During this Black History Month, we at themuslimmoon.com decided that we didn't want to only focus on well-known Black Muslim Heroes. We also wanted to put a spotlight on our Black Muslim friends and community leaders, whose work and contributions make a difference everyday. We encourage you to look for and support your own local heroes in our tips list below.
Black history and culture is woven into the fabric of modern society. It should not only be acknowledged in our day-to-day lives, but actively celebrated by people from all walks of life. Today we're sharing the stories of local heroes who are helping to create a fairer world for future generations.
Rahma Rodaah - Author and Rebellious Self-Publisher
Rahma was born in Somalia and immigrated to Quebec as a child, where she attended school and endured racial discrimination and harassment. She found solace in reading, but realized at a young age that any literature with representation of Muslim characters and particularly Somali characters was riddled with stereotypes and negative stories of war and famine.
Later in life, while shopping for her daughter Rahma noticed that books for children in Canada still did not have enough positive representations of diverse characters. She decided to take on the challenge to self-publish her first picture book: “Muhiima’s Quest”, which touches on universal themes of love, family and acceptance through the portrayal of African Muslim characters.
Rahma wanted to create books that represent diversity for her daughter and celebrate being a Black Muslim family in North America. She continued her passion for writing, and published her next book: “Little Brother for Sale”. Rahma now provides a self-publishing guide as an act of rebellion to inspire other diverse authors. She embodies the strength and creativity shared by all heroes, who put their passion and ideas into action.
Find out more about Rahma and her work at www.rahmarodaah.com, or follow her on Facebook.
Idilsworld
Idil Farah is a Black Muslim nutritionist living in Toronto, Canada. Her goal is to help people become empowered to improve their health through healthy eating, using natural foods as medicine by creating their kitchen “farmacy”. Having overcome her own health issues with healthy eating, Idil became a nutritionist and health coach to inspire others on their wellness journeys.
When you visit Idilsworld's social media pages, you quickly see and feel her zest for food and health. “Let food be your medicine and your kitchen your all natural pharmacy” is a prominent mantra on display.
Her blog is a treasure chest of delicious and easy recipes, like Tumeric Lentil Soup and Strawberry Chia jam. She also blends in healthy eating tips on gut health and kitchen organization. Her approach is so inviting and warm, you cannot help wanting to return to see what she's cooking up next.
Idil is a role model for us a Black Muslim women; a person who has taken her gift of cooking and communicating online to the next level to create a career that truly touches the lives of others.
Check out her website at idilsworld.com or follow her on Facebook.
Tips for Supporting Local Heroes
a) Look for restaurants and eat or order from there with your family - buy gift certificates to give as gifts to friends and neighbours for Ramadan and Eid.
b) Shop local - search out Black-owned retails stores for your shopping needs and invite friends to shop there too.
c) Go online - find out who the Black community leaders are in your area. Look into community events and committees.
d) Boost people’s voices - use your social media to like, share, subscribe to boost the voices of Black Muslims and Black non-Muslims in your area who are doing amazing everyday work to improve their community and their world - not only this February, but throughout the year.