By Rachel Lee, AWARE Intern

On the 1st of December, Beyond The Hijab (BTH), an AWARE Power Fund grantee, held their very first event to celebrate their writers and supporters. BTH started out in 2014 as an online platform for Muslim women in Singapore to share their experiences as they face the demands of their religion and the pressures of the modern world. It provides diverse perspectives about women’s experiences through various blog series where contributors send in their stories based on the theme given. Photographer Nurul Huda Rashid also exhibited her photographs from the Hijab/Her series which featured the many facets of women and the hijab.

The session revved up with an exciting quiz, engaging the audience as it dived into a deeper insight of what Muslim women face in their daily lives with the use of quotes and controversial statements made about or by Muslim women.

Diana Rahim, BTH’s editor, led a panel discussion with two other contributors. She shared about her own writing experience and the process of reviewing and editing submissions. BTH contributors, Shafika Ghani and Firqin Sumartono, talked about how writing is a cathartic experience for them to understand and articulate the issues that they had faced better. They also reflected that the positive responses and support that the community gave them after their posts were published helped foster a sense of solidarity in the community.

The idea of a single narrative also surfaced during the discussion as minorities in Singapore often do not have a platform to express their views or opinions, much less for Muslim women. Therein lies the danger where only one story of a particular community dominates, flattening the experiences of others within the community. Henceforth, BTH stands to lend a voice to those in the community who have always wanted to share their personal experiences without getting judged. Muslim women are not a homogenous demographic and they should not be forced into the same mould.

During the Q&A session, a participant shared her concern about not having enough representation from middle-aged Muslim women on the blog since most of them may not be comfortable writing. One suggestion was for BTH to have oral interviews and write it for them. Ultimately, it should be entirely up to them on whether or not they want to share their stories.

Diana also reminded the audience that BTH allows anonymous submissions for contributors who do not feel comfortable using their real names. She also reassured potential contributors that she will work through the draft with them and ensure that they are fully satisfied with the final piece before publishing it on the website.

Another audience member asked whether BTH will offer an offline space beyond just the blog. Although BTH operates primarily online and will continue to do so, they collaborate with other groups that offer offline support and are keen to do more. Overall, the event was well-received as it allowed for sharing and getting feedbacks from their following beyond their online platform. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates on their latest posts.

ABOUT THE ORGANISER:

Beyond The Hijab (BTH) is an online platform for Singaporean Muslim women to share their stories religion and the demands of the current world. They run a regular blog series covering topics such as rituals, marriage and mental health. Beyond The Hijab is also a recipient of AWARE’s own Power Fund, which focuses on mentoring emerging organisations.