Hi, all. Happy New Year, from me, Farzana, your host of Thursday Connectors. I hope you had a great holiday and are feeling happy and healthy as we begin 2025.

2024 ended with me feeling hopeful that I had made a small but positive contribution in the local community and the society I belong to and live in, by hosting a series of workshops trying to clear misperceptions about the Hijab, Muslim women and Islamophobia in general. I used creative writing as a tool of expression, and was really impressed with how my participants opened up in my sessions, using prompts set by me to come up with some brilliant short pieces of writing and poetry. And, of course, with our theme for the new year’s start being misunderstandings, I thought why not share some of these pieces with you and share some of my own experiences as well.

January 19 was World Religion Day and, as I was writing this introduction, it came to me how important days like this are in promoting a culture of acceptance while gaining knowledge. By learning new things about religions other than our own, we fight ignorance and hatred which, to be honest, is much needed in this day and age. Living in Barking and Dagenham for the last 21 years – most of my adult life – I’ve realised things back in 2003 were much nicer and the community was more tolerant and embracing than, sadly, it is now. I definitely believe that, with easy access to social media platforms and wider Facebook pages and X trends, both local and national, ethnic minorities can be demonised. People are definitely becoming more hostile towards religions such as Islam and there’s so much more hatred about.

Being a brown lady in a hijab makes me the perfect prey for Islamophobia and racism when I’m out in public. This scares me; it scares me so much. I was born and bred in east London. I have no other home to go back to! I’m as British as British can be but, because of my religion and my choice to wear a hijab to cover my hair, I am targeted and I am labelled, while being made to feel underserving to be here, in my own homeland. I’m not a migrant, so I can’t even imagine the hardships and discrimination those people face when out and about. Wherever I look, there seem to be hostility and dirty looks and snide remarks. I wish I could just have the courage to stop and smile, saying: “Hey, I’m just like you. See me for who I am, not for my religion. I respect you and your cultures and religions, so please respect me back…”

But I know this is a long road and, while walking it in search of a more tolerable and friendly space and civilisation, all I can do is send postcards and letters from my heart to clear misrepresentations, stereotypes, and the negative connotations about women like me who choose to wear the hijab while living in the Western world.

So, today’s Connectors are really close to my heart in this journey, as they are from people from my local community who chose to come to my sessions about women and Islamophobia, and who used the safe space to reflect and gain knowledge and connect through debate, knowledge and creative writing.

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First up, is Juneha, whose poem, The Insider, was inspired by my first workshop, where we used colour as a writing prompt to express emotions and our vulnerabilities to write about Islamophobia and how it could make a woman in a hijab feel.

Hi, Juneha. Let’s connect:

Brown – The Outsider

They did it, not me.
They said it, not me.
So why all the questions?
Why all the blame?
And this, what is this?

The graffiti on the wall was not there this morning.
Neither was the hole in my window.
And that note through my letterbox
what is that supposed to mean?
“Go back to where I came from?”
But this is it, this is where I came from,
this is my home.
Where am I supposed to go?

Too brown to be British.
Too Muslim to fit in anywhere else.
One foot out of the door,
I should have listened to my body –
the sweat, the palpitations.

It was the fear that brought on the panic attack.
And just like every other time I was right to be scared.
As it was just minutes later that everything went black.

© Juneha Chowdhury, 2024

Connect with Juneha on X: @junehachowdhury

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Here are a few more examples from my young adult group in the same session, also using colour as a prompt.

Let’s connect with Afiyah Jabbar, age 22, Saniya Iqbal, age 16 and Maryam age 14:

Blue, Deep Like My Feelings

As I stepped out that day, the world felt tinted in a deep shade of blue, reflecting my mix of anxiety and hope. The vibrant colours of the bustling streets contrasted sharply with the heaviness in my heart. Wearing my hijab, I felt torn, a sense of identity, yet I was carrying the weight of potential judgement pressed down on me like an overcast sky. The blue of my thoughts deepened as I noticed the sidelong glances, some filled with curiosity, others with disdain.

© Afiyah Jabbar, 2024

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Purple – My Fear

I feel fear. Fear for my life. Fear for my future. The yellow line on the platform seems daunting. Thoughts go through my head. I get flashbacks from the news where a hijab-wearing lady was pushed in front of an incoming train. Will I, while wearing a purple hijab, meet this fate as well?

© Saniya Iqbal, 2024

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Dark Blue – Don’t Push Me Around

I feel upset. What If I am the next victim to be pushed around because I am of those who wear a hijab?

©  Maryam, 2024

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Next, a set of Connectors where I gave two options as opening lines and the rules were to write whatever came to mind using the words ‘Grocery’ and ‘Hijab’ in the piece somewhere. I was amazed by the creativity and thoughtfulness of the group, bearing in mind not all the Connectors and participants were hijab-wearing, women, or from the Muslim faith.

Like The Sky, I Was Bitter

I was once again awakened by my alarm at the crack of dawn. Surely, I must be getting more sleep than this! I had to wake up, go to school and teach, teach, teach and teach. An endless repetitive cycle. Oh, well, I had to get up or else I wouldn’t have the money needed to get groceries. I get up, did my make-up… Mmm, pink lipstick or brown? I think pink will go with my colour palette. I chose a pink hijab to match as it’s second nature to me now: to wear my hijab, put on my beautiful outfit to match and ensure I am representing my religion in the best way possible.

© Afiyah Jabbar, 2024

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Like The Sea I Was Calm

That does not mean I was afraid or suppressed.
I was calm because there is no point in showing my emotions,
It shows my weakness.
Is my calmness bothering you?
I am so proud of myself because I have drawn your attention.
Is my hijab bothering you?
I am proud of myself; my culture has drawn your attention.
Have you seen me carrying my Asian grocery?
Did you think what are those?
I am very proud, even my grocery basket has drawn your attention.
Okay!
After all, you are not my enemy,
I do not dislike you,
I am not angry with you,
Instead,
I respect you,
I respect your culture
I never questioned you or your culture,
I wanted to be your friend.
Take me as I am,
As I took you as you are,
No one better than you and me,
No one lower than you and me,
We are equal.

© Sebastian Elanko,  2024

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 Like The Sea, I Was Calm

It was finally cold again. Summer is not for me, guys because I overheat, just like my phone does when I play Roblox. Anyway, I popped out to go to the grocery store for supplies. I put on my hijab and left the warmth of the heated house. Though the hijab shielded me from the chilly weather, it added to my cold aura. My aura is so immense, that The cold never bothered me anyway! Just like Elsa from Frozen!

© Saniya Iqbal, 2024

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Last but not least, here’s a selection of acrostic poems which were written after I gave my participants an empowering word each. I’m sure  you’ll agree, what they came up with was absolutely beautiful:

Fearless

Fear can come in different forms.
Ever-lasting happiness,
A privilege I would like to have.
Realising happiness is all around me.
Living my life with no worries,
Encouragement to express my feelings
So happy,
So fearless!

© Maryam, 2024

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Happy

Hope for a future filled with happiness
Achievements that are important,
Promise of a better tomorrow,
Promoting inclusivity and learning from each other,
Yawning to learn more and hear histories from each other.

© Dr Afsana Elanko, 2024

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Career

Charismatic, charming, career lady,
Armed with knowledge and skills,
Realising her potential,
Equality is what you stand for,
Erasing the myths of the past,
Rise my dear wonderful friend.

© Dr Afsana Elanko, 2024

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Control

Caring for parents when they are old,
Over the moon, I was when I finished my degree.
Nothing should stop you from moving on in your life.
Try your best for your future
Role models are important in your life.
Only you are the reason for success and failure in your life.
Life is full of challenges.

© Muhammad Iqbal, 2024

Connect with Muhammad Iqbal on X: @ickbal2000

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Culture

Can happiness really be achieved?
Ultimately, it’s just a name given to a hormone released; Dopamine.
Low dopamine levels mean you are “unhappy!”
This is the culture of the society we live in where everything is driven by feelings,
Unable to understand how I truly feel in such a fast-developing world,
Robots surround me. I don’t know who these people surround me are.
Even happiness seems like a stranger in this immoral society.

© Saniya Iqbal, 2024

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Woman

Wondering what exactly my purpose is. Take care of a household? Thinking about what next to cook for dinner?
Owning my right. Reclaiming my agency. Thinking about what I want.
Managing everything happening to me. Listening to what one is saying and hearing what another one is.
Another person saying, ‘No, you must be this, not that!’
No. I can be anything, a housewife, a business woman, whatever I want to be, I will be that. No judgement. No input. No choice. Except my own.

© Afiyah Jabbar, 2024

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Muslim

Mission unaccomplished because they lack the
Understanding that we are better united.
Socially and emotionally, we are affected by how they treat us.
Living in a society where many, though not all, people are
Indifferent to our views and intolerant of our beliefs is hard. The word
Muslim must mean better than what it currently stands for.

© Juneha Chowdhury, 2024

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Equal

Empower the hijab wearing ladies,
Quality of life improves,
Unequal diminishes,
Angels sing from heaven,
Laughter and joy overcome the darkness and sadness.

© Sebastian Elanko, 2024

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And there we go. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my Connectors this month. As part of World Religion Day, I wanted to  spread some cheer and clear some misunderstandings about us hijab-wearing women. One day, I hope to share my own journey as to why I began wearing the hijab – over ten years ago now. I very much want to tell you about how this garment has empowered me both spiritually and holistically, despite many people thinking it’s actually held me back and taken away my ‘value’ and the ‘right’ to be a voice for other women worldwide. I’ve been told the piece of cloth on my head is contradictory to whatever I say and that I must be “Oh-so-oppressed!” and that it prevents me from being  an advocate for women’s empowerment. But, my good friends, that’s a story for another day…

See you soon.

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Issue 23 of Write On! is out now and you can read it online here. Find it in libraries and other outlets. You can find previous editions of our magazines here.

You can hear great new ideas, creative work and writing tips on Write On! Audio. Find us on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Google Podcasts and Spotify. Type Pen to Print into your browser and look for our logo, or find us on Podcasters.Spotify.com.

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