When I first heard about Muslim Women’s Day — which takes place on March 27 every year — I was super excited. Given that Women’s History Month is also celebrated in March, I’ve always felt like it’s the perfect time to recognize women of all backgrounds and their incredible accomplishments. No matter what background you come from, I believe it’s crucial to reaffirm the importance of being an ally to the Muslim community.
If you’re like me and heard about Muslim Women’s Day fairly recently, you’re not alone. Recently, I became interested in learning more about the origins of Muslim Women’s Day, and during my research, I was shocked to learn that day’s “history” isn’t as distant as I originally thought. As Muslim Women’s Day approaches this week, here’s what you need to know about the special day, why it’s celebrated, and how you can get involved.
What is the history of Muslim Women’s Day?
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh founded the website MuslimGirl.com after frustration with misleading misconceptions and discourse about Islam and Muslim women. According to the Muslim Girl website, the organization was founded in responses to media coverage that “kept skewing the image of Muslims” and focusing on “mistrust, racism, and flat-out hatred.” As a result, the Muslim Girl platform exists, in part, to address “the muting of young Muslim voices” from mainstream society.
Muslim Girl has become a platform where Muslim women and their allies can learn about Muslim activism and lifestyles, and on March 27, 2017, Muslim Girl launched the first Muslim Women’s Day. Muslim Girl and several media partners completely flooded the internet with stories about Muslim women, celebrated the successes of Muslim women, and talked about issues surrounding the Muslim community, including the former presidential administration’s travel ban. The world’s first Muslim Women’s Day was a success, with many organizations, media outlets, and individuals posting about Muslim Women’s Day and sparking conversations on social media.
Why is Muslim Women’s Day important?
Islamophobia is a systemic issue that continues to be a major problem in the United States and worldwide. Muslim Women’s Day is a step toward speaking out against injustices on the local, state-wide, national, and international level — plus, it’s a unique time to raise awareness for Muslim women’s stories. However, it’s important to remember that not being Islamophobic isn’t enough to support Muslim women. It’s crucial to educate yourself about the issues facing Muslim women in your local community and abroad and work toward becoming an ally so that no Muslim woman feels alone.
As the Muslim Girl platform says perfectly:
“Muslim Women’s Day is a day for all Muslim women to celebrate who we are and show the world that we exist — whether you’re a creative, a mother, a student, from any walk of life — if you identify as a Muslim woman, you are enough.”
here’s how to get involved with Muslim Women’s Day 2022.
Muslim Women’s Day has been recognized on March 27 ever since, and this year marks the sixth anniversary of the celebration. The 2022 theme will be “Securing Our Space,” and according to the Muslim Girl website, it’s an effort to proclaim that Muslim women are here to take up space, and here to stay.
On March 27, you can join the conversation by using the hashtag #MuslimWomensDay on social media platforms, and you can also follow @muslimgirl on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the campaign.
To get involved this year, consider signing petitions, attending protests, keeping up with the news surrounding the Muslim community, and getting involved with important campaigns like #MuslimWomensDay2022. Outside of these forms of activism, be sure to follow Muslim women on social media, read their stories, celebrate their accomplishments, and recognize that Muslim women are, above all, people — and deserved to be respected, loved, and treated fairly.