MALIKAH holds 6th annual National Muslim Women’s Summit and Astoria North African programming graduation
– Ahmed Muharem – New York
Queens, New York — MALIKAH, led by Rana Abdelhamid, former candidate for congress in NY12 and ED at MALIKAH, hosted its 6th annual National Muslim Women’s Summit on March 18th, 2023 in Queens, New York. The event brought together Muslim women from across the country, including Council Member Shahana Hanif, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, and Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, for a day of healing, community building, and empowerment.
The summit was focused on creating a safe and inclusive space for Muslim women to share their experiences and build solidarity. Attendees participated in workshops and discussions on various topics such as mental health, self-care, and activism. The event aimed to address the significant impact of hate crimes against Muslims and their effects on individuals and communities.
According to the Muslim Community Network, in 2019, 43.5% of school-age Muslim youth between the ages of 10-18 years old expressed or witnessed a hate crime. In New York City, 26% of Muslims experienced physical assault, while 41.6% received violent threats.
On March 19th, 2023 MALIKAH hosted a graduation event at the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens (21-12 30th Rd) in Astoria. The event celebrated the achievements of 16 participants of the MALIKAH Sister for Sister program and 12 participants of the MALIKAH Astoria Youth Program, which were made up of Muslim North Africans. Over 75 members of the community joined, along with Councilmember Tiffany Caban. The project was voted on by the Astoria community in 2022 through participatory budgeting and won the funding out of many project ideas. These programs included sessions on financial literacy, organizing, healing justice, civic engagement, and self-defense, which helped build strong bonds among participants.
MALIKAH is committed to building an engaged and activated community working alongside elected officials in creating impactful change.
