Yousra Samir Imran
@UNDERYOURABAYA
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Journalist, Author: Hijab and Red Lipstick (2020). Words in The New Arab, TRT World, Al Jazeera, Stylist, gal-dem & more. (Under Your Abaya was my fashion blog)
West Yorkshire
Joined October 2011
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Pinned Tweet
PLEASE RT Team fundraiser with my friend Freya Greenhill for Samah Al Nakhala who is a single mother of 4 children in Gaza, struggling to feed them & desperate to have the funds to evacuate. Just a few pounds, the cost of a coffee, can go a long way
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How did I end up marrying a man who never reads books?! 😱 Anyone else here who is a bookworm but partner doesn’t read?
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Thinking about when I was raped at the age of 21 in Doha. If I had gotten pregnant I would have absolutely had to fly back to the U.K. and terminated the pregnancy. There’s no way I would have carried a rapist’s baby, plus as an unmarried woman I would have been sent to prison
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November is
#IslamophobiaAwarenessMonth
& I was shocked to see some of the suggestions libraries have put out there - books written by white people (mainly Americans) about wars & jihad! Here is my recommended reading list, one that centres the lives & experiences of Muslim women
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Muslim tweeps may I request a duaa for me today on this blessed day of Jum’ah for shifaa for my postpartum anxiety/depression. Jazakum Allahu Khair 🌹
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The oldest & most pathetic comeback men have when they realise what a woman is saying is powerful & threatening to their misogynistic discourse is to call her ugly. It says a lot about a man when he tries to get back at a woman by calling her ugly
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A year ago I started writing the first draft of my second novel, a Muslim romance based in Yorkshire. I only got 7000 words in. My mother-in-law has offered to take care of the baby on Tuesdays and Fridays and so I’m hoping today to finally pick it back up!
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So for non-Arabic speakers basically Arab Twitter is having loads of fun with Kylie Jenner’s new look because it is a stereotypical Arabic/Gulfie makeup look and you see women looking like this on music videos and beauty salon ads 😆😆😆
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For how much longer will women be murdered by male family members for refusing to get married? There is no honour in killing, only fitnah
TW: graphic descriptions of murder
Somaiya Begum: Murdered woman dumped like rubbish, jury told - BBC News
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Tips please from my Muslim sisters for keeping salah on time with newborn baby! Every time I put him down to pray he wakes up and cries! Shall I just let him cry for a few minutes so I get my salah done?
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Telling someone to respect culture when they’re highlighting a harmful aspect of it is a shady way of trying to defend harmful traditions and allow them to continue (yes, I’m talking about the father changing the diaper in front of his mum debate)
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Also thinking about now with what has been the most debilitating anxiety and depression in my life postpartum. If I was to accidentally get pregnant now I would probably choose to terminate the pregnancy as if I kept it I’d probably end up having another mental breakdown
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My dad surprised us by booking a ticket to the UK from Doha and I was reunited with him yesterday after 13 months! 😍
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In both scenarios being forced to carry on with a pregnancy would have either destroyed my life (in the case of the rape) or caused irreparable damage to my mental health & stopped me from functioning as a mother to my young child. I can’t fathom that option being stripped away
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Happy publication day to me and to my amazing publishers
@hashtag_press
- I share today’s date with the launch of Lockdown 2.0 and Bonfire Night! Looking forward to seeing some of you tonight at 7pm GMT in the virtual book launch
#hijabandredlipstick
#hashtagpress
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Thank you
@thediyora
for commissioning my first-person piece on why I won’t let people guilt-trip me when I say I haven’t enjoyed my pregnancy, and that it doesn’t make me ungrateful for finding it very hard, for
@galdemzine
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Just received devastating news that my beloved aunt in Cairo passed away from COVID-19 this morning 😞 she was someone that always served others. May Allah accept her as a shaheedah on this blessed day of Jum’ah
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#BOOKGIVEAWAY
To celebrate my book turning 2, I’m giving away a signed copy of my book & copies of my sister books Ten Steps to Us & Being Amani (not signed). To enter, retweet, follow me,
@attiyakhan39
&
@BeingASteele
& reply with “done.” UK & Ireland. Closes 4.11.22 11:59pm
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A thread of the 10 books I’m most looking forward to in 2023:🧵
1. Evil Eye by Etaf Rum
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@JXEKER
@ruqaiya_h
It's a tricky one. She said she has EDS and as someone who has EDS I can tell you that people with EDS usually have other co-existing health issues/illnesses that you wouldn't think are related at all. I have EDS, epilepsy, asthma, early stage lupus & OCD/panic attack disorder
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It’s important to understand that protesting against forced hijab isn’t being Islamophobic (as Muslims) - it’s not about Hijab vs no Hijab, it’s about women being forced to do something by the state and having no agency - women in Iran are demanding back their agency
#Mahsa_Amini
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So it’s official! Signed my publishing contract today with
@hashtag_press
and they’ll be releasing my debut novel Hijab and Red Lipstick in Autumn 2020 inshallah! 🥳
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To celebrate Eid I’m giving away a signed copy of my book! To enter, follow me, tag a friend, and retweet! Giveaway ends Wednesday 4th May at 11pm. UK only
#Giveaway
#BookGiveaway
#win
#EidMubarak
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It’s
#WorldBookDay
and to celebrate I’m doing a
#giveaway
🥳🎉I’m giving away a copy of Hijab and Red Lipstick. To enter all you have to do is like, retweet and reply by tagging a friend. UK residents only. Giveaway ends Sunday 7th March at 8pm GMT
@hashtag_press
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My final read of the year. A heartbreakingly beautiful debut from Zoulfa Katouh that I honestly recommend everyone reads to get a glimpse of what people in Syria are actually going through. My full review on
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My son is half Pakistani. I feel it’s imperative that I learn more about the history of British Pakistani immigrants and the community’s heritage for him. My wonderful British Pakistani friends, what do you recommend? In terms of books, films, documentaries, places?
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Today is my 1st year book anniversary! Hijab and Red Lipstick is my semi-autobiographical YA novel about the harsh reality of growing up as a girl in the Gulf under guardianship laws, and the choices she makes as a result
Published by the wonderful
@hashtag_press
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I’m 32 & would love a child-just 1 child & I’d be contented. The thing is it’s a gamble with a chronic illness-pregnancy/childbirth could make my EDS worse & leave me disabled & doctors can’t say what will happen. Any advice from fellow zebras/chronic illness warriors?
@bennessb
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Britney Spears’ testimony &
@Mobeen_Azhar
‘s documentary Battle for Britney got me thinking about the similarities between conservatorships & the guardianship system, so I wrote about it for
@galdemzine
- thank you
@thediyora
& shout-out to
@monaeltahawy
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Egypt is a country where women have been sentenced to years in prison for being “too provocative” on their Tik Tok videos yet men there get away with gang rape
In
#Egypt
, the daughters of the working class are put on trial and sentenced to 6 and 10 years in prison for their TikTok accounts, which allegedly "violated family values."
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GIVEAWAY TIME! To celebrate Hijab and Red Lipstick coming out I’m giving away one signed copy! To enter, like and retweet this post and comment tagging a bookish friend. Deadline is Monday 16th November at 8pm. UK & Ireland only.
#bookgiveaway
#Giveaway
@hashtag_press
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(1/2) In 2016 I went on a date with a Qatari guy who confessed to me that he had murdered his sister and her lover to reclaim his family’s honour and I wrote about it for
@CosmopolitanUK
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After my chat on BBC Radio 4 today my book Hijab and Red Lipstick moved its way up to No. 3 on Amazon!
@hashtag_press
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Beyond proud of my youngest brother who moved to the U.K. a year ago from Doha having never lived here & because of his birth date was put in Year 11 (he would have been in Year 10 in Doha) & despite missing Year 10 still managed to get 5s, 6s and 7s in his GCSEs
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My hubby pretends he’s not proud of me but I caught him secretly showing off that his wife has a book coming out to his friend over Whatsapp 😆
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What I chose for Ammar to wear (left) vs what my husband was trying to choose for Ammar to wear (right).
I told him I want Ammar to look like a young child, not a drug dealer on Great Horton Road
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Say what! Look at my lovely book 😍😍😍 and it’s true, we’re going to be in Vogue magazine next month inshallah!
I am in love!! I can't believe this book from my tiny publishing house is going to be in Vogue magazine 🎉🎉🎉 God is good!
@UNDERYOURABAYA
#HijabandRedLipstick
#UKYA
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My Gazan friend, made her application to
@SOAS
for a Masters along with an application for a scholarship while evacuating from Gaza to Egypt. With poor internet, plus being traumatised and confused, she sent her scholarship letter to Admissions instead of the scholarship team
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Husband as I listen to the
@gossipmongers1
podcast: "I don't get how one moment you're arguing with me about hermeneutics in the Qur'an and the next you're giggling over a story about a girl who collects her poos in shoe boxes." You've got yourself a girl who does both!
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I’m the sickest I’ve been in ages - if you pray please do remember me 🙏🏼🤲🏻❤️
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Another thing going round on MT and needs to stop - slut-shaming unmarried Muslim women who talk about cervical cancer screening. Stop making assumptions. You don’t have to be sexually actively to get a Pap smear. Making sure we don’t have cancer is more important than our hymens
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My dad didn’t lie when he said if I marry a Desi guy I’m marrying the whole family & it’s really getting too much. It’s like my husband doesn’t know how to be part of a couple. I know Islamically you’re not meant to rant about your marriage but I can’t bottle things up inside
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It wouldn’t be
#WorldBookDay
without me doing a
#bookgiveaway
- to win a copy of my semi-autobiographical novel, Hijab and Red Lipstick, like, follow me and retweet! Ends 05.03.23 at 11:59pm. UK & Ireland only
@hashtag_press
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For more of my thoughts and experiences about things as a Muslim woman I’m told not to speak about you can subscribe to my newsletter and read my book Hijab and Red Lipstick which is based on my life
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@DTA_JThompson
@RaifaRafiq
What a small world! Jenny you are now the principal at Dixons Trinity, right next to where I work at Bradford College! I had a Year 4 teacher who I adored & somehow I tracked her down via the internet to thank her via email (I hope that isn't stalkerish)-teachers do change lives
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My top 10 reads for 2021! Featuring books by
@sarajafari
@EQuotah
@AwaisKhanAuthor
@SaimaMir
@huma_qureshi_uk
@sjabulhawa
@NeemaMShah
@AAAiswriting
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In my latest for
@The_NewArab
I write about the prevalence of marital rape in Egypt, a topic close to my heart. A huge thank you to
@monaeltahawy
and
@GeekFatimah
for talking to me ✊🏼
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@PLoyalties
@Elias_Jahshan
I witnessed this systemic racism towards non-Arabs on a daily basis in my 15 yrs in Qatar. However Western media outlets don’t genuinely care about the issues they’re highlighting, and they don’t talk to people on the ground or give them a platform to talk for themselves
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My favourite reads of 2020; these are books that I won’t forget any time soon 😍❤️
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Western media’s criticism of Emir Tamim robing Messi in a bisht shows complete ignorance and contempt of Arab culture - I delve into this and the origin of the bisht for
@The_NewArab
- thank you
@ShaimaSherif2
@SEltantawi
@HafsaLodi
for commenting
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You never fail to move and inspire me
@SaimaMir
by so openly and vulnerably sharing your story - a must-read on the mother-in-law who was an upholder of the patriarchy under the guise of being pro-women - just not when it came to her daughter in law
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This is absolutely appalling. After a newborn baby was found dead in Hamad International Airport female passengers on the plane were forced off, stripped and forced to have invasive medical examinations. This is completely against human rights
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Another senseless murder of a woman this time Rozan Nasser in Palestine by her fiancé. Her family pardoned him in return for 100,000 dinars paid in 3 instalments. Here you see them negotiating over the price. Our lives as Arab women mean nothing. F the patriarchy
@monaeltahawy
جاهة لدية بمبلغ 100 ألف دينار على ثلاث دفعات والمقابل العفو عن القاتل!
لم تقتل #روزان_ناصر مرة واحدة، في كل مرة يسقط الحق الشخصي تقتل النساء والفتيات كل من شارك في هذه الجاهة كل من برأه قاتل .
تسقط الوصاية على أجسادنا و ارواحنا
#اوقفوا_قتل_النساء
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Thank you
@SuperKnafeh
and
@The_NewArab
for this review
Hijab and Red Lipstick: A space for survivors of patriarchy
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The hypocrisy of a military regime that arrests female Tik Tokers for their content and tries to bring legal cases against female actresses for “damaging family morals��� over what they wear on the red carpet/to events, yet celebrates its males when they undress
The more they undress, the more
#Egyptian
men are celebrated for virility, masculinity, strength. These are students of the Police Academy on display on Thursday for our fascist dictator Sisi, whose regime has been arresting women for dancing and singing, fully clothed, on TikTok
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YOU ARE INVITED to the virtual book launch for Hijab and Red Lipstick on Thursday 5th November 7pm-8pm GMT hosted by me and the team at
@hashtag_press
! 🎊🎉 So there’s plenty of time for fireworks in the garden afterwards!) Do sign up here
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Literally screamed from excitement when
@literallypr
posted this picture of my book jacket! 😍😍😍
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My second novel is set in Bradford. I lived in Bradford for 3 years and still go back often, and I loved my time there. The Khan by
@SaimaMir
The Family Tree by
@sairish_hussain
and Good Intentions by
@juskasim
are also books written by Muslim authors set in Bradford
#amwriting
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It’s herrrre! Thank you
@SaqiBooks
once again for including my work in this beautiful anthology where female Arab writers from across the ages write about love and lust - and I’m not having anybody tell me it’s ‘Eyb! Out on 29th April - 3 days to go!
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Fantastic article by
@anmolirfan22
- I’ve always said I write for the world, not for the West. Honoured to be featured alongside
@monaeltahawy
@ZahraHankir
: “Muslim feminists are not interested in the white woman's gaze”
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Less than 3 months to go now inshallah till my debut novel comes out with
@hashtag_press
on October 15 2020! I used to get in so much trouble with my dad for wearing red lipstick
#WritingCommunity
#yabooks
#publishing
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Really excited to announce that I will be delivering Prayer For The Day on
@BBCRadio4
every morning at 5:43am between Saturday 1st and Friday 7th July 2023. If that’s too early for you, you can take a listen at any time for free on BBC Sounds
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If you wear glasses quote this photo with one of yours (don’t know why I look pi**ed off in this one) 😆
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Was with my solicitor yesterday, a middle-aged white man. He kept calling my husband Steve. I said politely "his name's Tauseef" & he goes "yeah, Steve." I'd rather he used his actual name even if he mispronounced it than give my husband an English name-he didn't even want to try
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Thank you to
@aureliamagazine
and
@shahedezaydi
for commissioning this piece in which I talk about observing Ramadan while not being able to fast
I live with a chronic illness but I'm reclaiming Ramadan for myself - Aurelia Magazine
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Out 29th April 2021, and my short story is in it 😍
"We Wrote in Symbols celebrates the nuance, passion, humour, integrity and self-assertiveness of Arab women writers throughout history",
@SaqiBooks
is to publish a "taboo-smashing" collection of work by Arab women writing about love and lust:
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@Selina_Bakkar
introduces you to his family soon after telling you he likes you, treats his sisters well, knows how to cook/clean, doesn’t talk inappropriately about sex, takes an interest in your passions/hobbies, doesn’t tell you to “ask him” before you go out before you’re even married
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Been a mad past 12 months in which
@hashtag_press
published my book & then I got pregnant & had a baby when I thought my health couldn’t handle it but I did. Alhamdulillah (all praise and thanks to God). If you’re looking for a new read do consider Hijab and Red Lipstick!
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ONE MONTH TO GO until publication day for my debut YA novel Hijab and Red Lipstick with
@hashtag_press
!!! It’s come around so quickly! Support me by pre-ordering
#YA
#YAfiction
#diversebooks
#hashtagpress
#writingcommunity
#publishing
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In my first piece for
@MetroUK
I share what it’s been like as a hijab-wearing mother using public transport since the war on Gaza began last October
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@Chaimaa2_
Sometimes it feels like U.K. MT has an issue with everyone 😭 Omar Suleiman’s demeanour is part of the reason that I became an observant Muslim again 7 years ago, May Allah reward him
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@ruqaiya_h
Like if I can’t let my hair down literally and figuratively speaking at home then where can I?
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I thought I had made so much progress that I weaned off antidepressants for anxiety & OCD in 2020. I expected it to return during pregnancy but I was so calm. Literally 3 days after having my baby my OCD & anxiety returned. We should talk more about postpartum OCD & anxiety
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In my latest for
@The_NewArab
I speak to Iranian women, feminists, and women’s rights activists about the murder of
#Mahsa_Amini
and the current protests being led by women in
#Iran
Thank you
@elishkaa
@Aghdas_K
@SharOBalaa
for speaking to me
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@JunaidSHayat
This is incorrect. I studied pre Islamic & Islamic history & Seerah in university in Qatar. Women did conduct trade in public. And the wives of the Prophet pbuh did engage socially even with members of the opposite sex. You gonna say that Islamic universities have it wrong?
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Everyone says that when you have a baby it’s meant to be the happiest time in your life. I’m so grateful to have brought him into the world safely but this time has been plagued by anxiety so crippling that some days I can’t function & my in laws have had to take care of my baby
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Anyone here following me who has
#endometriosis
? I’m currently going through the process of getting diagnosed and was wondering if any of you have found nutrition helping ease your symptoms? I’m thinking gluten-free/dairy-free/meat-free
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Eid Mubarak to those starting Eid today and Eid Mubarak to those starting Eid tomorrow 🌙
(Art by pinkpastelstudio)
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The children books list you need this
#WorldBookDay
for
@The_NewArab
Educate your children about Palestine and support Palestinian childrens authors
Thank you
@SheeWrites
To celebrate
#WorldBookDay
,
@UNDERYOURABAYA
has put together a list of children's books about Palestine that celebrate and educate young readers on Palestinian history, memories, and culture.
Full list 📚
#WorldBookDay2024
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Really excited to have this piece in Harper’s Bazaar UK!
@BazaarUK
@literallypr
@hashtag_press
Yousra Imran: "When I was growing up, wearing lipstick was a brave thing to do"
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Seeing my book available for pre-order on the
@Waterstones
website is a bit of a pinch-me moment! ☺️
@hashtag_press
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@Freakademic
@nnnnnnxox
That’s always been one of my arguments. Why can fiqh be reinterpreted and reapplied for Islamic finance but when it comes to women’s rights and guardianship suddenly the rules are for all eternity and cannot be reinterpreted
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Not a bad end to the week - Hijab and Red Lipstick is at
#15
in bestselling Muslim YA on Amazon!
@hashtag_press
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@PLoyalties
@Elias_Jahshan
They’ve been hounding me to talk about my trauma just purely to fit their agenda of Qatar-bashing. Why weren’t they interested in my and other’s experiences before the World Cup - because it didn’t fit their agenda. The media is right to highlight injustices but they lack nuance
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If you pray please keep me in your prayers / du’aas at the moment 🤲🏻🙏🏼❤️
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Why did this book have to end 😭😭😭 Congratulations again
@NeemaMShah
on this beautiful and emotional novel which I thoroughly enjoyed reading over this past week 😍❤️
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I received such a warm welcome from staff and students at
@StratfordSch
yesterday and they engaged in discussion, and asked such insightful and thoughtful questions. Thank you for having me and Hijab and Red Lipstick! Check out the cool posters they made of me!
@hashtag_press
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