Not Only Kafala
This piece is a reflection on women’s invisibilized labour. It analyzes the double burden domestic workers face in the Gulf: as a foreign worker, you are governed by kafala laws, while as a female, you are governed by the male guardianship system.
Photo is by Abdullah Farouk on Unsplash.
Between Religion and Rights: African Muslim Women Navigate a Tight Balance
Co-written alongside my colleague, Rehema Namukose, this article highlights, the often neglected, lived realities of Muslim women on the African continent. Exploring the layers of oppression and discrimination imposed on them, the piece criticizes how many find themselves forced to make an impossible choice: either have their rights or be considered ‘pious Muslims.’
The piece is originally written in English, and was translated to Spanish and cross-published by Afrofeminas team. To read the Spanish version, click here.
The Global South Is Not Made Equal
I write about my life as a student and employee in Qatar. I also write about the new realities that underpin changing contexts and South-South power dynamics.
The piece was published on RESURJ as part of their Reflections on Our Countries edition focused on examining the imprint of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on our lives and bodies.
A Doula Diary: On Magic & Placentas
I write about my career as a doula, the magic of placentas, and the challenges of some narratives associated with the profession.
The piece was originally written in English, and was translated to Arabic by The A Project team.
Leave/ing No Trace Behind
I wrote about my journey leaving Qatar and coming back home. I share my story about the pain of being erased and the beauty of choosing to be forgotten.
One’s Own Desire: Arab Women Writers Speak for Themselves in We Wrote in Symbols
I wrote this book review for Asymptote blog. We Wrote in Symbols: Love and Lust by Arab Women Writers is an anthology that provides a glimpse into a world that has been constantly made invisible or policed within systems of domestication and abuse. Edited by Selma Dabbagh, the collection presents over 100 pieces by 75 different womxn who identify as Arab.
So Many Islands: Glimpses into lesser Known Cultures
In collaboration with Sabaya Book Club, I wrote this book review on So Many Islands: Stories from the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. The review includes an interview with the book’s editor, Nicholas Laughlin. It also includes thoughts shared by two of the authors: Melanie Schwapp and Heather Barker.
مذكرات رقصة الكوارنتين
من خلال التحدث عن لحظات الرقص الشخصية وربطها بلحظات مماثلة مذكورة برواية "نساء على أجنحة الحلم" لفاطمة المرنيسي، ألقي في هذا النص الضوء على دور الرقص كتعبير ثوري يخلق عالمًا نسويًا مبني على ممارسات اجتماعية قائمة على البهجة، لا مكان فيها لاحتقار أو كراهية الجسد
تم نشر النص في سبتمبر، ٢٠٢٠ على موقع جيم
I Come From El Salam: Mahraganat Music and the Impossibility of Containment
This article explores the different narratives associated with mahraganat music within the context of the recent ban of the genre.
The article was published in Jadaliyya in August, 2020
Script-wrote and presented two videos, in collaboration with Love Matters Arabic. The first video discusses consent and communications between partners, and the second one is on post-miscarriage and abortion care.
Featured in Liberal Arts and Pleasure Activism Helped Me Understand Cairo, by Amuna Wagner
This article was published in Egyptian Streets in October, 2021