For several black British muslim women, particularly those of West African heritage, identity is a layered experience. It’s an intersection where faith, culture and beauty intersect, especially in Western society, where common conceptions of Muslim women are incredibly one-dimensional.
Issatou Fatty, a 26-year-old business & marketing graduate from Manchester, is of Gambian & Senegalese heritage started wearing the hijab at the end of last year.
She said, “I think growing up in the UK, people didn’t really treat me any differently, like I was just another black girl before I started wearing the hijab
“People didn’t really see my Muslim side, but I did notice changes when I started wearing the hijab, like I started noticing different treatment from people.”
“You don’t have to choose your race over your deen, you can do both, you can be a proud black muslim, there is nothing wrong with that.
“I even had a video on TikTok, where my afro hair was under my hijab, and I had to turn off the comments because of other people’s reaction… people will have a lot of things to say about your hair as well.”
Much of the mainstream representation of Islam in the UK and the West in general does not create space for diverse experiences of being a Muslim woman, often conflating religion with culture.
The aim here is not to reclaim the representation of muslim women or to redefine it, but to make space for more inclusion.
Religion, race and gender are all at play here in terms of the potential hurdles that can be faced.
This is exacerbated by a lack of representation of black muslim women, which would save them from having to constantly explain themselves.
Machiami Kamara, a West African hijabi influencer currently living in New York, said: “Representation has improved, but it’s still not where it needs to be, especially when it comes to race, body type, and style diversity. Muslim women are not a monolith, and we need more narratives that reflect that.”
Alongside being an example of much-needed representation, she is a creative at Veiled Visionaries, which is a “was born from a longing for sisterhood and safe spaces as a way to bring Muslim girls, especially Black Muslim women, together to feel seen, heard, and celebrated.”
We need to see more Black Muslim women, more plus-size hijabis, and more voices that challenge stereotypes. Real representation happens when we stop being tokenised and start being authentically included.”
However, platforms and communities such as Veiled Visionaries have thrived on social media by creating spaces for Black Muslim women and increasing their visibility.
The combination of cultural fashion and faith has been accomplished through several ways, from beautifully styled hijabs, to printed abayas, to simply cornrows beneath hijabs.
That being said, navigating the overlap of modesty alongside westernised beauty norms, particularly surrounding hair, fashion and the hijab, can be difficult.
Fatuma Mbalire is a 26-year-old relationship manager from Londonborn in Uganda, and moved to the UK when she was young recently started wearing the hijab.
She said: “There is a ugandan muslim community that I grew up in, but there weren’t that many practising muslims around my age. At school, there weren’t a lot of people who looked like me.
“I’ve started my own journey on social media, sharing my experiences, and I just want to make it into a safe space and help a lot more girls who are in the same position.
“I’m actively seeking out more muslim sisters and circles.”
There is a need to relearn how widespread and diverse Islam is. Historically, the way in which Islam spread in Africa centuries ago and has been embedded in African communities reflects this misconception.
The beauty in it is that several Muslim women like Issatou, Machiami and Fatuma exist as representations of both their rich African culture and their love for their faith.
For the future generations of young Muslim women from diverse backgrounds, there is a need to expand the narrative around Muslim identity.
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