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.
I had never thought of Islamophobia and antisemitism together. It had never crossed my mind that these two ideologies of hate could stem from the same source. Muslims and Jews are always pitted against each other — it is commonly thought that they hate each other, and I was under the same impression.
Read MoreThe same late-capitalist world that has commodified the language of self-care encourages us to isolate ourselves, to retreat from each other. What if, instead, we took care of ourselves in order to seek camaraderie and companionship with others?
Read MoreWe cannot in good faith participate in practices that harm other living animals, disrupt ecosystems, and ultimate destroy the Earth without consequences in our relationship with the Almighty. So what is this destruction that Allah warns us about in the Quran?
Read MoreWe 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.
Read MoreAs young people we might feel that people underestimate us sometimes or don’t pay us attention, but every voice has value. Civic engagement is advocating and fighting for change — and believing in yourself without giving up until your voice is heard.
Read MoreWhen my supervisor said that we needed to show up at a rally downtown to support those involved in the Sudan uprising, my initial reaction was not “yes, I finally get to go to a protest” — instead, it was a combination of dread, fear, and insecurity that ran through my system. I had mixed emotions of “should I, or should I not?”
Read MoreThis was the first time I used the intersectionality of my identities to connect with people who appeared different from me. I went beyond my visible identities and looked deeper to find personal identity traits that helped me feel a part of the audience.
Read MoreAs a visibly Black Muslim, I am often sticking out like a sore thumb, and I feel that being represented via statistics is powerful in numerous ways. The landscape of what it means to be American is changing, and this census can be the one to validate that truth.
Read MoreApril 1st, 2019. My first day at my new job as a software engineer at a small company in downtown Minneapolis. As the room began to fill up, something immediately stuck out to me: I was the only Woman, the only Black person, and the only Muslim. All three.
Read MoreIn the fall of 2016, I broke my silence as a survivor of sexual violence. Nearly everyone I knew was shocked. I felt free. That was, until community members began calling my parents to tell them about my unwelcome declaration. It was taboo. Nobody wanted to talk about sexual violence. What kind of nice, God-fearing girl would ever talk about *gasp* SEX? (Shhh, you can’t say that out loud, Asma!)
Read MoreBy 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.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I stood up at Brooklyn Park’s City Council meeting and addressed a room full of elected officials, city staff, and fellow residents about a discriminatory and limiting catering policy at the Community Activity Center (CAC). CAC has several banquet facilities to host weddings, social events, and family gatherings. Except that it only allows you to select a caterer from their “preferred catering” list.
Read MoreMy story is influenced by a woman who gave me strength to pull myself out of generational poverty, to cope with tragedy, to pursue education when most didn’t, to make an impact in the world, and to not lose my identity and the uniqueness I found along my way. That woman was my Ojibwe grandmother, Rita.
Read MoreTwo months before the holy month of Ramadan begins, my mailbox, inbox, and messaging groups swell with invitations to fundraising dinners from all across the metro. Typically, a well renowned speaker flies in, gives a keynote at a semi-formal dinner, and a familiar face challenges us to dig deeper into our pockets with a starting bid to donate $25,000!
Read MoreI didn’t speak up for the things that mattered to me. I was a good girl. I thought “good” girls endured. “Good” girls didn’t resist. They persevered. They were resilient in the face of all obstacles, no matter how unjust.
Read MorePatriarchy is an age old system, experienced and practiced everywhere — indisputable to the fact that it basically rules the world — regardless of its failure as a system. It is also equally important to note, women all around the world have fought this unjust and unfair system to bring real change and equality in the world.
Read MoreI recognized my own uniqueness and embraced my responsibility to spread good and justice. A Somali woman, born and raised in the Arab world and having immigrated to America in my teens; I speak three languages and I acquired three different cultures and world views that are crucial to understand the needs of my community.
Read MoreIn a word, we were *woke,* but were still lacking a space for us to gather and pool our resources to affect real change in often-ignored areas: social and political action and philanthropy. These spaces exist in droves elsewhere, like my professional networks, but were lacking within communities in which I focused on my faith.
Read MoreThis past election cycle was the first time I was old enough to vote in a presidential election. It was also the first time I started to think about the meaning of “civic engagement,” and I’ve come to realize that it extends far beyond casting a vote every four years.
Read MoreWhy would anyone not vote? Voting is the opportunity for me to ensure, at least to my capacity, who the leaders of our city, state, and nation will be- to support community leaders who I think will bring the best policies forward and address issues that matter and pertain to me using values I share.
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