Rowing Her Way to Gold

The inspirational Muslimah who clinched Singapore’s first individual gold medal in rowing at the Southeast Asian Games speaks to Najwa Abdullah. She shares how she, too, struggles to get started exercising, and how persistence and strong commitment is essential. Fresh from winning her first gold medal in rowing for Singapore at the recent Southeast Asian Games … Read more

‘Comedy is provocation in a funny and subtle manner’

Indonesian stand-up comedian Sakdiyah Ma’ruf challenges women’s issues and religious extremism with her razor-sharp wit. She spoke to Najwa Abdullah. “How do you feel about being Muslim in Indonesia?” asked stand-up comedian Sakdiyah Ma’ruf at the beginning of our conversation. “It’s [something so] normal that you almost can’t see what is wrong, what goes wrong, or if … Read more

Meet the superwoman of Somalia: Dr Hawa Abdi

The adage ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ was made for this inspiring woman who stood up against those who dared to interfere with her humanitarian work. By Laila Achmad. Over the last 20 years, Somalia has been home to some of the worst humanitarian crises the modern world has ever witnessed. These days, … Read more

From cancer to career

Shireen Qudosi shares her story of a cancer diagnosis and the powerful way it allowed her to capture a lost narrative. There are all sorts of inspirational quotes and memes that relate to life. They say that “It’s always darkest before dawn”, or “God doesn’t give you more than you can endure”. It’s easy to believe … Read more

How Palestine’s last keffiyeh factory is helping olive trees to flourish

Hirbawi Textile Factory, located in Hebron, is the only producer of the original keffiyeh in all of Palestine. The factory was founded in 1961 by Yasser Hirbawi. Photo by Eloise Bollack Environmental activist Morgan Cooper found a sustainable way to fund the planting of trees in Palestine for its people: selling local artisanal products online. She … Read more