Re-writing the Muslim Narrative: How Twin Sisters are Trailblazing a Space for Muslims in Storytelling

As I read my way through the books in my high school library, I saw a stark disconnect between Muslims in the media and the everyday Muslims I saw in my community. Mainstream books skew Islam as either 1) a backward culture that the protagonist must overcome and redefine or 2) a superficial aesthetic in which Arabic or South Asian names and Islamic architecture are used, while everyday practices like prayer, charity, or hijab are foregone. This observation paved the way for Shaherazad Shelves years later.

Samiha HoqueSeptember 23, 2024Storytelling, Narrative Change, Entrepreneurship

Blazing the Trail for Muslim Women Filmmakers & Creatives

I’ve never met another Muslim or Bangladeshi woman in this role, so I take my responsibility as a representative of my identities and my culture very seriously. When I studied film, I set out to make stories that people like me can relate to. When a director wants to make their narrative about how Islam oppresses women, for example, I consider it my responsibility to speak up and call out the stereotypes that harm our communities. There’s a misconception that Muslim women don’t have a say, but my voice is always the loudest in any room.

Mabby AlamAugust 15, 2023Storytelling, Identity, resistance

Storytelling to Strategic Narrative

Reflecting on dominant discourse around Muslim women, we realized that the narrative did not reflect our realities. Stories about our sisters amounted to stereotypes of Muslim women as victims or Muslim women as villains and terrorists. Why did the headlines read “Terrorists hiding in hijabs” and not “Dr. Mona Minkara becomes first blind Muslim woman chemist in U.S.”?

Sarah GruidlJune 21, 2022Storytelling, Identity, Allyship, Islamophobia

Systemic Racism and Algorithmic Bias

Who is depicted positively in Google searches, and who is demonized? For instance, what would someone find if they googled “Muslim woman”? What about “Black Muslim woman”? Imagine someone didn’t have any cursory knowledge of Muslims and Islam, and they were looking to further their knowledge by using search engines.

Roda AbdiAugust 3, 2020White Supremacy, Islamophobia, Storytelling

RISE Has a Sister in Colombia

While I was being asked about drugs, Muslim women were being asked about terrorism; while I was being asked about my skin color, they were being asked about their hijabs; while I was being asked about Pablo Escobar, they were being asked about ISIS.

Camila GuzmánJuly 20, 2020Identity, Storytelling, Transnationalism

Voices on the Front Lines

We make our own history and choose our own fates, in the midst of all obstacles. From the cover of Forbes Magazine, to positions in congress, seats in government — our voices in the streets, our prayers in complete. Dribbling down barriers every step of the way, raising the bar every step of the way. We are the future we hoped, we dreamt, we prayed. The future for this country.

Bisharo Mohamoud Sh-AliOctober 7, 2019Storytelling, Sheroes, advocacy

Storytelling, Beyond Compassion

By the time that I joined Reviving Sisterhood as a writer, I was fueled by a passion for facilitating the same spark that I had experienced. And because of the power of the Sheroes whose stories we showcased, I saw that come into fruition. I witnessed as empathy unfolded. And in writing for the project, I experienced a deeper and more difficult transformation.

Sarah GruidlMarch 17, 2019Sheroes, Storytelling, Allyship

Expressions: The Muslim Women’s Narrative Project

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