Zahra Suratwala, Nyla Hashmi and Zainab Alwan all have one thing in common: They have a story to share about femininity and their faith.

‘We wanted to develop a platform where Muslim women could tell their own stories and create a counterculture to the negative stereotypes of Muslim women in America,’ Suratwala said.

As contributors to the book ‘I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim,’ a collection of essays featuring American Muslim women’s stories, the three panelists spoke at 5 p.m. Thursday in Maxwell Auditorium at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

The event, hosted by the Syracuse University Muslim Students’ Association, included discussion about Muslim women finding their own sense of faith, despite prejudices and stereotypes surrounding the religion in America.

Suratwala received a Master of Arts in English from Loyola University Chicago in 2003. She is president and CEO of Zahra Ink, a website that offers professional writing services. She also writes, edits and serves as a marketing consultant for multiple businesses.

Hashmi earned a bachelor’s degree in fashion design from the State University of New York Fashion Institute of Technology. She created a fashion brand with her longtime friend, Fatima Monkush. The two sell their line in boutiques across the United States and United Kingdom, emphasizing modesty and confidence.

Alwan is working on a law degree with a focus on immigration at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She co-founded a Muslim-Jewish Dialogue program while at the University of Rochester; served as an outreach education and training intern for the Interfaith Youth Core; was a counselor at an international peace camp, Seeds of Peace; and worked as a law clerk with the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago.

The role of the hijab, the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women, was also discussed. Though none of the women always wear a hijab, they had differing opinions on its necessity in Islamic tradition.

Hashmi stressed the importance of living her spirituality through modesty, especially in her clothing.

‘Harper’s Bazaar was my best friend,’ Hashmi said, speaking of her budding interest in fashion as a Muslim woman.

But she made the decision not to wear the hijab.

‘I have huge respect for people who wear it, but I feel like it’s a very personal choice,’ Hashmi said.

Suratwala said she liked to wear the traditional dress at different times – sometimes with people she didn’t know and sometimes among family and friends. But she acknowledged that many people still stereotype the hijab as a sign of oppression and not a woman’s choice.

‘Sometimes people stare,’ Suratwala said. ‘But sometimes people don’t even notice.’

Alwan also said she did not wear the hijab, but she might wear it in the future.

‘I haven’t had enough time to really consider it,’ she said.

Other discussions concerned the backlash against Islam after Sept. 11 and traditional views on women and marriage.

The event closed with the opportunity to purchase the book outside the auditorium. The women also announced a new book, ‘All-American: 45 American Men on Being Muslim,’ will be released in June.

Emira Soleha Ramli, a junior political science major from Malaysia, said she came to the event to see the difference between Muslims in America and in South Asia.

Said Soleha: ‘It’s interesting to see what living your faith means to different people.’

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Published on April 5, 2012 at 12:00 pm