celebrating the power of muslimah

It [hijab] is an outward symbol of an inward spiritual reality and aspiration. It is not a political flag for the Islamic state, it is not a sign of women’s subjugation to men, it is not a litmus test for religiosity, and it is not a measure of a woman’s piety, family background, or sign of her upbringing -Suhaib Webb-

16-Year-Old Egyptian Scientist Finds Way to Turn Plastic Waste Into $78 Million of Biofuel

Azza proposes to break down the plastic polymers found in drinks bottles and general waste and turn them into biofuel feedstock. (This is the bulk raw material that generally used for producing biofuel.) It should be noted that this is not a particularly new idea, but what makes Azza stand out from the crowd is the catalyst that she is proposing. She says that she has found a high-yield catalyst called aluminosilicate, that will break down plastic waste and also produce gaseous products like methane, propane and ethane, which can then be converted into ethanol.

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Linda Sarsour is a working woman, community activist, and mother of three. Ambitious, outspoken and independent, Linda shatters stereotypes of Muslim women while also treasuring her religious and ethnic heritage. She is a Palestinian Muslim American and a self-proclaimed New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn. Currently she is the Advocacy and Civic Engagement Coordinator for the National Network for Arab American Communities and ACCESS and locally serving as the Director of the Arab American Association of New York.

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Farheen Khan is a Resource and Community Development Consultant, Writer and Social activist. Currently working as the Operations Manager at the Sexual Assault/ Rape Crisis Centre of Peel, she is an advocate for Women’s rights and violence against women, specifically for survivors of sexual violence.

Farheen is also the author of a book titled “From Behind the Veil: A Hijabi’s Journey to Happiness” and she speaks about her experience as a Muslim woman experiencing gendered Islamophobia post 9/11.

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Sis. Myriam Francois-Cerrah (UK) is a PhD student at Oxford, spokesperson on Islamic issues in UK.

She was born in London of French and Irish heritage. She completed her BA in Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University in 2003, after which she worked for a year for MEND, a Palestinian NGO in Jerusalem, where she received training in Active Non-violence and Conflict Resolution techniques. In August 2005, she travelled to Washington DC to pursue an MA in Arab Studies, specialising in Middle East politics, on a CCAS scholarship, at Georgetown University. There, she collaborated on the production of a documentary (Arabs and Terrorism, Bassam Haddad) and published current affairs articles. Former Assistant Editor at emel magazine, she continues to contribute to the magazine. In May 2010, Myriam co-organised and hosted the Rethinking Islamic Reform conference at Oxford University.

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Mother and wife, Ameena Matthews has dedicated her life and career as a Community Activist for Peace Building and Social Change. In 2006, Ameena Matthews joined Ceasefire, an award winning scientific public health model that has been proven to reduce shootings and killings. In this capacity, for the past six years, she has used her experience and knowledge in her neighborhoods, to seek out and build relationships with troubled youths who are susceptible to the social norms of violence that still exist on the streets. 

In 2009, Ameena became the subject of a National and International award winning documentary ‘The Interrupters’ produced by Steve James, co-produced Alex Kotlowitz, & Zak Piper.

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Yvonne Ridley is a British journalist, war correspondent and Respect Party activist best known for her capture by the Taliban and subsequent conversion to Islam after release, her outspoken opposition to Zionism, and her criticism of Western media portrayals of the War on Terror. Ridley currently works for Press TV, the Iranian-funded English language news channel. Her vocal support for causes involving Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya, Xinjiang and Uzbekistan have made her a popular speaker in anti-war circles.

wassalam. :)