Panelists to speak on American Muslim women

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on American Muslim Women featuring three contributors from the book “I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim.” It will take place Thursday, April 5, at 5 p.m. in Maxwell Auditorium.

Panelists:

Zahra T. Suratwala—As president and CEO of Zahra Ink, Suratwala writes, edits and serves as a marketing consultant for a variety of small businesses. She has found a way to combine her love of writing with her desire to pursue projects that can truly affect change—the result is a small business she takes very seriously and finds intensely fulfilling. Suratwala obtained her master of arts degree in English literature from Loyola University in 2003.

Nyla Hashmi—Hashmi was born and raised in Connecticut by an American mother and Pakistani father. Growing up in a progressive yet conservative Muslim household, she was always on the lookout for clothing that both fit the modest dress code while making her feel confident. Hashmi decided to begin designing and sewing her own clothing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in fashion design from one of the top fashion schools in America, the Fashion Institute of Technology. She started Eva Khurshid, a women’s fashion brand, with longtime friend Fatima Monkush. After three years of building thier brand, Nyla and Fatima now sell their line in boutiques across the US and UK.

Zainab Alwan—Alwan attends Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she is focusing on immigration law. She graduated from the University of Rochester with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and a biology minor. Zainab is heavily involved in interfaith mediation and dispute resolution work. She cofounded the Muslim-Jewish Dialogue program at the University of Rochester, served as an outreach education and training intern for the Interfaith Youth Core, was a counselor at an international peace camp called Seed of Peace and worked as a law clerk with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Chicago.

Contact Person: Azhar Ali
President, Muslim Students’ Association
azali@syr.edu
845-741-8002