International Women's Day falls on 8th March each year. To mark it, we gathered the stories of seven women peacebuilders from our global network.
Name: Yasmin Abdelsalam
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria (originally Brooklyn, NY)
Religion: Muslim
Programme: Emerging Peacemakers Programme 2019
"Hi! My name is Yasmin Abdelsalam. I’m an Egyptian- American Muslim that was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Recently, I moved to Bulgaria, where I study medicine! I’m extremely passionate about mental health and activism, and love to build deeper connections with people from all walks of life."
In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. The meaning of this simple acknowledgment of God that I, as a Muslim, have been constantly repeating since I was young has continuously shifted and shaped the way I view myself and the world.
Growing up, my parents always tried to instill Islamic values relating to love, kindness, empathy, and community into me and my siblings. These teachings often contradicted the teachings of the private islamic school I attended, where I felt like there was much more emphasis on toxic cultural norms. This caused me to not truly be confident in my beliefs growing up, which all slowly shifted after I started attending public school. When I first stepped into the halls of a public school in 10th grade, I felt anxious. For most of my life, I went to a school where everyone was Muslim. Now, I was amongst a more diverse group of peers and I felt more vulnerable. I made it clear through my hijab that I was Muslim. Facing the world as a Muslim woman felt different, especially given all the stereotypes and assumptions people often had.
I was often met with the impression that I was different or ‘oppressed’ somehow, although this was far from the truth. In my head, Muslim women were powerful. My mother was the breadwinner, and I witnessed her power everyday growing up. She constantly worked hard and was constantly breaking stereotypes. As did all the other Muslim women I knew. I have met so many amazing and powerful female Muslim leaders, teachers, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, activists, and so much more. Every one of my female Muslim friends is powerful, elegant, and
passionate.
Yasmin with peers from the Emerging Peacemakers Programme 2019.
Even from an Islamic point of view, women are powerful. I grew up learning about how “paradise lies beneath the feet of the mother” (Prophet Muhammed PBUH). And about how Kadijah, the Prophet’s first wife, was a powerful businesswoman and how she proposed to the Prophet while he was working under her. And how women basically had no rights until Prophet Muhammed guided the people of Arabia to respect and honor women. To me, the concept of female power in Islam is not foreign. As a Muslim woman, feminism is already embedded in my beliefs. But reaching the point where I showed this in my daily life and actions was a journey.
When I heard about the opportunity to participate in the Emerging Peacemakers Program, I was intrigued. I was excited and wanted to enter with an open mind to get the most out of the experience, and my experience truly exceeded my expectations. I loved the approach that was taken to teach peacemaking and reconciliation, and loved how simple the Rose Castle Foundation team and other participants made it. Learning about reconciliation, peacemaking, and building connections through the lens of love, empathy, and understanding was so beautiful and simple yet extremely powerful at the same time. Through my experience, I was able to create lifelong friendships and connections with both my Muslim and non-Muslim peers, I was able to learn how to effectively communicate and solve problems, regardless of the degree of intensity or the scale of a conflict. I learned that simply having empathy, being vulnerable, actively listening, and having an open mind were all the tools necessary to be an effective peacemaker. The Emerging Peacemakers Program has helped me develop a better appreciation and understanding of others, and to respect differences and easily find common ground.
Emerging Peacemakers Programme 2019 cohort.
My experience has fueled me to be more involved in human rights issues and to take an active role in the programs I have participated in since. It has inspired me to show up as my true unapologetic self and to work with others in the collective fight for human rights. This was truly evident during my second year as an activist/organizer in the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Teen Activist Project, where I learned a lot about incarceration, racism, education inequality, and so many more issues that affect New Yorkers and Americans statewide. During June 2020, my friends and I, some of whom I met during the Emerging Peacemakers program (Zawad, Samia, and Masrur!), were also able to plan an event with the Muslim Community Network called the Fight of the Uyghurs, where we were able to have a line of amazing panelists speak about the Uyghur crisis in East Turkestan and raise awareness about the struggles that Uyghur Muslims continue to face in the region. In the months following, during my gap year, I started a blog titled Master Peace Blog that focuses on mental health and social justice issues to continue to raise awareness about issues I am passionate about. Additionally, I was able to work with the Gathering for Justice through the Troublemakers for Liberation Fellowship, where I continued to learn how to be a better activist and organizer, and where I learned more about the power of community, and how the beloved community is the framework for all.
Currently, I’m a medical student in Bulgaria. I plan on continuing to make human rights issues the main focus of my career and life. I hope to expand on the work that I’ve done with the Rose Castle Foundation and to specifically work to inspire more people, especially youth, to develop the proper skills to make the world a better place.
Truly being comfortable in my skin and in my hijab is a journey, and I’m glad to say that the Rose Castle Foundation played a huge part in this journey. As I continue to grow up, I learn more about myself and my faith and try to connect my beliefs to my actions. I continue to break down barriers, whether real or imagined, and to redefine what it means to be a Muslim woman in today’s day and age. During this journey, I also learned a lot about my faith and that has made me a better person and member of my community. Now, as I fight for women's rights, immigrants' rights, and human rights, I chant a little louder and stand a little taller because the Prophet always stood up for the less fortunate. I appreciate sunsets, mountains, and stars more because I am aware that Allah (God) loves beauty. I learned to forgive and love others because Allah forgives and loves. I see God’s graciousness in the smiles of others and in my community. I see His mercy in the love and care that people have for each other. I try to encompass these qualities and use my new knowledge of God and my faith to give back to the rest of humanity. And now, every time I begin a task in the name of God, I truly appreciate how gracious and merciful He is.