Hello, 

I feel like I always start these by stating how long it's been, but here I am, saying the same. I've been in deep writing and editing mode for the past few months and it's so exciting that The Othered Woman is starting to feel less like a bunch of word documents on my laptop and more like an actual book. 

For me, November is not only Islamophobia Awareness Month but it also marks two years this month since I started writing The Othered Woman. I still remember sitting down and working on that first chapter in 2022, having just moved to London and bursting with energy for the next chapter of my life.

When it comes to Islamophobia Awareness Month, I have pretty mixed feelings. I think it's incredibly important that we recognise it as a form of racism and highlight the issues Muslims face every single day. But it's also tiring, because how are people not 'aware' of Islamophobia yet? 

It's always there. 

It's in the far-right riots we saw earlier this summer. 

It's in all the headlines demonising Muslims time and time again. 

It's in how the genocide of Palestinians gets talked about (or not talked about). 

I'm not sure how much more awareness building we can do until it gets to a point that maybe some people just don't want to know? 

If writing this book has shown me one thing, it's how much learning and solidarity is still needed when it comes to Islamophobia. Ignorance can't be an excuse anymore. Islamophobia is real, painful and exists in plain sight. 

People need to look, listen and learn – not just this month, but every month.