community Dialogue

G. Willow Wilson, the author of The Butterfly Mosque and Sumbul ali-Karamali, the author of The Muslim Next Door: the Quran, the Media, and that Veil Thing, continued their discussion with moderation by Dr. Brian Murphy, President of De Anza College.

During the 90 minute program there was a lively interaction between the authors and the audience with many questions ranging from “Why do you, or do you not wear a veil?” and “Please explain your experience living in the U.S. as a Muslim and how does that experience differ from your treatment when living in other parts of the world?”

2012 Essay Contest Highlights

Support from The Cupertino Library Foundation

The Cupertino Library Foundation for many years has been the co-sponsor of the Silicon Valley Reads program in Cupertino featuring talks by the authors of the selected books as well as other activities relating to the featured program. For the fourth year, the Foundation again sponsored an essay contest open to the Cupertino community with two Grand Prize Winners of $500 each and two Second Place Winners of $300 each.

Essay Inspires Muslim-American Relations in Cupertino

The Cupertino 2012 Silicon Valley Reads Essay Contest provided an opportunity for both adults and teens to write about their impressions of G. Willow Wilson’s book The Butterfly Mosque and Sumbul ali-Karamali’s book The Muslim Next Door: the Quran, the Media, and that Veil Thing. This year, the participating essayists addressed the question:

In 500 words or less, please share lessons you have learned from reading either The Muslim Next Door or The Butterfly Mosque that helped you understand the impact of cultural, religious or spiritual traditions on your values, behavior or world views. How have these insights influenced your daily life?

Congratulations to Our Essay Contest Winners

(Click on the winner’s name to read their entry)

“Thank you once again for supporting Silicon Valley Reads. The Cupertino Library Foundation is making a difference in the Cupertino community and through the Cupertino Library with its support of literary and literacy programs and events.” ~ Melinda S. Cervantes, Executive Director/Santa Clara County Librarian

 

About the Authors

Sumbul Ali-Karamali

I am tremendously honored that Silicon Valley Reads has selected my book, The Muslim Next Door: The Qur’an, the Media, and That Veil Thing, for the 2012 program! I wrote my book in response to the many questions I had received all my life on Islam and Muslims.

I have a graduate degree in Islamic law and I grew up as a practicing Muslim in Southern California, so I was well qualified to write not only about what it’s like to be grow up Muslim in America, but also about the tenets of Islam. My goal was to write a readable, engaging introduction to Islam that was also academically reliable. Our world is getting increasingly smaller, and we can no longer afford a lack of intercultural understanding. ~ Sumbul (Courtesy of SiliconValleyReads.org)

G. Willow Wilson

I’m so flattered and pleased to have been invited to participate in Silicon Valley Reads. It’s wonderful to see an entire community come together to learn, connect with each other and discuss the important issues of the day. I look forward to being part of that discussion.

When I wrote THE BUTTERFLY MOSQUE, this kind of community-wide dialogue was exactly what I had in mind. The topic of Islam is loaded with emotional and political baggage, and only through open and honest communication can Muslims and non-Muslims come to a better understanding of one another. ~ Willow (Courtesy of SiliconValleyReads.org)

 

Companion Books

Cupertino 2012 Silicon Valley Reads selected a number of companion books for children:

• It’s OK To Be Different by Todd Parr for Pre-K
• One Green Apple by Eve Bunting for Gr K-2
• My Name Is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin for Gr 2-6
• Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim for Gr 7

Cupertino Rotary Donates Books & Partners with Cupertino Library Foundation

Cupertino Rotary partnered with the Cupertino Library Foundation to donate books to the area high schools which encourages participation in the Cupertino 2012 Silicon Valley Reads essay contest. Over the last 4 years Rotary and the Cupertino Library Foundations have partnered on several projects, the largest being the renovation of the Cupertino Library’s Teen Room where Cupertino Rotary was the lead donor. Thank you!

Diane McNutt, Silicon Valley Reads County-wide Coordinator, and Mark Fink, Cupertino Librari

“The event was seamlessly organized from start to finish. Special thanks to Diane McNutt and The Cupertino Library Foundation Board members for their work planning, organizing and volunteering at the event!” ~ Mark Fink, Community Librarian, Cupertino Library

 

Cupertino Night – Silicon Valley Reads – February 22, 2012

On The Air, a TV Book Club

A number of Book Club discussions featuring members of the community were held by Silicon Valley Reads on CreaTV with Janice Edwards as moderator, featuring:

• Dr. David Gray, Professor in the Religious Studies Department of Santa Clara University;
• Salman Khan, Sales Director, MBox and Board President of Granada Islamic School, Santa Clara; and
• Veronica Neal, Director of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education at De Anza College.

Art Exhibit February 3 – March 17, 2012

De Anza College is hosting “Invoking Peace – Islamic Art Exhibit” February 3rd – March 17th in conjunction with the Silicon Valley Reads 2012 “Muslim and American: Two Perspectives. Please see Silicon Valley Reads for a full listing of the numerous programs throughout Santa Clara County in early 2012.Back to Top