by Caroline Radnofsky
Hi everybody!
We the interns are at the end of our second week here in Bethnal Green and we’re already immersed in planning the launch of our Women and Islam Project (catchier name to be confirmed!)
Currently this means loads of research, and we’ve been spending our days scouring the internet for inspiring Muslim women past and present.
We’ve come across a wealth of individuals, projects, organizations and businesses run by and for Muslim women that have impressed us beyond belief. The most used phrase in the office has definitely become: “Guys!! Look!! This is so cool!!”
We’ve found women who are some of the most stylish we’ve ever seen, like Fae Abdullah, owner of blog BreatheHijab, and some of the smartest, too, like Fatemeh Fakhraie, owner of Muslimah Media Watch.
We’ve found women who are famous for their success, like Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, the first Muslim female cabinet minister, or Anousheh Ansari, the first Muslim woman in space.
We’ve also found women who are less well-known but deserve to be celebrated for their contributions to their local community, like Nazia Kauser, a young Muslim policewoman, or Bushra Nasir, who runs a successful girls’ comprehensive in East London.
We’ve found hundreds of different portraits of the modern Muslim woman, and we can't wait to show you more very soon.