This blog is published for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and the thousands of Muslims raised or reverts, or even non-Muslis, who might be living in areas where they are not able to experience Ramadan in a Muslim community; so we, at MWA, invite you to be a part of our community in Ramadan.

The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong) Al-Baqarah 2:185

Established in 2006, Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA) is an internationally-based collaboration of Muslim women writers and advocates working together to counter negative and inaccurate perceptions regarding members of the Muslim community and the Islamic faith.

MWA Members

This is not a comprehensive listing.

View MWA in Pictures (album)

ABOUT MWA FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, AISHAH SCHWARTZ
Aishah Schwartz, a Muslim American, serves as Founder and Director of the 2006 established Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA). She is also an internationally renowned human rights activist, writer and photo journalist focusing on the rights of Muslim women and the plight of the Palestinian people affected by the Israeli imposed illegal embargo on Gaza.
Biography: http://bio.prlog.org/mwa-net/50001433-aishah-schwartz.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aishahschwartz.activist
Al-Jazeera Documentary on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLyJZGzNVqY

ABOUT MWA MEMBER AND MEMBER COORDINATOR, ISAHAH JANETTE GRANT
Isahah Janette Grant is a journalist for the Houston Islam Examiner as well as author of a book for children titled, Sameerah's Hijab and the First Day of School. Ms. Grant also recently finished Vol. 1, Lets Learn Our Religion, in a children's workbook series, now available online. Her writing endeavors also include poetry that has been published in three anthology collections and articles published in the Providence Journal Bulletin newspaper. She currently owns and runs Mindworks Publishing, a community based desktop publishing business, and is working on completing her first work of fiction. Ms. Grant is also a founding member of Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA), an internationally based collaboration of Muslim women writers and advocates working to counter negative and inaccurate perceptions of members of the Muslim community. She studied at Boston University in Massachusetts majoring in Print Journalism, writes poetry in her free time and resides in Missouri City, Texas with her husband and son.
Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/isahahjanette
Houston Islam Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/islam-in-houston/janette-grant
Mindworks Publishing: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mindworks-Publishing/172046056170740

ABOUT MWA AND MEMBER COORDINATOR, QUEEN SHEBA CISSE
Queen Sheba Cisse is President and Founder of Queen Sheba Village and is an aspiring writer, humanitarian and mother to many globally. She manages homes and families on two continents, America and Africa, and runs an online fashion boutique of African textiles and clothing, as well as Arabian essences for the body and senses, and crafted accessories from our African Motherland—home of our ancestors. Queen Sheba has just completed "The QSV Story (Chapter 2) Queen Sheba Cisse" in Collaboration with Tara Tappert.
Website: http://www.queenshebavillage.org
Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/QueenSheba Cisse

MUSLIMAH WRITERS ALLIANCE MEMBERS

ABOUT MWA MEMBER AMANY EL MORSHIDY
Amany El Morshidy is a teacher of English, a translator and blogger.
Visit her blog at: http://www.islamicquotes.net/blog
Facebook Profile:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1842221722

ABOUT MWA MEMBER ASMA ZAMAN (BINT KHALID)
Bint Khalid is a London based Law Graduate and currently pursuing theoretical and practical qualifications as a Psychological Counsellor/Psychotherapist, in the hope to develop awareness of mental health and disabilities in developing countries.  She was invited to work for the NGO the ‘Muslim Parliament of Great Britain’ as a Project Director and Human Rights Campaign Co-ordinator. It is in this role that she produced a national report on ‘Child Abuse in Religious Environments’ and was pivotal, through her rigourous campaigning, in the release of an innocent British citizen on death row in Pakistan amongst other high-impact projects.  Her aspirations of becoming a writer began at a very young age but only became a reality as a consequence of a long term illness she was diagnosed with.  Now she is raising awareness and providing support to fellow sufferers of M.E (Myalgic-Encephalomilitis) and Fibromyalgia and their carers.  She is busy finalising her first collection of Urdu poetry and working on a collection of novellas for adults and stories for young children which she hopes to have published in the very near future.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER, ELLEN KEIM
I’ve believed in God for as long as I can remember. I was baptized, raised and confirmed in the Lutheran church. When I was twenty-one I became what you might call a “born-again” Christian. I was a Methodist minister’s wife for ten years. I studied the Bible, taught adult Bible classes and became a lay preacher. And in 2009, on the last day of Ramadan, I said my Shahada and became a Muslim. I started I, Muslimah to help me, and maybe others, to grow in the faith.
Blog: http://muslimah.femagination.com

ABOUT MWA MEMBER FARAH KINANI
Ms. Kinani spent several years as an active journalist in Morocco before marrying and moving to the United States where she and her husband started their family; they have two children. A few years later Ms. Kinani returned to writing as a freelance journalist and discovered her passion for blogging at Global Voices Online.
Blog: http://globalvoicesonline.org/author/farah/

ABOUT MWA MEMBER FARZANA GARDEE
MWA member since September 2009, Farzana Gardee, of South Africa, received her Bachelors of Education degree in Early Childhood Development from the University of South Africa/Universiteit van Suid-Afrika. After working as an English teacher for Iqra English Pre-School she became a Section Editor for SISTERS Magazine. In April 2011 she was promoted to the magazine's Managing Editor. Farzana describes herself as a writer and hopeful educational reformist. She is married and resides in Qatar. You can find Farzana on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/farzana.gardee.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER FATIMAH ASHAELA MOORE IBRAHIM
Fatimah Ashaela Moore Ibrahim received her BA in Advertising from Boston University. She worked in animation for a number of years before deciding to become a freelance artist where she could focus on projects for the Ummah. She began illustrating books for Creative Education and Publishing shortly thereafter. She is the Art Director and Lead Animator for her business, Aakifah Creative Multimedia Productions and has animated television programs like Hey Moni, O’Grady, and Home Movies with Soup 2 Nuts Productions.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER FATIMAH ABDUL MALIK
Fatimah As-Salafy resides originally from Birmingham, Alabama. At the age of 24 she moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where she became Muslim in 1995. Shortly thereafter Fatimah relocated to Seattle, Washington where she was embraced by a communi...ty comprised of Somali, Cambodian, Indonesian and Malaysian Muslims; an environment that triggered her desire to travel. In 2000 she moved to Cairo, Egypt where she began to memorize Quran and learn to speak Arabic. She currently lives in Kassala, Sudan where she works as a self-employed Writer/Editor/Transcriptionist/Englsh-Arabic-English translator (www.allthingschecked.org). Fatimah writes about her experiences traveling, acculturating to different cultures, homeschooling and self-sufficiency and is the author of a small ebook called, "Who Put Worms in the Cheese? A World Traveler's Survival Guide" available for purchase at www.e-junkie.com/theroadlesstraveled (Paypal only).

ABOUT MWA MEMBER JANAN KABIR
Janan Kabir is the Founder and Author of Hijab Savvy: Muslimah Lifestyle, Faith, Fashion and More. Janan posts 3-5 times per week unless she is swamped but never goes more than a week without updating her blog! You can also find Janan at Suite101 and Examiner.com where she Authors columns on issues such as understanding Islam, hijab style, personal wellness and more.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER JANICE TUFTE
Janice Tufte lives in Seattle, Washington and has previously been published in Our Rising Sun and other resources in addition to being quoted in numerous publications. She has published Emergency Muslim Resource Guides for three Washington State counties in addition to providing publications for WarmforWinter and The Islamic Civic Engagement Project, both centered in the Puget Sound area. Ms. Tufte is currently working with HASSANAH Consulting in development of strategies to successfully ease barriers of persons living in poverty, both with the Seattle University School of Theology Faith and Family Homelessness Project and the Group Health Cooperative Medical Home Consumer Empowerment three year project.
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/janice-tufte/15/835/801

ABOUT MWA MEMBER JEANETTE MUGHAL
Jeanette Mughal, AAS, BA, MS, EdD candidate in Educational Leadership. Has been an educator for over 15 years, from Pre-Kindergarten to adult level students. She currently teaches at a female univ...ersity in the Middle East, though her home base is in North Carolina. Her favored genres are free-style poetry writing and short stories; but, the true desire is to focus on writing stories for the adolescent level. When not writing or busy with work, her heart belongs to her two wonderful sons. Her webpage is found on: https://sites.google.com/site/itsonlypersonal/

ABOUT MWA MEMBER LATIFAH HAMEEN
Latifah A. Hameen has published four books, Suffering In Silence: Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, Suffering in Healing: Creating a New Cycle, The Awakening of Your Soul,(A collection of poems) and Teens/Young Adults How-To Not-To Relationship Abuse Workbook, all are now available for purchase. Ms. Hameen is also the founder of Healthy Positive Choices (HPC) a newly formed agency used as a preventive tool in educating teens and young adults on the growing problem of teen relationship abuse. Ms. Hameen obtained her Associate of Arts Degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College, Bachelors of Science Degree at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Masters of Arts Degree at Amber University in Garland, Texas.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER MARYAM FUNMILAYO
Maryam Funmilayo is a USA independent distributor of SISTERS magazine, the magazine for fabulous Muslim women, and  is also an avid reader and a freelancer writer who loves to read and write about anything inspiring that has to do with education, global public health, personal experiences, and self reflection.
Blog: http://maryamsmusings.weebly.com/index.html

ABOUT MWA MEMBER NAFISA COOPER
I am a mother, grandmother, student, wife, entrepreneur, activist, writer, event planner and business owner. I could continue to list my many jobs, hobbies and titles however the list would be too long. I am an African American woman raised in the Islamic faith and truly grateful to have four grown Muslim children with families of their own. I enjoy being independent and making changes where they are needed whether within or outside of the Muslim community. I have always advocated for the underdog (so to speak) and have always pushed for justice in all situations.  

ABOUT MWA MEMBER NANCY SHEHATA
Nancy Shehata is a busy wife, mom, and writer living in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She blogs about Islam, politics, life, and the joys of raising a family at www.muslimahinprogress.blogspot.com while simultaneously wiping runny noses and helping her husband find obscure reference material for his lectures. Nancy's desire in life is to de-mystify Islam for non-Muslims and to help Muslims learn their religion according to authentic sources. She also shares her love of food at www.radicalislamiccuisine.wordpress.com.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER NIA MALIKA DIXON
A native of Baltimore, MD, Nia has written professionally for more than two decades including articles for national magazines, a published novel, short stories, blogs, two volumes of poetry, and several screenplays. She has received awards and recognition for her screenplays and her first short film, Temporary Loss of Power, was an audience favorite at the Baltimore Women’s Film Festival in 2007. Nia studied directing under the tutelage of famed director Lilyan Chauvin, until the time of Lilyan’s death in 2008. Shortly thereafter, Nia began studying acting with Tony Award winning actor and teacher, Kent Klineman. She is currently mentored by director Catherine Hardwicke, (Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown, and Twilight) and recently completed several writing assignments for Morgan Freeman at his production company, Revelations Entertainment. After completing the short film, City In the Sea, Nia shot the short film/web series, Chrysalis, in her hometown Baltimore and is now preparing to shoot her first feature film. Nia is also the single mother of two teenagers with special needs, including a son with Autism.
My blogs: http://www.niamalikadixon.com & http://thetelevisedrevolution.blogspot.com

ABOUT MWA MEMBER, NIHAD GAZAL
Nihad Gazal Muslimah Poetess is a budding writer who has a strong passion for poetry. She believes that the pen is a gift from Allah and has the power to bring positive change in people’s hearts and lives, if used sincerely for His sake. Her aim is to raise Islamic awareness amongst the muslim youth and to remind them of their purpose – the honor of worshiping One lord.  Her Facebook page and Blog ‘The Muslimah Poetess’ is a medium through which she shares her work with the Ummah. Her writing is a result of the multiple experiences that she has had in life. She has also tried her hand at articles and short stories. Currently she lives in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh with her parents and loves to spend time taking care of them and seeking beneficial Islamic knowledge. She is also an active member of Young Muslimah Project. She loves contributing to the online websites and is presently working for Muslim Eyes and Ideal Muslimah.


ABOUT MWA MEMBER QUEEN SHEBA CISSE
Queen Sheba Cisse is President and Founder of Queen Sheba Village and is an aspiring writer, humanitarian and mother to many globally. She manages homes and families on two continents, America and Africa, and runs an online fashion boutique of African textiles and clothing, as well as Arabian essences for the body and senses, and crafted accessories from our African Motherland—home of our ancestors. Queen Sheba has just completed "The QSV Story (Chapter 2) Queen Sheba Cisse" in Collaboration with Tara Tappert.
Website: http://www.queenshebavillage.org
Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/QueenSheba Cisse

ABOUT MWA MEMBER RANIA MARWAN
Rania Marwan is a freelance writer, she has her Bachelor Degree in Economics and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the American University in Cairo. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Islamic Ethics.  Her published work includes Laila and Pesto the Fly, Nour and Dedee the Ant and Hakeem the Wise Rocking Chair.  She is the proud mother of two daughters and a four year old son. She resides in Cairo, Egypt with her husband.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER RUKPHAR MOR (Sidra Nasir in group only)
Rukphar Mor is a blogger of mostly non-fiction works. She writes on topics such as mental and public health, science, Islam, and Muslims as well as her adventures as a local traveler. She completed her Bachelors in Biological Sciences from University of California, Irvine and is pursuing her Masters in Public Health from Loma Linda University with a concentration in Global Health. She enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, running, gardening, and birdwatching.She is interested in learning different languages. She speaks English and Urdu fluently and is working on her fluency in Spanish and Korean. She is planning to review books from authors on her blog.
Blog: http://rukhparmor.blogspot.com
Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001282328918&sk=wall

ABOUT MWA MEMBER RUTH NASRULLAH
Ruth Nasrullah is a freelance writer based in Houston, Texas. She has a masters degree in journalism from Emerson College and is pursuing a master of fine arts in creative nonfiction at Goucher College. She writes regularly for Islamic Horizons, Azizah and Toastmaster magazines and has also been published in the Houston Chronicle, both as a religion blogger and a reporter. Ruth is president of the Houston chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and also serves as president of two Toastmasters clubs. She is married with an adult daughter and two adult stepsons.

ABOUT MWA MEMBER SABA N TAYLOR
Saba N. Taylor loves to travel, read, write and blog (and not particularly in that order.) She writes children's stories and book reviews of children's books. Check out her blog The Family-Ship Experience for picture and chapter books that engages, entertains and educates. You can also find more book reviews, author interviews, giveaways and updates of her own writing experience and works on her writing blog, Of Thoughts and Words. Saba's published works include three teacher study guides published by Muslim Writers Publishing, a fourth in the works. She has been published in three anthologies and an assortment of online magazines.
Facebook page: facebook.com/FamilyReads
Twitter handle: @worddiaries
The Family-Ship Experience (blog) www.familyshipstories.blogspot.com
Of Thoughts and Words (blog) www.worddiaries.blogspot.com

ABOUT MWA MEMBER SAMEERAH EL-SIRAAJ
Sameerah El-Siraaj is a Spoken Word artist, Author, and Motivational Speaker. She has been writing poetry and short stories since the age of 9. At the age of 12, two of her poems got selected to go into a book which featured poems of young poets across the city. The book was put on display in the public library. In the year 2006, she along with 2 other poets, got selected to perform at Cohn Adult's graduation ceremony. After various local performances, she decided to go mainstream and make poetry and writing novels her career. Thus, the birth of her soon-to-be released Spoken Word Poetry album "Through the eyes & heart of a Muslimah", Volume 1 of her series "Sameerah's Soul Speaks". She has been offered 2 distribution deals for her album and 1 for her novel idea. Also she has recently performed at a major local masjid (The Islamic Center of Tennessee), during their Eid Fest celebrations, alongside her husband and fellow poet Jamal Al-Amin. Al-Amin Entertainment, the label she's under, has an international distribution agreement with CD Baby, which includes many national and international retailers, such as iTunes, Amazon, and Emusic, etc. The album will be released soon, and will be available in over 20 online stores.

ABOUT MWA'S ZABRINA A. BAKAR  Sis Zabrina is an author, columnist, speaker and humanitarian activist from Malaysia. Her bestselling Islamic Motivational Book Series, Life is an Open Secret - Think About It; Life is an Open Secret - You, Me, and We; and, Life is an Open Secret - Ramadan Special. The Life is an Open Secret book series were nominated for The International Prize for King Faisal Literature Award for Islamic Studies 2009. Sis Zabrina writes motivational and Inspirational stories for reflection of hearts and minds. As a Life-Storyteller, Sis Zabrina observes life's daily happenings and the realities of life; thinking and reflecting upon them, while looking for solutions that are grounded in spirituality. Her motto is always that Islam is easy to follow, simple, relevant and complete.
ON THE WEB 

ABOUT MWA MEMBER ZAINAB JOHN
Michelle Alicia John, also known by her Islamic name, Zainab John, is Guyanese by birth and born to parents who converted from Christianity to Islam. She migrated from Guyana, South America to London, England where she currently resides.  She graduated from the University of Guyana with a Diploma in Social Work and Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) and is currently a Trainee Chartered Legal Executive Lawyer with the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX). Michelle is also a wife, stay at home mum, Blogger, Parent Mentor and Child Protection Advocate Volunteer and an aspiring Author.

[Additional member bios pending]

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