The Expressions Narrative Project is a platform dedicated to the voices and perspectives of Muslim women, from activists and artists to professors and political representatives. This blog showcases personal narratives expressing Muslim women's thoughts, opinions, and lived experiences.
No need for my whole Palestinian name,
just use my first and last.
No need to introduce the olive trees
or the destruction on every home,
For those need no introduction;
everyone should already know
of the boys holding slingshots and stones,
and the ice cream trucks with bodies instead of cones.
It’s a conversation beyond old,
But not as old
as Palestinian bones.
At that time, the Nation was called the Lost Found Nation of Islam. As I learned more about our history from Imam Muhammad and other teachers and ministers, I realized how fitting a name that was. When we were brought to this country as enslaved people, everything was stripped from us, down to our names. We were a lost people. But through the Nation, we could rediscover our culture, our people, our power. We could remake ourselves and remake the world
Read MoreI know that all of my pain is nothing compared to what those in Gaza are going through. And what they are telling us is that even more than money or food, what they need from us is our voices. I consider it my privilege and my responsibility to raise my voice figuratively and literally. You’ll often find me unable to speak the day after a protest because I’m the one hyping up the crowd and leading chants.
Read MoreI said enough–
of the hecklers and the haters and the
flicked fingers and the Bibi defenders and
the hey hey’s and the ho ho’s and the
occupation that never seems to go because
Genocide Joe–
cares about all the hostages but
the ones in the Open Air Prison.
“Whenever I feel too tired, when I feel weighed down by the day’s indignities, when being a Black Muslim woman living in the United States feels like a perpetual fight between a desire to simply live—a desire for my people to simply live—and the ideologies and structures aimed at eradicating us, when I feel like I am not doing enough, when I feel my uncomplicated love for my people is not enough to keep on keeping on, when I feel hopeless, I think about Dr. Betty Shabazz and feel strengthened by her example.”
Read More“Being the first Black Muslim woman elected to the school board in 2020 and elected as the Chair of the Board in 2023 is another victory for our community. When it gets difficult, I find motivation and hope in my faith. I remind myself that Allah (swt) would never put a burden on me greater than I can bear. My daily prayer is that He guides me and leads my words and my actions. I find myself thinking about the legacy of powerful Muslim women who overcame challenges and our ancestors and pioneers who fought for future generations to make life better for us. I have a duty to continue to carry the baton and make it better for those who come after me.”
Read More“This country, even though its history is drenched in the blood of African Americans, would like us to feel as if we had no history of our own. And when it comes to the Muslim community, some think of Islam as an Arab religion or an immigrant religion. But I don’t see a conflict between my traditions, my lifestyle, and my faith. If Allah had wanted, He could have made us all the same, but I think that Islam is meant to dignify us in our own skins.”
Read MoreEach year since 2015, women of color have constituted a greater share of eligible voters. Women of color, especially Black women, are frequently called on to “save democracy” by doing the heavy labor of organizing and moving their communities to action. But too often, their efforts are unacknowledged or underappreciated, and rarely are they regarded as strategists, leaders, and innovators.
Read MoreAs I entered my 20s, thoughts and conversations surrounding my career path have led me to question where I fall in society as a Somali-American Black Muslim woman living in the United States. These intersectional identities leave me not with a single obstacle to overcome but with multiple interconnected barriers that reflect the lack of representation I experienced as a young girl.
Read MoreOne of the stories that most connected with me during the protests in my country was the reality of Palestine. Both street protests imploded almost at the same time, allowing me to understand and put together both situations as the same fight for social change and justice. Corruption has ruled in both Colombia and Israel, with opportunities growing for those who already have enough instead of space opening for needy communities.
Read MoreThe stigma surrounding mental health conditions has eaten deep into the fabric of society. A lot of people – including Imams and clerics – believe that having a mental health disorder is a sign of weak Imaan or a test from Allah which needs to be managed with prayers.
Read MoreHaving lived only one and a half years in the United States, I was trying to fit in and learn everything about this new country. I was watching the debates with many of my classmates, listening to what these two candidates were interested in and what their campaigns were about. I was the Black, Muslim, immigrant girl in that room trying to understand what was going on.
Read MorePresidential elections are always highlighted in our education and receive lots of media exposure leading up to election season. What I did not know is that there are so many more important roles that directly impact my community and me at the local level.
Read MoreHere lies the intersection of guns and COVID-19. Americans operate from a sense of fear and scarcity. We will fight for resources. In order to survive, we will hurt each other. Meanwhile, countries we deem “third-world” or “developing” operate from a sense of abundance, a sense of community and family — practicing sharing and caring for one another.
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