Award-winning Californian based film maker and photographer, Mustafa Davis shares his personal identity crises when faced with trying to explain the phenomenon of the 'American Muslim'.

Mustafa Davis is founder of Cinemotion Media, and co-founder of the Ta'leef Collective. This post was originally published on MustafaDavis.com:


Recently, my Facebook posts about my American Muslim identity have caused a slight uproar from certain people who have taken it upon themselves to inform me who I am and who I am allowed to be. To inform me that it is either impossible for me to be an American Muslim or worse, that my loyalty to my religion is now somehow in question because of it. I've been referred to as an "Uncle Tom" that doesn't care about oppressed people and likened to the Right Wing bigots that push policies to harm the disenfranchised. And all of this was decided about me by the mere fact that I said I was an "American Muslim." I've decided to write this note so that there is no ambiguity about who I am and how I got here.

I'm a decendant of Black Africans who came to this country as slaves (enslaved Africans). Who were stripped of everything they knew and everything they were (including names, identity, culture, and religion). They left them without a single trace of dignity or honor. Not only did they take everything away from my ancestors, they erased our entire history. For years I have tried to get people to understand what this means, how this feels and how it is a permanent part of who we are (whether we are conscious of it or not). If one doesn't know who they were, its nearly impossible to know who you are. I write this with tears in my eyes and with disbelief that the people who I have supposedly united with in GOD can be so crass and insensitive.
I was born in the Bay Area, California. My parents divorced when I was two years old and I moved with my mother to Sacramento and we lived in an impoverished neighborhood called Lincoln Village. I have no memories of my two parents together. I've tried many times over the years to try and conjure up at least one memory of my family living happily together, but unfortunately no such memory exists. My mother is German with blond hair and blue eyes. I am the only child she had with my black father and she remarried a white man which means all of my siblings are full white, making me the only black child in my family. I remember being teased by my black friends because I lived with a white family. I was called "Webster" and "Arnold" growing up (in reference to television sitcoms which depicted black children being raised by white families). My mother used to bring my birth certificate with her to sign me up for school and sports because they didn't believe I was really her son.

I grew up poor as a latchkey child in a broken home. My mother worked as a waitress and my step-father worked for the local phone company. Arguments were the norm. Fists punching through walls, dishes breaking, yelling, and cursing were routine. My parents thought I was psychologically affected by being the only black child in a white family and so I saw my first psychiatrist at age 5. By the time I was 16 years old, I was on drugs, failing all my classes, and I was eventually kicked out of high school. My mother could no longer deal with me and sent me away to live with my biological father.

My father was an educated man but had recently lost his job. We spent the next two years living in different apartments and staying on couches at some of his friends houses. We were staying in a cockroach/rat infested halfway house and one day my father asked me to take a walk with him. We walked for about 4 hours (we didn't have a car) to the Greyhound bus depot in downtown San Jose. He bought me a one way ticket to Sacramento and said very clearly to me: "I've been poor all my life and I can handle it. But I can't watch as you go through it too. I'm sending you back to your mom until I can get on my feet again." And he put me on the bus back to Sacramento. My mother told me that I could not stay with her (as it wasn't possible for my step-father and I to be under the same roof). I had gotten so jacked up on drugs and other "less than favorable" activities that none of my friends wanted anything to do with me. I had nowhere to go. I was exhausted.

Tired of my lifestyle, tired of my family, but mostly I was tired of myself. I decided that I was done with the world and that it was time to check out. I took a bottle of muscle relaxants and a bottle of Tylenol, sat down on the kitchen floor and swallowed almost every single pill.

My sister came home from work early that day and and found me lying face down on the kitchen floor in a pool of saliva with a few pills scattered around me. She knew instantly what I had done and called my mother for help. My memories from this point on are blurred. Time was no longer linear. I remember my mother and sister dragging me to the bathroom and putting me in the bathtub filled with cold water and ice cubes to try and prevent me from falling asleep. My mother kept shoving her fingers down my throat to get me to vomit. It wasn't working and I was fading very quickly. My next memory is arriving at the hospital. I was put on a gurney and rushed into the emergency room. I remember pushing the nurses off of me because I didn't want them to help me. They eventually brought some nurses in to hold my arms and legs down as the doctor put a 1/2" tube up my nose and down into my throat. They pumped charcoal into my stomach to counter the effect of the drugs. (The doctors later told me I was about 3 to 5 minutes away from complete cardiac arrest.)

My next memory is waking up in excruciating pain laying on a bed in the ICU (the tube was still in my nose and down in my throat). My mother was in the corner of the room crying and my first thought was "Damn... it didn't work" (I was upset that I was still alive). By California law I was required to serve 3 months in Sutter Memorial Mental Institution and I hopped the fence and escaped on my first night. I was picked up about 3 hours later by the police, brought back and put in the maximum security unit. It was in this place that I saw people who were truly mentally disturbed. A girl who used to bang her head against the wall until she bled, a boy who would scratch the skin off of his cheeks, another who would pull off her own finger nails and sit with bloody hands. Others who walked around screaming at imaginary friends.

Within a couple weeks I decided that if I got out of that place that I would dedicate my life to helping people. It was the very first time in my life that I called on God for assistance. There were many things that led up to me wanting to end my life. But now as an adult looking back, I can admit that identity struggle played a major role.

Fast forward to age 24 when I converted to Islam. I thought that converting to Islam would help me with my search for identity but instead it execerbated the problem. I was told that I couldn't be American because America was the land of disbelievers and Muslims could not emulate disbelievers. In fact, I was told that if I emulated them, I would be one of them and that the place for a "disbeliever" was in the hell-fire. So, I left America and made Hijra (migration) to Mauritania. I spent the next 11 years traveling the Muslim world in search of a culture that I could relate to and make my own so I could leave my "Americanness" behind and have a chance at getting to Paradise. It didn't work.

It took me a long to realize that the very people who were telling (and continue to tell me) that I cannot be American, hail from Muslim majority countries that have very beautiful, rich cultures. They know who they are (regardless if they want to be it). They know who their ancestors were, what they did, how they lived. I've never had that luxury. I don't know who my ancestors are. I don't know if they were kings and queens or criminals. My history was erased. Other Muslims get to say "I am Afghani, Pakistani, Malaysian, Sudanese, Egyptian, Nigerian, Palestinian, Bosnian, Moroccan, Indian, Algerian, etc." I will never be able to say that. "American" is not an ethnicity. It is a cultural identity. Black Americans have no cultural ties to our homeland. We cannot go back to Africa. We have no idea where in Africa to go? Are we from Nigeria? Senegal? Niger? Chad? Ivory Coast? Etc. We have no idea.

Black Americans don't have any home other than America. We have no other place to go. America is the ONLY home we know. We were stripped of everything else. I most certainly do not praise American politics or its treatment of minorities and/or impoverished, disenfranchised communities. That would mean I agree with the enslavement of my own people. But when Muslims tell us that we cannot be American because that means we support ALL things America, it means they are telling us we cannot exist. I will say that again: it means they are telling us that WE CANNOT EXIST. They can always fall back on their rich cultural heritages (that are often mistakenly called Islamic cultures. They are not, they are merely cultures where the majority of the inhabitants are Muslims). But I don't have that luxury or ability. America is the only culture I have to identify with. Telling me it's not possible is pushing me into nonexistence. I don't think people with such rich cultures and heritages fully understand what its like to not have that to fall back on.

My only recourse is either to reject American culture altogether and adopt some other culture (which all have nationalistic nuances just like America) or accept the elements of this society that do speak to my people while rejecting those that don't. Now put Islam in the picture and the very real cultural imperialism that exists within the Muslim community, and you have a lost people.

You have a people who are already down and doing all they can to pick themselves up - yet continually getting kicked back down by people who claim to be their brothers and sisters.

It's easier for people who have such rich cultures to shun American culture entirely. In fact, I do not blame them. If I had some other culture that I could adhere to, I most probably would. I travelled the world for 12 years looking for that culture but instead what I found were different manifestations of the same problems (obviously not as grand) as I found in America. So I was then left with a choice. If all cultures have both positives and negatives then it would make sense to accept the fact that I am American now by design from God and take the good aspects of it and leave the bad.

I'm not an "Uncle Tom". I'm a man that believes in fighting for my people. And a major issue plaguing my people is that of having no real cultural identity and the self hate that comes along with that. I tried to commit suicide when I was 18 years old because of identity issues.

We of all people understand the systematic oppression that certain aspects of the government impose on all people (at home and abroad). But all we can do is take what's good and then work hard to fix the ills that we are also victims of. I want social justice just as much as everyone else. I just don't want to have to not exist to get it. I don't want America to disappear, I want to make it a better place. I don't want my children to go through the same identity issues that I went through. I don't want them to feel the pain I feel. I want them to be strong, confident, Muslims that fight for social change.

I am an American Muslim and no amount of arguing how that is an impossible dichotomy will change that. I don't have a choice. I am who I am, regardless if people would prefer that I was something else. My story is not over and it is certainly not unique. There are many people from many different backgrounds who are struggling in one way or another. They don't need to be told who they are or who they can't be, especially by people who haven't cared enough to take the time to find out the slightest thing about them first before passing judgement. My father once told me: "You influence every person you come in contact with. It is up to you whether or not that will be a positive influence or a negative one." May we all be of benefit to ourselves and others and may we all realize the potential for greatness that lies within each one of us.


More art activism:
American Muslim Youth And The Tar Sands
Art Feature: Rachid Lamrabat's 'Evolution Prayer'
Muslims In The West, Cool Photo Journal
British Photographer: The Art Of Integration by Peter Sanders
UK's First Ever Kuwaiti Pop Art Exhibition

Now had I known then what I know now I would have gone right back to bed after fajr (morning prayer) in Madinah on day 2. We woke up about 3 hours later for fajr and I was alert and ready. I was downstairs and bright eyed, bushy tailed, ready for the day. Morning prayer in the Prophet’s masjid was just as tranquil as ‘isha, I loved it!

My friends knew that it was a wise idea to go back to bed, I however was still on Arizona time, and was wide-awake. So instead of sleeping like a normal person, I decided to explore the city. Bad idea. I had so much to do that day that by the end I was so in auto-pilot it is not even funny. I walked and talked to the street merchants, went into the local shops and saw all the items they had for sale. It was surreal in some way but freer.

I like to go to stores that are not a corporate owned Walmart, something that is original and real. Honestly, I was amazed that I could buy two thobes and two kufis, as well as two pairs of pants for about $20 U.S. dollars. I looked into all the small shops and restaurants, smelled all the foods and investigated whatever I wanted to, wherever curiosity took me. I felt a comfort that I hadn't felt in a long time, as if no matter where I went no harm would come to me. It was a very homely feeling to have. For those of you who have not yet gone on Umrah or Hajj, plan on spending a few days getting lost and falling in love with Madinah.

I probably walked around, had breakfast, wondered back around the city and what-have-you for a good 5 hours, and the next thing I knew it was 11am. I woke up my comrades and we got ready for our day. We had a busy day ahead of us, and so now I was starting to get tired, how wonderful right?

Our first stop was to have a VIP tour of the Prophet’s Masjid. It was like the night before, but we were taken underneath the Masjid, at an exhibit that I guess is not open to everyone. This was a shame because it was very informative and interesting.


We watched a twenty-minute video about the construction and reconstruction of the Prophet’s Masjid, as well as the various rulers who have influenced its design. This was probably the only time that I have watched a historic video I was genuinely impressed with it. I could understand why the exhibit was not open to everyone; it would be packed all day and night.


Afterwards we met up with an Imam of the masjid, one of many Imams, and I discussed Guantanamo Bay prison with him as well as my reversion to Islam. It was a pleasant talk, my first in the Middle East about GTMO, and he was very aware, smart, and articulate to the matter, which was refreshing. Perhaps he even knew more than most of the Westerners and people in the U.S. do, sadly. We had a language barrier, but my friends were there by my side to take care of the matter, and all came through very well.

Next was the site of the Battle of Uhud. A very chilling feeling came upon me. I could recall feelings in my life of panic, of terror, of loss and that "oh no" moment, and that is all I felt while we were standing there. I walked to the area where the Companions (Sahabah) were buried, and asked Allah that they be granted paradise (soon). I was sad to see that there were people peddling their merchandise right there on the battle site, but I suppose in this world, you aim to survive wherever you are.

It was also a little discerning to me to see all the trash that had just been thrown around in Madinah, as if people had no reverence for the environment or for the significance of the Uhud site and what had taken place here.

I am a very critical and cynical person, this is well known, maybe I need to work on changing that in me insha’Allah. We walked up the mountain of Uhud that the archers were told to have stood on (but didn’t). I tried in my head to envision what had taken place here, and to see the forces as they came into the valley.

The entire valley at Uhud is secured by towering mountains and rocks - rocks that would be hard on the feet of a camel or horse. This was truly a strategic way to go about the historic battle, being that it was not a welcomed battle, and still it occurred. Too bad the Muslims did gain an outright win, although in the long run we did, for Allah is the best of planners!

We then hurried back to the Prophet’s Masjid for dhuhr (midday) prayer, and just as quickly as we hurried there, we hurried off to another location that I did not know was on our travel stops. We visited the Masjid Qublatain, where the qibla direction changed in mid-prayer from Jerusalem to Makkah. This was really an interesting stop, I was just happy to have the opportunity to see something so interesting and historic.

I was wrapped up in the idea of thinking that the Prophet ﷺ and his companions had once been here. And further in my mind I thought of its distance from other locations we had been to already, and having used a car, it must have taken so much longer on horseback. I think this is when I finally started to look around me and begin to feel thankful for all the blessings that I have in my life, and the blessings that I have overlooked. This is probably when it set in, "We will never have it as hard as the sahabah had it". How many times a day we hear this but how many of us understand this, I mean really understand this? It isn't just a matter of being grateful for what we have, but we also have to realize what the earlier and the new Muslims went through, and I have found that Ibn Ishaq's "The Life of Mohammed" is probably one of the best ways to learn about our beloved Prophet ﷺ and his Companions.

I was absorbing all of this as we arrived at the mosques and the site of the Battle of the Trenches. Lucky for me one of my escorts who was a student at Al-Madinah, was also a history buff and gave me a quick refresher on what had occurred here. For those of you who are not aware of the history behind this battle, do not Google it, do not Wikipedia it, go to get a researched book. Get An Islamic history book and read up on the Battles of the Trenches. Please.

I prayed in the Masjid Al-Fath, and again that feeling of having been somewhere that the Prophet ﷺ had been came to me, and it is an amazing feeling to have. I looked over the valley from where we were, and tried to envision it without all the commerce and buildings, just the desert.

And what it must have felt like to be this humble man who was being messaged by Allah Himself, and setting the world aright. What a significant burden to have on one's shoulders, and what a blessed man he, our Prophet, was!

Why did we have Asain food? I didn't eat, I came to Saudi to see giant spiders and ride a Camel and eat lizard and such, not have Chinese food, if I wanted Chinese food I would go to California.

Next on our stop of the-day-that-never-ended, and believe me we are only half way through it as of now, was an Asian restaurant - because everyone knows that you go to Saudi for the Chinese food, not for religious pilgrimage, right…? I have a hard enough time eating once a day usually so I passed on lunch, which freed me up more time to talk with one of our guests. We discussed my book ‘Traitor’ that I have been trying to get published for years, and it seems as if it will never see the light of day, but I continue to have faith.

We spoke of my life and his life, rapped for a while about future ideas and what sounded to be good and bad projects. All in all, I think I made a great friend with this visitor at lunch. I should probably mention at this point, not everyone who was a part of my trip or involved wishes to be mentioned, so I am avoiding using names. This is not to discredit anyone or their efforts, as this whole document stands to be one great big "thank you" note for them all. It is just better to leave with anonymity. Nonetheless, it was a great lunch, and it lead to a friendship that I look forward to continuing for many years to come, insha’Allah. (By the way, the Chinese food did smell and look quite good, I just didn't want to slow myself down since this was only about 2pm in the afternoon and we were still looking to keep going until nearly 11pm that evening, I was really beginning to regret having explored all morning.)


Then it was back to the Prophet's Masjid for ‘asr (afternoon) prayer, and as quickly as we arrived, before I had finished the fourth rakat, boom, we were back in the car and off for another visit. We went to visit a doctor who specialized in the Prophet’s ﷺ life, and had quite an amazing library. We exchanged greetings of pleasantry and got down to actual discussion afterward. Again we spoke quickly of GTMO, and on to various matters; a good conversation. He was a very warm and welcoming man, and shared with me some great du`a (supplications), and facts I had not heard before, so it was nice to have some new knowledge in the ol' grey matter upstairs.

We toured his extensive library, literally an entire floor of an apartment building. I began to drool when I arrived upstairs, and wished I could read and write Arabic so badly, so as to spend months of my life up here with a 6 pack of Coke and these books. All of the wonderful knowledge contained therein that I would not be able to read, any time soon, that is.


I began to think more heavily about how dearly I wanted to go to school here, and how I wanted to live in Madinah for the rest of my life, but I was also beginning to see a repeating pattern occur. In every conversation someone would tell me how important it was that I stay in the states. I do not want to stay in the states, especially with how the U.S. harasses me when I travel, they must not want me there either. They might be willing to come to a plea bargain, where they send me to some other country to live, give me a yearly allowance, and I just never come back. Sounds plausible.

When we got back into the car that day at about 4:30pm, I was too tired to bother talking to my travel companions, so I just stared out the window as we drove around the city and tried to take in all that we visited that day. I am still trying to recall what happened from mental notes during the process. Having been sleep deprived, I will have to expand on these thoughts and the following events a little further.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3


Images: Holdbrooks ©


More by Brother Mustafa:
'Islam Is A Prison', Discuss
Islam At Guantanamo, Guardian Interview
Terry Holdbrooks: Detained By FBI

Rachid Lamrabat, Muslim photographer from Belgium, created this image for Ramadan to show the spiritual evolution Muslims undergo.

"You are not the music you listen to", "Fast from duniya", "Evolve".

What caption can you come up with?

Image: Rachid Lamrabat ©

See more photography by Rachid Lamrabat:

More:
Art Feature: Hadith Typography
Qur'an Calligraphy Show Opens In Madinah
El Seed, Arabic Inspired Street Painting
Link Love: Shain Typography

When you want to know about real Muslim lifestyles, the blogosphere is one of the best sources for personal stories. Since news only talks about depressing happenings, we need to show the majority of passionate and creative Muslims through art and photography.

I got in touch with Adam Sahib, founder of Muslims In The West, to ask why his photo blog is representin' a new image of Muslim generations.


Furthermore, we are hoping to inspire both Muslims and non-Muslims through photography. This project is definitely open as we are seeking people to submit pictures. I don't want this to be MY project; rather, a project we can all enjoy and work on together insha'Allah (God willing)."

What inspired you to create Muslims In The West and whom have you featured?
"I was inspired to create this photo journal from two different angles. Firstly, I love taking pictures but I felt that there wasn't a higher level purpose to my pictures. Once I thought of the idea I could just visualize how wonderful it could be with contributions and unique images. We’re only beginning and would love for it to grow some more. We have featured people from all backgrounds and ages to show the beautiful diversity within our community. We get inspired daily by the great submissions that come in."


The blog includes some of the world's most iconic and under-the-radar Muslims from organic produce man Fahim Alwan, photographer-in-residence Yasin Dusoruth, fashion designer Gareth Bryant (Khaleeji Clothing) and professional basketball hopeful Mouctar Diaby.

You mentioned working with your wife earlier - who else is on the team and is this a full time job?
"My wife, Wafiyyah Ali, is a main component on the team alongside me as we work back and forth depending on who has more time. I would also like to mention my cousin Amir who has helped tremendously with the website layout and design. Furthermore, all team photographers and people featured should be mentioned, in particular Yasin Dusoruth who has been our main photographic contributor.

Outside of the photo journal, I teach high school math. Wafiyyah has just finished teacher's college which gives us the opportunity to have all our holidays together insha'Allah!"

On your site you're taking photo submissions. What are you looking for and how can viewers contribute?
"The photo journal is pretty simple. We attempt to post a new picture at least every two days.

Anyone can submit a picture as long as the quality is good and the photo is unique. We have a policy of not refusing any submissions unless the photos are offensive or not in line with the aims and objectives of the site."

What has the reaction been so far from both Muslims and other faiths/communities?
"Everyone who has seen the site has loved it. Two reactions have really made me happy so far. One is to see the Muslim youth so excited and proud to see the pictures of peers and getting involved as well by shareing the site. The second is to see non-Muslims' (as well as some Muslims) beginning to realize how truly diverse the Muslim community is here in North America as well as in Europe."

We recently featured the diverse blogs My Best Friend Is Muslim’ and ‘Muslims Wearing Things’ for their innovative stories. Is Muslims In The West only a 'western' representation?
"Both of those sites are wonderful, may Allah reward those involved tremendously. MITW is quite different in that we only focus on Muslims located specifically in what is historically considered the “West”, as the narrative here is unique for Muslims as opposed to in other traditionally Muslim countries.

Additionally, we do not repost or take photos from other websites. All of our pictures are copyrighted and published with the specific permission of those individuals who shot them. Our website also shows a range of Muslims in every possible avenue not restricted to age or profession. It's not limited to a certain theme or story. We aim to spread our vision through a series of intimate portraits of Muslims throughout the Western lands."

That's an amazing vision. MUSLIMNESS viewers are global and interested in taking a more active role for implementing a similar vision. What top 3 pieces of advice (nasiha) would you give to budding photographers and bloggers?
     1) Keep on reminding yourself to do it for Allah and absolutely no other purpose.
     2) Love what you're doing.
     3) Observe what other Muslims or non-Muslims are doing in your area of interest.

Shukran, thank you Adam and team, great to see your work and we wish it greater success insha'Allah.

Images: Muslims In The West ©

Got a project to share? contact@muslimness.com

More:
Fasting For Ramadan As A Non-Muslim
Khaleeji Clothing, A Fashion Revolution
Dj Halal Rocks The Radio World
'Muslims Wearing Things', The Blog
Link Love: Heeba Magazine

Pictured: Muna Hassan was chosen for her campaigning work against the use of 'Khat'.
Participants will be photographed by award-winning photographer Liz Hingley, sit for portraits and record stories of their lives.

The idea came from conversations between young Muslim women and workers at the charity, Maslaha.

The charity, based in Bethnal Green, aims to improve understanding of Islam through the arts. Originally started as a Young Foundation project, Maslaha also looks at innovative ways to meet social needs such as access to health and education information, within the Muslim community.

The women said they do not hear enough about the contribution of Muslim women to life in the UK and that most portrayals they saw and heard of their faith were very negative.

Correcting the 'distortion'
So far the exhibition has taken in one subject; 27-year-old Muna Hassan from Forest Gate in East London.

Muna was chosen for her work campaigning against the use of Khat, a stimulant drug traditionally popular within the East African community, and now being used by British youth.

"Looking around my community I felt like maybe I shouldn't be so passive, I should take this issue up myself. I didn't even feel like I was campaigning at first - it was just me trying to get opinions, rally support and get my head around the idea of campaigning," says Muna.

"At GCSE level, the performance of Muslim girls as a group is better than the national average”, says Raheel Mohammed, quoting Office of National Statistics, Director Maslaha.

Muna feels there is a real need to dismiss the 'submissive' stereotype of Muslim women.

"It's a very distorted image. Every day when we see negative images in the media it doesn't help.

"There are hundreds, millions of Muslim women doing great things every day but we don't hear about them. Projects like this need to bring them forward."

The images and sounds will form part of an exhibition called 'Free to Be', put together by Maslaha.

"It's very much about empowering Muslim women, changing the way they are perceived, and raising awareness about the inequalities that are faced by Muslim communities," says Raheel Mohammed, director of Maslaha.

"At GCSE level, the performance of Muslim girls as a group is better than the national average, but according to the Office for National Statistics, once they leave education, Muslim women are almost four times as likely to be unemployed as Christian women."

'Only white child'
The charity is looking for women from across the UK in order to get the best cross-section of stories possible. They will be the subject of Liz Hingley, whose photography has featured in publications like The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Le Monde.

Muna wants to challenge the 'distorted image' of the 'submissive' Muslim woman
Photographer Hingley has a keen interest in religious communities. One of her most celebrated works is a collection of images documenting Birmingham's diverse communities on the city's Soho Road.

"I'm personally the daughter of two Anglican priests. I grew up in Birmingham and was the only white child in my nursery class.

"It was a very multi-faith background. Growing up with people for whom religion means everything to them gives you a sort of understanding," she says.

"For me, photography is about social interaction and engagement. It's not about pressing the button - it's about meeting people and sharing a bit of their story.

"That's what this project's given me the opportunity to do, to meet young women like myself who are doing amazing things."

She hopes the experience can be enjoyable for both subject and artist. Muna and Hingley got to know one another in advance of taking the photos and then spent a day "having a play", as Hingley calls it.

"It was really fun having a photographer for a day,' says Muna. "I felt like a model!"

The charity says it is not looking for the most influential or the most prominent Muslim women in the UK, but rather those whose stories are yet to be told. Anyone who wants to be involved or knows anyone they think should be involved can contact the charity.


From BBC News

What: Badass Muslimahs, the Tumblr blog on the rise.

iCOVER: A Day in the Life of a Muslim American COVERed Girl


More:
Introducing the Amazing Muslim Community Fund
Link Love: Productive Ramadan (from Productivemuslim.com)
Sarkozy's Messed Up Values of Women
Movie: Thread - The Women of Afghanistan

From Green Prophet | By Tafline Laylin