But she didn鈥檛 know how it would play with a broader crowd. A few years later, the answer is pretty clear: It plays. Today, she says her online following includes 鈥渏ust about every kind of person from every background you could think of.鈥 Here鈥檚 what Fahmy had to say about her breakthrough as a comic artist and the challenges of navigating in a space where diversity is often front and center.
1. Don鈥檛 always do what you鈥檙e good at.
Never let anybody find out you鈥檙e really good at something that bores you. For me, that was teaching: It came really naturally, but I just wasn鈥檛 into it. On the other hand, when I decided to start writing comics, the thing I had to overcome right away is that I didn鈥檛 draw. Really. But I鈥檓 working really hard at it. And I realized what was going to sell this 鈥 if people liked it all 鈥 was the story. And that鈥檚 turned out to be totally true.
2. Check your intention before asking somebody a question.
The main character in my comic is sort of like me if I said everything I wanted to say. I think a lot of the frustration comes from people asking the same questions over and over. It鈥檚 not that asking people questions is bad. But I think it鈥檚 important to think about your intention. Like, the question that led to the title of my comic, 鈥淵es, I鈥檓 Hot in This,鈥 comes from people always asking me if I get hot when I鈥檓 wearing my hijab. But why do you care if I鈥檓 hot in this? It has absolutely no impact on your life, and if it鈥檚 a hot day in Houston, the answer is pretty obvious because we鈥檙e all hot. So why are you really asking?
"Having a platform means that what I do and say now has consequences."
3. Sometimes controversy is unavoidable.
My whole thing is that I try to be really inclusive. But you鈥檙e bound to struggle. One time I did this piece that featured meat, and I didn't think anything of it. But then I got all these comments from vegans that were upset that my character was eating meat. And I was like, 鈥極h shoot, the vegans! I totally offended them.鈥
4. Don鈥檛 read the comments.
I鈥檝e learned to stop reading my comment section. Instead, my husband is my buffer, and he鈥檒l filter them and tell me if he thinks something warrants a response. People can say some horrifyingly mean things, and for my own mental health, I can鈥檛 live in that space.
5. On being a reluctant spokesperson.
It鈥檚 really important not to look at every Muslim woman or man and treat them as a representative for their religion. For one, it鈥檚 not their job. And two, there鈥檚 so much diversity in the community. That said, I can鈥檛 be blind to the fact that some people see me as a representative. So I try to make sure people know what I鈥檓 saying is not the answer for all Muslims. Having a platform means that what I do and say now has consequences 鈥 even if I never dreamt that would happen.
