Muslim women often find themselves ensnared by stereotypes. This is particularly true of those donning a headscarf — others commonly view them as terrorists, religious fundamentalists and fanatics. They can be seen as anti-American, un-American and foreigners. And, they are frequently mistaken as weak, meek, uneducated, oppressed and powerless. But,…
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My passion is service-based interfaith activism: working with people from different faith traditions on community service projects or other meaningful activities that build social capital. Who are you? I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness (small sect in Christianity) in a very interesting but unstable family. We moved around a…
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The tsunami of 2004 changed my life forever and I believe it was my destiny that Allah swt has written for me. He designed my life for a better purpose and the path I had chosen turned from running global brands to running global homes for orphans. Who are you?…
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The first creative writing piece I workshopped in undergrad told the story of a Pakistani engineering student who rebuilds her father’s mystical gulab jamun machine and saves Manhattan from a gang of neo-Nazis and their patrons on Wall Street. It was narrated by her friend, an insecure Muslim Iranian Dominican…
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I am an American, a Muslim, and a writer. Who are you? My name is Deonna Kelli Sayed. I am an American, a Muslim, and a writer. I was born in the rural South back when the cows roamed about and grandmas stood on back porches to holler for…
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Produced and Directed by Sabina Khan-Ibarra, editor at altMuslimah. Our Voices, episode 2, unpacked the complex relationship Muslim women have with the mosque (masjid). This conversation built on our #HijabAndMihrab Twitter conversation on International Women’s Day. Panelists included: Hind Makki, founder and curator of Side Entrance Marwa Aly, one of the producers of…
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“Honey, don’t get me wrong, but maybe it’s better if you remove these Arabic words from above your door for a while,” my 70-year-old neighbor softly advised me as she was leaving my house. I must have given her a puzzled look because she explained, “Crazy things are happening in…
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I am an author, mama to two little boys, lawyer, teacher, and maker and drinker of chai [lots and lots of chai]. Who are you? I am an author, mama to two little boys, lawyer, teacher, and maker and drinker of chai [lots and lots of chai]. I’m also…
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I…work to raise awareness on sexual and reproductive health issues in the Muslim community… Who are you? I have multiple identities, and because I am in a constant state of multitasking, you will often see me embodying more than one identity at a time. I am a Muslim American. I am…
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On the more exciting days, I have the opportunity to work with the media to amplify our community’s voices and with elected officials to ensure they know what their Muslim constituents think and want. Who are you? I am a baker and community organizer. By training, I am a lawyer….
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