About Philosufi

 

Deborah (a Canadian convert of WASP background) and Neman (a Muslim-born Indo-Canadian) have been married for thirteen years. Both of us have been grappling for a long time with what it means to us to be North American Muslims in this era.

Philosufi (pronounced “philosophy”) is a project that we have been talking about for quite a while, and which is still taking shape and unfolding, even as we launch this blog/store/virtual community. It’s meant to incorporate many things: all the creative ideas we have for T-shirts and other fun products that we think will appeal to heterodox Muslims; our relationship with popular culture; our struggles with identity and belonging; and our desire to find like-minded souls with whom we can create community, virtual and otherwise. Philosufi is also meant to reflect our belief that if there’s one thing most of the world’s religions need more of, it’s a sense of humour. As Muslims, we are keenly aware of our historical reputation as leaders in the fields of mirth and merriment, but we thought we'd see if we could kick it up a notch.

We sincerely hope you enjoy buying/wearing/using our shirts and other products, but more importantly, we want to hear the voices of Muslims wrestling with the same things we are. It seems there are quite a few Muslim mavericks out there, and we want you to be part of our conversation.

Salaams,
Deborah & Neman