Narrative Power

A central tenet of the Muslim Counterpublics Lab is the belief that deliberate and strategic narrative building is a form of organizational and movement powerbuilding and political power that is fundamental to the project of achieving justice for the victims of the War on Terror and other structures that target and marginalize Muslim communities. This belief is rooted in recognition of the fact that narrative constitutes a form of power that has been wielded against Muslims and other marginalized communities by the state and the dominant culture in order to preserve established hierarchies and justify new abuses.

Our narrative power programming includes: 

• Ongoing research and education around the shifting landscape of law and policy that makes up the War on Terror in its many dimensions.

• Implementing a media strategy that utilizes opinion and other forms of public-facing writing to center counter-narratives related to current events, while also rooted in a foundational understanding of underlying discursive patterns.

• Training writers through MCL’s writing fellowship program, an innovative 5 month long intensive workshop on writing for narrative change that is offered once a year.  

• Ghostwriting services for impacted communities acutely impacted by war and violence.