On Wednesday 2 September at Rooty Hill, the Australian Islamic College of Sydney hosted a book launch for The Comfort in Dotted I’s – a debut poetry collection by Afizah Mansur, a Year 12 student whose writing has already earned much admiration.
The event was organised in partnership with Date Palm Tree Publishing House, a volunteer-run, non-profit platform dedicated to nurturing young Muslim authors.
Master of Ceremonies Hamza Qureshi set the tone with a reflection on the word Iqra – Read – the very first word revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (s).
“A simple word,” he said, “but one that has the profundity to change the course of human history, lives and entire civilisations.”
AICS principal Riaaz Ali, noting proudly that this was the school’s third book launch with Date Palm Tree, spoke warmly about his student.
MC Hamza Qureshi.
“Writing is a special art,” he said, “and for those who possess it, it’s a very powerful skill.”
He shared an Urdu verse: when you lift a pen, it changes the thought process – and when a person works really hard, it builds a nation united by common faith.
Mr Ali also paid tribute to Date Palm Tree founder Brother Mostofa Alam, crediting him with opening doors for young Muslim writers who previously had nowhere to share their work.
Speaking on behalf of Date Palm Tree, Sister Mahdia Rahman – a poet, teacher and the book’s reviewer – described the moment she first sat down with Afizah’s manuscript.
“I started reading the poems….but had to stop because I was getting overwhelmed,” she said.
When she looked up the author’s name, she realised it was a former student – a full circle moment.
She dedicated an original poem to Afizah, closing with: “I may have been your teacher once – but today, you educate me.”
Afizah then stepped up to read When Mocha Grows into Latte, a tender poem about her older sister – a reminder that behind every published work is a very human story.
Notably, Afizah faces her HSC exams in just weeks, yet has approached both her studies and this milestone with equal dedication and grace.
Teacher Miss Ruqiya Ali, who believed in Afizah from the very start, spoke directly to the young people in the room.
Afizah Mansur (left) discusses her poetry collection with Sr Sarah Saleh.
“I hope Afizah’s achievement reminds you all of what is possible – sometimes, as young Muslims, we become accustomed to thinking within the borders placed around us, but you are capable of going far beyond those borders.”
Community advocate Dr Sabreen Faruqi, who arrived in Australia from Bangladesh over two decades ago, reflected on how much a platform like Date Palm Tree would have meant to her younger self.
“This book is so important because writing shows who you are, what you think, what you represent – and that is important for multicultural Australia,” she said.
Poet and human rights advocate Sarah Saleh, founder of the Bankstown Poetry Slam and team leader at Muslim Aid Australia, argued that in an age of misinformation and AI, critical literacy had never mattered more.
“To be able to read the world carefully and to write ourselves back into it truthfully and authentically – that’s why we are here today,” she said.
“Poetry is “imperative for transformative politics, and if you enter a poem from one end and exit transformed on the other, then the poem has done its job.”
Mr Sufian Badar, Head of Strategy and Academic Leadership at AICS, reflected on Afizah’s journey from accelerated Year 9 courses to Extension English – the subject that “laid the fertile ground from which this book blossomed forth.”
“Truly gifted writers don’t consciously choose their literary techniques – they simply write and the depth reveals itself,” he pointed out.
“Afizah has already hit that wavelength,” he said.
Brother Mostofa Alam, who founded Date Palm Tree alongside his wife Sister Kamrun Nahar in 2023, closed by thanking the AICS school leaders and students for their warmth, helpfulness and courtesy throughout the day.
The Comfort in Dotted I’s by Afizah Mansur is available now at: datepalmtree.com.au
Absolute tank, Allahumma Barikkkk 🔥🫶🏽
It’s ironic that Sara Saleh is described as the founder of the Bankstown Poetry Slam in the same line as the word “misinformation”. A simple fact check goes a long way.