Reading Time: 12 minutesHave you ever felt out of place and alone even though people surround you? I often feel this way, except for those few glimmering moments when I’ve found what Anne With An E would joyfully proclaim as a “kindred spirit”. I am of Thai-Chinese descent on my paternal side but recognised as Malay due to…
Identity and Culture
From Selfies to Self-Worth: My Journey Through Social Media influencing and Haters
Reading Time: 10 minutesI’ve been on Instagram since 2011. I still remember the day I posted my first selfie using my mom’s iPhone. I had to use her phone because my dad was super strict and wouldn’t let me have a smartphone. So, I would sneak onto my mom’s phone whenever I could to log into Instagram and…
Is Identity a Choice or a Product of Our Circumstances? Find your answer through Islamic wisdom
Reading Time: 13 minutesA Muslim is not to fear anything in this world except the creator who created it all, Allah (SWT). Look at it from this perspective: Why should we fear anything other than the One who created fear? Fear the Creator of Jahannam, not Jahannam itself. Fear the One who created the animals you are afraid of, not the animals themselves. Fear the One who created the person you are afraid of, not the person themselves.
Exposing bias: My Encounter with Discrimination at the Gym – A Woman’s Role in Perpetuating Prejudice
Reading Time: 10 minutesMy friend and I were harassed by a lady at the gym last year and this is how we managed to get through it. For the sake of the story, let´s just call my friend “Lisa”. Last summer, on June 5th, I visited my family, and it was then that me and Lisa encountered this unpleasant situation with one of the gym members. Mind you, this is the first time ever that I had experienced discrimination or hate at the gym from someone who could quite literally be my great grandma! I was shaken and left in awe after this incident.
I was racially profiled – Inspiring Responses: Navigating and Overcoming Racism and Discrimination
Reading Time: 10 minutesLife can unexpectedly throw challenges your way, often without any valid reason. One such incident occurred in 2017 when I was racially profiled by a bus driver, an encounter that ended with me being taken away by the police.