Growing up as a Muslim, I didn’t celebrate Christmas so I never really understood the concept of mass gift-buying and giving during a holiday. For myself, gifting presents is very sacred and personal and I have always tried to ensure that what I am buying holds some sort of meaning or significance to the person that I am buying it for. So, when my roommate, who has always celebrated Christmas with her family suggested that we do secret Santa this year, an idea immediately popped into my head. As a Muslim one of the values that I try to adopt within my daily routine is one of giving selflessly and in abundance. That is when I realized that I was going to ignore the capitalistic tactics that larger retail stores push out during the holiday season, and instead shop small and shop meaningfully.
Here is a list of organizations that I chose to support this Christmas season, that can hopefully spark some inspiration for you too:
- The Dār Collective
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This organization was co-founded by Subhi Taha, an influencer and content creator, and is centred around the concept of community collaboration and giving back. They choose a country or ethnic identity to explore as a study and collaborate with educators within that field to come up with campaigns and collections. So far they have introduced the Palestine series, where every item bought from the collection supports “UNRWA with education, healthcare, & social services for displaced Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East,” according to their website. Their recent collection, the Pakistani series, includes stickers, hoodies, sweatshirts and other street style wear which would be the perfect present for someone you’re looking to buy old school ethnic apparel for. When buying from this collection you support the “Paani Project team” to provide relief to water-stressed regions, primarily in Pakistan.
- Roza Nozari
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One great way that you can support a minority community is by supporting artists who identify with them. Nozari is an artist that creates beautiful and mindful pieces that are a great way to remind someone to be more kind towards yourself. She is a queer Muslim illustrator who sells feminist stickers and prints. Currently, she has a holiday sale going on so check out her work and give someone their daily reminder that they are loved this holiday season.
- The Indian Feminist
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This is an organization that I have been following for years but only just found out had an online store. When I discovered that, I could not have been happier. It started off as an Instagram page created by two bad-ass Punjabi women who decided they were going to create a safe space for South Asian women to raise their troubles with the patriarchy. At their store, they have stickers, hoodies, mugs, you know – the usual merch that you would expect, but it’s the designs that really set them apart. Each item is uniquely designed to portray a feminist ideal, whether that be brown girls standing up for their sisters or defying gender roles that have been set in stone for centuries. For the holiday season, they have an entire section dedicated to gift ideas, which makes it easier for you to choose.
- Seek Refuge
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If you’re looking to buy masks, jewellery, or streetwear, this is the place for you. This organization donates 20 percent of its profits to refugee aid organizations such as Relief International and every item is uniquely designed to advocate for the rights of refugees worldwide. My personal favourites are their jean jacket adorned with beautiful Arabic scripture on the back, and their “No Nazr Bracelet.”