In Shakespeaere’s a Midsummer Night’s Dream, there is a line that says “though she be but little, she is fierce”, that is Shahin. Short in height, mighty in her passion, compassion and willingness to stand against injustice and inequalities, you will hear from our chat that Shahin has always carried that thread through her whole life.

She helped set up and then run a helpline for Muslim women with the Muslim Women’s Network and is currently working for Islamic Relief Worldwide as their Head of Global Advocacy. She is a Green Party Councillor in her local area of Solihull and recently became the first Muslim woman to become the Mayor of Solihull.

Shahin is funny, has a no-nonsense approach and like so many women, seems to be getting more confident and passionate about what she believes in, as she gets older.

Find Shahin on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahin-ashraf-mbe-a58a5367/?originalSubdomain=uk

Sbba has been on a rollercoaster of emotions sincer her cancer diagnosis in October 2021.

She speaks powerfully about the time when she was told the news, her treatment journey and the complications that came with that to now where she is a powerful advocate and is educating others about cancer. She has a particular interest in making sure that women of colour and those from marginalised groups are not forgotten and receive equal treatment.

Sbba also shares about the role her Islamic faith played in her recovery and it is moving to hear about the support she has had from her family and friends and what difference that has made to her.

There are a few words used in this chat that people may not be familiar with:

“Dhikr” Arabic word for remembrance, supplication, reminding oneself of God/Allah

“Namaz” the Urdu word for prayer. “Salah” is the Arabic word for prayer

“Deen” Arabic for religion or belief

“Allah” Arabic for God.

Sbba mentions one of the charities she is working with, Target Ovarian Cancer.

Find out more on their website and you will see our very own Sbba is featured.

https://targetovariancancer.org.uk/stories/sbbas-story

Sukina talks about her conversion to Islam, the role Malcolm X played in that, her poetry and the power of creative expression . We talk about her early days with Munira as part of the unique duet called Poetic Pilgrimage, with its roots in Bristol and how it enabled them to travel to different parts of the UK and around the World.

She also talked about her love of Senegal and the empowerment of women that is evident all around in that country.

Sukina is a beautiful soul inside and out and that shone through in how she spoke and what she said. As always, we asked what the word Thrive means to her and Sukina gave a beautiful reflection on it connected to nature and plants.

Get a copy of Sukina's poetry book here.
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