“It’s Always Scary to Put Your Voice Out There”: Hanifa Abdul Hameed on Art and Activism

I think artists should create what they feel passionate about. Sometimes I don’t feel like creating artwork around activism – sometimes I just want to draw a pretty picture. People reach out to me about creating artwork around other topics – that don’t quite relate to the experiences I’ve gone through or seen.

Niya Abdullah's New Documentary Series Unveils the Secret Love Lives of Muslim Couples

Niya Abdullahi’s New Documentary Series Unveils the Secret Love Lives of Muslim Couples

These couples all have such a wealth of knowledge and advice to share, I appreciated the opportunity to document their journey through life amidst the turbulence and the smooth sails. I really appreciated each of their candidness and brevity, it’s not easy to share the challenges in one relationship.

Collective and Isolated: The Realities of Muslim Women’s Activism

What makes it more difficult is that the attitudes of Muslim men and lots of Muslim women always run contrary to the egalitarian values of Islam that you have told non-Muslims about. So it feels like we’re just making things up to protect this religion and make it look good. This is in addition to being sidelined by close friends and family for believing that you, as a Muslim woman, have God-given rights. People constantly try to ostracise you, telling others to avoid you if they want to keep the faith. Being an activist feels really lonely.”

Representation We Can Trust: The New 'Super-Hijabi' Movie Has Us Taking Charge of Our Own Narratives

Representation We Can Trust: The New ‘Super-Hijabi’ Movie Has Us Taking Charge of Our Own Narratives

‘Super-Hijabi’ is the kind of representation Muslims can trust. It is an unapologetically Muslim superhero movie that features a young Muslim girl as its main character. According to Muslim Kids TV, “‘Super Hijabi’ is the kind of movie that has been missing in mainstream media and we are here to fill the gap.”

The Soul of an Artist: In Conversation with Zainab Dahiru

The Soul of an Artist: In Conversation with Zainab Dahiru

Art enables me to express my creativity and add beauty to the world through beautiful designs, and every time I look at my art, I reconnect with it in a beautiful way. My art is what it is at that moment and what it will be thereafter. There are challenges, and there will always be, especially if you are trying to monetize your work and trying to get yourself out there as an artist. But don’t get deterred by these challenges.

Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu on the Intersection of Writing, Social Activism and Decolonisation

Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu on the Intersection of Writing, Social Activism and Decolonisation

Poetry provides a profound way to understand something as elusive as the truth in a world that is designed to mask it- the truth of Islam, the truth of who you really are- so this is why I have taken to this form of self-expression as it helps me to hold onto it. My writing also covers Africa and the politics of blackness as this is such a foundational part of who I am and what I believe in.