Twitter Party: #EmpoweredMuslimWomen

by Sabina Khan

Five months ago, when I started Muslimah Montage, I had a Twitter Party #MMontage where participants discussed how Muslim women were changing the narrative through the work they are doing, the challenges, and women who inspire them, as well as many other relevant issues.

I was pleasantly surprised at how many people contributed to the conversation and the dialogue that it started among Muslims, Muslim women, women and people from all over the world.  I, personally, learned a lot and posted a brief recap of the event. The only down side of the party was being put in “Twitter Jail” for too much interaction, which in retrospect, is a good thing, right?

It has only been five months since I have been truly active on Facebook and Twitter.  I never understood the true value of social networking until then.  The amount of awareness that Twitter hashtags and Facebook page articles bring is phenomenal.  And it doesn’t stop there, this awareness leads to social activism both online and offline.  As Aisha Saeed mentions on her blog, Ten Ways to like Twitter and #EmpoweredMuslimWomen, Suey Park’s#NotYourAsianSidekick, changed how we social media is viewed.  It has also led to awareness outside of the Twitter world.  Park’s hashtag trend has demonstrated the true power of social media.

Being around so many empowered Muslim women, in “real life” and on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, it has inspired me to have a second Twitter Party, using the hashtag #EmpoweredMuslimWomen. The purpose of this is Twitter Party is to celebrate amazing women and to discuss what it means to be an empowered woman. Anyone one can join, even if you are not a Muslim woman!

 Muslimah Montage, along with co-host Brown Girl Magazine, will administer the #EmpoweredMuslimWomen chat on Tues., March 4, 2014 at 11:00 AM, PST.  The event will be moderated by writer and lawyer Aisha Saeed (@aishacs), and writer and founder of Coming of Faith, Laila Alawa (@LulainLife). 

Some of the critical questions we will be discussing are:

1. What is the definition of “empowered” in the context of Muslim women? We hope to touch on the nuances of what empowerment means to different women from different backgrounds.
2. Who empowers women?  Do they need others to empower them?
3. How can women support each other?
4. Why do we need empowered women?
5. Where are the role models?
6. What does it mean to empower women?
7. What are you doing personally to empower yourself or support others?
8. How can we be role models for young women?
9. Can gender equality be accomplished through empowering women?
10. Can we empower women by telling our stories of trials and triumph?
11. What are some of the issues that arise with talk of empowering/empowered women?

Among the women who have RSVP’d for #EmpoweredMuslimWomen chat include, Willow Wilson, Ainee Fatima, Zahra Billoo, Jennifer Zobair,Shireen Ahmed, Raquel Evita Sarawati, and many more wonderful women worth “listening” to.

Muslimah Montage and Brown Girl Magazine are looking forward to a powerful conversation this coming Tuesday and I am hoping that, while there will be lots of interaction, I do not end up in Twitter Jail again!