Leena Habiballa is a writer and filmmaker interested in Sudanese visual cultures and archival film practices that use state and colonial archives against their intended logics.
Her film, Dead As A Dodo, has screened at Misery Movies programme at Rio Cinema, MENA film festival ’22, Spectral Grounds: Black Experimental Film programme, and Habibi Collective’s Sudan Film Factory programme. Her essays have appeared in LUX, Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art, Danish Film Institute, Media Diversified, and Tropics of Meta. She is a member of the artist workers’ coop not/nowhere and was a resident at Mophradat’s Accomplices ’23. She holds a PhD in the Cellular and Molecular Biology of Ageing from the Mayo Clinic and Newcastle University.
Mariam Hakim is an English Literature and Media Studies graduate from Sussex University and has been a communications manager for various UK charities. Mariam is the Founder and Author behind Waw Stories, a small children’s publishing imprint that celebrates powerful stories from Muslim cultures. She is also a school Governor and a mother.
Mariam has written and spoken on issues concerning Muslim women’s representation, Islamophobia, interfaith understanding, and inclusion within publishing. Mariam is using her time in Parliament to understand Parliamentary processes, how we can better promote the contribution of marginalised communities in the UK, and what can be done to challenge discrimination and hatred against UK Muslims.
Mashiyath Qurashy is a recent BA Politics and International Relations Graduate from Queen Mary University of London.
Mashiyath is enthusiastic about feminist, anti-racist activist work after being a part of Amnesty International’s youth activist programme, ‘Rise Up’, and leading her university’s Feminist Society. She is currently involved in running the Faith and Belief Forum’s 2023 Youth Interfaith Summit and in Breakthrough! Women’s Cafe to run an event about career navigation and pressures for women of colour. She is interested in raising the voices of South Asian women within their community and broader society by encouraging conversation and solidarity.
She is joining Naz Legacy Foundation as Programmes Intern to join their work in empowering young people across London through enrichment opportunities.
Laiqah Osman is a fourth year PhD Candidate at the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK at Cardiff University. She holds a BA in History from Royal Holloway University of London, and an MRes in History from The Centre of Islamic and West Asian Studies (CIWAS) at Royal Holloway University of London.
Her doctoral research explores the relationship between Muslim Women in Britain and Online Religious Authority, using a combination of oral history and online ethnography research methods.
She is committed to applying a gendered approach in the study of Muslims in Britain, and seeks to centre the missing histories of Muslim women and render them historically visible.
Fatou Sambe is a fourth year PhD student at the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK at Cardiff University. She has previously completed a BSc in Psychology and Sociology from Queen Margaret University and holds a master’s degree in Religion and Public Life from the University of Leeds.
In her doctoral research, she studies conversion to Islam and Muslim convert families in Britain. She explores the long-term lived experiences of Muslim converts as well as the identities and experiences of the next generation, namely, the children of converts.
She is particularly interested in the untold histories and narratives of Black Muslims and hopes to contribute to a better understanding of the diversity of Muslim communities in Britain.
Imad Ahmed is a PhD Candidate at the University of Cambridge, in the Faculty of Divinity. He returns to academia after a career in policy, teacher training, and as a Secondary English teacher. He holds a BA in History and English, and an MPhil in Islamic History, both from the University of Oxford. Imad is also currently the Director of New Crescent Society, a popular Islamic astronomy organisation. In this role, he leads the Astronomy and Islam programme at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
After extensive experience of working with the Muslim community, Imad believes that the incredible history of UK Muslims has largely been untold. He is excited to help preserve and celebrate these stories in this much needed project.
Afzal is a BA English and American Literature graduate from the Manchester Metropolitan University with an MA in South Asian Area Studies from the University of London, SOAS.
He currently works at the Whitworth Art Gallery, while also freelancing in the arts and heritage sector, having worked for various organisations including the British Museum and the Manchester Museum.
He is passionate about cultivating and reviving a love and appreciation of art and literature within the Muslim community and acknowledging the oft-forgotten Muslim contribution to arts and culture, while centring those stories and experiences.
Mustafa completed his degree in Journalism BA at Nottingham Trent University this summer, and is now joining The Independent as a full-time Editorial Intern.
He has written for CambridgeshireLive, NottinghamshireLive and Notts TV, producing weekly top viewed stories which show his passion for investigating and finding local news. During his degree, Mustafa specialised in media law, writing court stories and national politics.
After gaining plenty of newsroom experience and finding news stories at a local level, Mustafa wants to delve into national news and media and promote Muslim excellence on bigger platforms to help erase negative stigmas attached to the Muslim community. During his internship, Mustafa is looking forward to working alongside experienced national journalists.
Shaheena is a BA English Literature graduate from King’s College London.
Shaheena is joining Sky News as a Researcher. She began her career as a social video journalist in London, creating content across several social media platforms and doing livestream broadcasts. Before this, she was a freelance journalist writing for local newspapers, national magazines and student publications at her university. In her spare time, Shaheena also engages in community work, podcasting and photography.
Shaheena is heavily committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and helping Muslims get into the field, which led her to found the ‘Muslim Journalists Connect’ network. Shaheena aspires to make the media more representative, and provide a more accurate depiction of Islam. She equally hopes to encourage more Muslims into media careers and creative pursuits as a source of engagement with wider society and culture.
Soraya is currently studying BA Fashion Journalism at Central Saint Martins’ School of Art and Editorial Intern at the Evening Standard.
With interests lying in fashion, style and film, she hopes to pursue a career in arts and culture writing. Much of her work surrounds reporting and challenging the lack of visibility of minority groups within the fashion industry. She is committed to amplifying the voices and sharing the stories of those within her community, British Middle Eastern and North African Muslims.
Soraya is excited to join the Evening Standard and work for the weekly lifestyle and culture magazine, ES. She is looking forward to connecting audiences through engaging and factual storytelling, whilst furthering her skills as a future trainee journalist.
Harris is a new producer and community theatre maker from Singapore. He came to London for his undergrad in Drama, Applied Theatre and Education at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama which he completed earlier this year. He is excited to be joining the Gate Theatre as trainee producer for the next year, as part of Stage One’s Bridge the Gap program.
Harris’ work, which has been staged both in London and Singapore, explores intersectional identities including the queer, Muslim, Asian and international experiences. He is excited by the prospect of using the arts to create environments of hope and joy. He is looking forward to using his time at the Gate and at Stage One to to understand how care can be extended into the creative process.
Arya Fatih graduated from City University with an MA in Broadcast Journalism.
Arya is joining Sky News as a Researcher working in both the Long-form and News Output team.
Before her MA, Arya studied Politics and International Relations. She then worked in Parliament as a Parliamentary Assistant where she ran comms, advised on policy, supported constituents on important issues and wrote speeches, articles and correspondence.
Passionate about British, Middle Eastern and Central Asian politics, Arya joined the Sky News team to begin her career in journalism and be part of the process that enables her to convey difficult information into simple ideas. News should be accessible for all and Arya wants to ensure that everyone’s important stories are shared.
Rafe is joining the Financial Times as an Editorial Intern and will be undertaking an NCTJ Diploma. He is eager to explore the impact of financial markets on our day to day lives and how they interact with the cost of living. As outgoing editor of Newsdirect’s morning briefing Parliament Today, his reporting to date has largely focused on the devolved policy landscape in Scotland.
Graduating in 2020 with a MA (Hons) in History and Politics from the University of Glasgow, Rafe paired his studies with stints at the university newspaper and magazine. He was then hired as a reporter for Newsdirect in 2020, having previously worked as a researcher in Holyrood. Rafe continues to engage with former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale to advance minority and working-class participation in public life.
Nishat is a BA English and American Studies graduate from the University of Leicester, with an MA in Applied Human Rights from The University of York.
She is committed to research and policy work that seeks to dismantle racism in the UK, especially for communities facing multiple oppressions.
She previously worked on research in collaboration with refugees and asylum seekers in the Asia-Pacific region, alongside a global research project that found gaps in legal protections for human rights defenders.
Nishat is joining The Runnymede Trust as an Unbound Trainee.
The Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading race equity think tank that generates research and works across different platforms to leverage anti-racist causes in society.
Hassaan graduated from SOAS with an MSc in Political Thought where he focused on radical philosophy. Throughout his studies, Hassaan’s interest has concerned the interrogation of oppressive structures that shape the contemporary world. A key focus area has been the untangling of overlapping forms of racism including anti-Blackness and Islamophobia, with particular references to class and gender.
Passionate about anti-racist activism, Hassaan joined The Runnymede Trust as Unbound Trainee to apply his knowledge and further develop key skills of research, communication and critical thinking.
Misbah has a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Queen Mary, University of London, and a MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS, University of London. After attaining her masters she has been committed to providing a critical, in-depth perspective on minority issues, which led her to co-found the digital education platform, Identity International.
Misbah has also worked as an investigative journalist and researcher on documentary productions for ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5. She will now continue to develop her skills at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism as a fellow for 6 months.
Maryam is a BA and MA Comparative Literature graduate from King’s College London and completed her Gold-Standard NCTJ diploma in December 2021.
She began her career as a trainee journalist in London, with a particular interest in social affairs and marginalised communities. Maryam is committed to elevating British Muslim stories and her goal as a journalist is to better reflect diverse communities.
Maryam has joined the Independent as a News Desk trainee, where she writes on a wide range of topics.
Nayeema graduated from SOAS in 2021 with a History and International Relations degree. Upon graduating, Nayeema wished to pursue her interest in economic inequality and disparity.
She is focusing on researching the impact of economic policy on marginalised groups, especially Muslim communities, and engaging these groups through discussions around their finances.
Nayeema is currently an Editorial Assistant at Economy, where she writes about the ways in which economic policy impacts the day-to-day life of different disadvantaged communities.
Syraat Al Mustaqeem is a BA English graduate from SOAS, University of London. She began her career as a trainee journalist, with a particular focus on environmental and international news.
Syraat is committed to uplifting communities of colour and working class people, who are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Her goal as a journalist is to report on issues that affect Muslims from various communities and shine a light on the positive work being done at the grassroots level.
Syraat is joining the Evening Standard newspaper as an Editorial Apprentice. She will receive day-release training for the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Diploma during her 15-month apprenticeship.
Furvah Sayda read BA Media and Communications at Goldsmiths University of London and is currently a journalist based in the West Midlands.
She is passionate about increasing, bettering and diversifying representations of Muslims within mainstream media, especially in respect to Muslim women. Her undergraduate dissertation explored representations of Muslim women in Western television and film, and she intends to continue developing her portfolio of content, in addition to contributing to the social betterment of her community.
Furvah is joining the Independent newspaper as an Editorial Apprentice. She will receive day-release training for the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Diploma during her 15-month apprenticeship.
Aisha Rimi is a BA French and German graduate from Queen Mary, University of London, and an Aziz scholar studying MA Magazine Journalism at City University of London.
Her interest in journalism stems from her passion for writing, and developed into a greater love of storytelling and communication. Through her pursuit of an MA in Magazine Journalism she hopes to use her voice to bring neglected stories to the forefront of the news agenda. She recognises the lack of diversity in the Journalism industry and wants to contribute to changing that by ensuring more stories are told about marginalised communities in the British media.
Aisha is joining the Independent newspaper as an Editorial Intern, where she will be writing across different desks.
Ibrahim is a multi-award-winning Education Influencer and Future Trainee Solicitor. His interest in human rights law and joining MLAG was inspired by his time at Cambridge University and Oxford University where he completed his BA and MSc, respectively.
Ibrahim’s unprecedented work at Oxbridge focused on widening participation, decolonisation, racial and class equity, social media communications and student empowerment. His work is featured in over 15 national news sources, and he has amassed an online following of over 130,000+ subscribers on his YouTube channel.
Hafsa Khalil is a BSc Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience graduate who has completed an MA in Newspaper Journalism at City University of London.
Given her background, Hafsa is passionate about the latest scientific discoveries, but also general features writing covering a variety of topics from culture to lifestyle. She enjoys a variety of mediums such as cartoon drawing and podcasting.
Hafsa has joined the Evening Standard as an Editorial Intern where she is writing across the different desks including working with the podcast team.
Maryam is a BA Jurisprudence graduate from the University of Oxford, and graduated from the London School of Economics with a master’s in Law.
Maryam is interested in specialising in Discrimination and Equality law. She has spoken at 10 Downing Street on the issue of the BAME attainment gap and wrote her dissertation arguing for the adoption of an intersectional discrimination framework in the cases of Muslim women from ethnic minorities.
At MLAG Maryam works as a research intern for the Public Interest Litigation team, and works on projects for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team.
Zeena Elhassan read for an MPhil in The Sociology of Marginality and Exclusion at the University of Cambridge.
Passionate about social justice and community-led action, Zeena joined EachOther as a Journalism Intern where she was able to apply her knowledge of human rights and developing key skills to help facilitate her career in Journalism.
EachOther is an online platform and UK focused charity that emphasises the importance of independent journalism and works hard to ground and amplify the voices of individuals who are affected by human rights issues.
Khadija Kothia studied for an MSc in the History of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Having a keen interest in global inequalities and a passion for journalism, Khadija joined EachOther as a Journalism Intern where she can further develop key skills to help her progress into a career in Journalism.
EachOther is an online platform and UK focused charity that emphasises the importance of independent journalism and works hard to ground and amplify the voices of individuals who are affected by human rights issues.
Hiba Noor Khan studied for an MA in Muslim Minorities in the Global Context at SOAS, University of London.
As an author of two children’s books, Hiba is passionate about social justice and activism, with a strong emphasis on issues surrounding refugee rights and migration. Joining the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) as a Migration and Development Intern, Hiba has been able to develop key research and project management skills to help facilitate her career further.
Established in 1951, the IOM is the leading inter-governmental organisation in the field of migration and works with a whole range of partners to ensure that the right approach can be taken towards migration issues.
Haseeb Qureshi studied for an MSc in Inequalities and Social Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
With a keen interest in the economic, gender and racial inequality of British Muslims, Haseeb joined the Centre for Media Monitoring as a Media Monitoring Assistant, with his role allowing him to develop key research and analytical skills.
Set up by the Muslim Council of Britain, the Centre for Media Monitoring works towards engaging with academics and specialists across the world to explore how mainstream media reporting of Islam and Muslims is contributing to an atmosphere of rising hostility towards Muslims in Britain.
Maira Khan studied for an MSc in Health Psychology at the University College of London.
Passionate about engaging in student activism and working with Muslim youth groups, Maira joined the Centre for Media Monitoring as a Training and Development Intern to help create an unconscious bias training programme for mainstream journalists and further develop her research and analysis skills.
Set up by the Muslim Council of Britain, the Centre for Media Monitoring works towards engaging with academics and specialists across the world to explore how mainstream media reporting of Islam and Muslims is contributing to an atmosphere of rising hostility towards Muslims in Britain.
