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MALA’s friends at KitaabWorld aims to change the stories and misinformation about Muslims, especially for young and impressionable minds. Research indicates that exposure to other cultures should begin at an early age. Learning about our similarities, understanding our differences and sharing our stories goes a long way towards creating respect and acceptance of one another. Support […]

Kiran Ansari is a writer, editor and entrepreneur. She has bylines in dozens of publications including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Parent, Daily Herald, Islamic Horizons and Halal Consumer. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children and helps people take their celebrations Up A Notch with her small business. Through a matching grant

The sixty-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 13 to 24 March 2017. MALA is honored to be a part of this year’s commission, being led by Mr. Antonio de Aguiar Patriota (Brazil), Chair of the 61st session of the

Sadaf Syed shares a compelling view on how her faith has guided her to champion feminism. Born and raised into a middle class Pakistani family in America, she credits her mother for being her source of motivation. Sadaf is also a photo-journalist and the author of iCover, a book that dispels stereotypes by featuring Muslim

Herrah Hussain recounts being bullied in school due to her skin color. Her mother has been her source of support. Herrah hopes that by sharing her story, she can bring awareness to the larger issue of discrimination. She is an intern for MALA’s Spring 2017 semester. My name is Herrah Hussain; I am a senior

Reem Odeh is a lawyer and an advocate for the Arab American community. While life hasn’t always been easy for Reem, both her Palestinian and American identities have shaped her, changed her and given her a unique opportunity to serve her children and clients.    In my family, it was my maternal great-grandfather who first

Slim Khezri is an artist and entrepreneur in California. A former Michael Jackson impersonator, he runs DoubaJen Records, an independent record and publishing company. He has acted in numerous films and music videos, including a film on the Armenian Genocide, an Amnesty ad on gay rights, and the music video below that chronicles the life a

Isabel Carter shares her earliest memory of communication. My mom has always told me this story of me from my childhood. I’m maybe two years old, right, so I don’t do much yet, just eat and sleep and toddle around, get my diapers changed when it comes to that. But for whatever reason, one day

Ryan Marinelli recounts how his travels and studies abroad widened his perspective on issues such as community, bigotry, social justice, peace, and belonging. He is an intern for MALA for Spring 2017. Some of the most my most important memories regard my experiences aboard. I have spent the last year in Japan and have traveled

Melanie Elturk is the founder and CEO of Haute Hijab. A fashion icon whose passion for vintage scarves worn as hijab inspired her to start a successful brand for Muslim women. Her success is not limited to fashion exclusively but her ability to inspire young people to follow their dreams. Her legacy is simple and