STRENGTH AND SISTER HOOD

Have you ever felt that your dream is really near yet so far? That someone or something is holding it just out of your grasp? It's not a nice feeling...it's disheartening and demotivating and can eat you up slowly from the inside...leaving you doubting everything about yourself.

Well I have been feeling a lot like that lately...guess it's due to a mixture of life being complicated and getting in the way and finding myself navigating around an industry and a world which is alien to me. It's left this overly confident loud strong woman feeling a little insecure and completely overwhelmed.

Navigating the world of the Arts and funding is like sinking into a massive black hole...makes me feel like it's times like this that who you know and where you come from could make a really big difference.

I sat there today with my heads in my hands wondering what was the point in doing such a big project if I couldn't get it funded to give it everything it needed to be outstanding and truthful to my hijabi sisters or failing that I couldn't get it commissioned to be shown.

I don't have a rich mummy and daddy or husband to fund me. I fund myself and the help is needed..I was literally at the point of giving up  some may say it shaytan whispering in my ears.) But I motivated myself to attend a meeting tonight.

This meeting was spear headed by an amazing sister, Lauren Booth a recent revert to Islam. The meeting was to discuss an idea for a Muslim women's project.

As I sat there and listened to the women talk and felt the thrill of new adventures calling me I began to feel that dark shadow lifting. And suddenly Anika was back, chatting, thinking, debating, living. (now they couldn't shut me up, funny what passion can do)

How can I describe to you how truly inspirational it is to sit in a room of Muslims sisters with such vibrancy and passion. All these sisters varied in every way from ethnicity's to levels of practise from the loud to the quite. But there was no judgement or up  man ship from any side. It really was a beautiful thing to see us sisters strip things down to the bare facts we are MUSLIM and we are WOMEN.

Although our life stories may differ we are one. I cannot describe to you how freeing it was unite despite the differences...its not the differences that make us who we are but the commonalities. 

We had the same goal to celebrate who and what we are.

Watching the women speak with such compassion and real feelings was like an epiphany to me. In one way or another at some point in her life each woman had suffered something for being a Muslim female. It seems our legacy that we are made to carry the mans burden...but I felt something different in the air tonight...EMPOWERMENT.

Sisters ready to take back their identity...no holds barred. And I mean no holds barred, I think anyone that suggested that any female in that room was inferior in any way probably would have got a slap or two lol.

How could I even conceive to give up. Is it not a Muslim woman's lot to suffer and struggle to make her place in this world? Statistically speaking it's harder for us to gain employment and we suffer the closed door syndrome regularly. A Muslim woman's life is not easy...unfortunately due to egotistical men and cultural confusion our women suffer. Then the west holds us up as this sniffing little damsels in distress. But from what I can see that's what makes us stronger...that's what makes us what we are. You hold us back we push harder. Sisters have had enough...it's our time to shine and show the world the greatness and the diversity that is us. But don't be fooled it will be a long and arduous journey but we will stand firm.

So what am I rambling on about??? Well tonight showed me that its about fighting..about being proud and standing tall, that these obstacles are a part of life and you should never let them get in the way and deter you. We are Women...Mothers of the nation...Paradise lies at OUR feet and if we hold strong our time will come.

So my beautiful sisters whether you are Muslim or not...know that even when times are at their darkest or it seems like all your hard work is ignored keep striving, keep dreaming. Not just for yourselves but for all your sisters..DEFEAT IS NOT AN OPTION.

And to end on that note i have attached a picture I found on the 13th most powerful Muslim Women in Britain.

I applaud you my beautiful sisters xxxxxx

if you want to read the article that goes with this picture please do i found it inspiring.

http://thetimelesslight.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/meet-the-13-most-powerful-muslim-women-in-britain/