Main Bhi Muslim Main Bhi Muslim™

What does it mean to be a Muslim woman from Bundelkhand living through its socio-economic and political realities? What are their aspirations and expectations from the upcoming elections? How do they imagine their futures as citizens of this country?
These are some questions that Main Bhi Muslim and Khabar Lahariya follow in this episode, speaking to Muslim women voters across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh - mainly in Jhansi, Banda, Chitrakoot, Panna, and Ayodhya to listen to their aspirations, their hopes, and bear witness to their fears and anxieties.
These women across all age groups are homemakers, recent graduates, working women, community builders and social activists, who offer a deeper understanding of the on-ground realities of their society.
These interviews and recordings are mostly conducted by Khabar Lahariya’s Senior Reporter, Nazni Rizvi, with additional recordings by KL reporters Kumkum Yadav and Alima. In the episode, Nazni later shares her own views on interacting with these women some of whom chose to remain anonymous, whose voices are often less heard in the gamut of electoral politics but are ever important, especially now. She also shares instances of her own experiences as a journalist and a Muslim woman observing the change in norms and sentiments within the society she lives and works in.
Recent reports on issues and topics raised by women in the podcast:
* Unemployment: बेरोज़गारी की मार झेलता छतैनी गाँव पलायन करने को हुआ मजबूर | UP Elections 2022 (Khabar Lahariya, February 2022)
* Anti-Muslim violence and fear within community: “हिन्दू राष्ट्र” बनता भारत, लक्ष्य एक “मुस्लिमों को….”, सुरक्षा-आज़ादी सिर्फ एक धर्म के नाम (Sandhya, Khabar Lahariya, August 2023)
* Price hike of gas cylinders: वाराणसी: महंगे सिलिंडर ने लौटाए चूल्हे के दिन (Khabar Lahariya, November 2021)
* Vegetables price hike: हाय रे… महंगाई ने कमर तोड़ डाली (Khabar Lahariya, July 2023)
* House tax prices: चुनाव जीतने पर ख़त्म करूँगा हाउस टैक्स -प्रमोद सोनी उम्मीदवार | नगर निकाय चुनाव 2022 (Khabar Lahariya, November 2022)
* Absence of state support for people with disabilities: चित्रकूट : दिव्यांग परिवार को नहीं मिली आवास, शौचालय व पेंशन जैसी सुविधाएं (Khabar Lahariya, October 2022)
* Intertwined Hindu-Muslim religious sites at Jhansi: झांसी के दरगाह शरीफ में बना मंदिर-मज़ार है हिन्दू-मुस्लिम के प्रेम व एकता का प्रतीक (Sandhya, Khabar Lahariya, February 2024)
* Uttar Pradesh removes loudspeakers from religious sites (The Hindu, April 2022)
* Delhi Police suspend official caught on camera kicking Muslim men offering prayers (Independent, March 2024)
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This episode is in collaboration with Khabar Lahariya - India’s only digital news network run by women from marginalised backgrounds reporting from the country’s hinterlands. Subscribe to KL Hatke to receive on-ground reportage by women journalists in rural India.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mainbhimuslim.com

In this episode, MBM’s host Mariyam Haider is in conversation with Risana Rasheed from Kasargod, Kerala, who along with her twin sister, Ramseena, became the first women in their community to clear the JEE advanced, considered one of the toughest entrance exams, to enter the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Do check out EP27 with Ramseena Rasheed, to learn more about their early educational years and journeys.
This episode contains personal views of the guest regarding the said academic institution.
In this episode, Risana shares her coming of age story as a young woman, navigating priorities, lifestyle and identity choices, simply keeping one goal in mind - to build a life through academic achievement. After clearing IIT, Risana found herself in a new place, unlearning and learning aspects of herself, experiencing realities being perceived as a visible Muslim woman, especially coming from a non-Hindi speaking background into a predominantly North Indian setting.
Risana also offers a window into her experience at the campus, how her OBC background was brought into spotlight through caste-oriented questions by other students and the impact it had on her and those coming from other reserved categories. While Risana shares her personal experience and coping mechanisms to wade through her higher education and early career years, if you are a listener going through something similar, please do consider seeking professional counselling and community support.
About Risana Rasheed*
Risana Rasheed is a software engineer based in Bangalore, currently working at Harness.io. She pursued her Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Roorkee (2017-21 batch) and has previously held roles as an SDE at Amazon and Enphase Energy.
Her professional passion lies in crafting scalable, robust, and user-friendly software solutions. Outside of work, she immerses herself in various creative pursuits and enjoys exploring different parts of India, capturing experiences through travel content on Instagram. She also finds solace in creating paintings and finding fulfilment in assisting students with career guidance and counselling.
*Bio and image published with guest’s permission.
Episode notes:
* Child marriage awareness lacking in Kerala’s remote places: Justice Mustaque (The New Indian Express, February 2024)
* Risana Rasheed’s Instagram
* Mappila Muslim Culture - How a Historic Muslim Community in India Has Blended Tradition and Modernity by Roland E. Miller
* 1 Out Of 3 SC/ST Students Asked About Their Caste: IIT-Bombay 2022 Survey (Aakriti Handa, The Quint, April 2023)
* 33 IIT students died by suicide in last 5 years: Govt (The Indian Express, April 2023)
MBM visual identity design by Shazia Salam || Music by Jupneet Singh



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mainbhimuslim.com

In this episode, MBM’s host Mariyam Haider is in conversation with Ramseena Rasheed from Kasargod, Kerala, who along with her twin sister, Risana, became the first women in their community to clear Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)-advanced, considered one of the toughest entrance exams, to enter the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
Ramseena offers a window into her upbringing in a working-class family, the unconditional support from her parents, and wading through patriarchal attitudes of relatives and sexist or Islamophobic notions of teachers over the course of her schooling and engineering coaching. 
For Ramseena, her five years at IIT were filled with cultural exposure, tireless competition and a drive to find a job to financially support her family. Currently working in the corporate sector in Bengaluru, she shares many instances of her professional life through social media, and despite experiencing online trolling over her visible Muslim identity or views, Ramseena continues to offer advice and learnings to young career aspirants from her hometown and across the country. We discuss this and many more things that make Ramseena’s journey truly an inspiration for many young women in the country.
About Ramseena Rasheed
Ramseena Rasheed holds a BTech and MTech degree in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kharagpur (2017-2022 batch). Currently, she is working as a backend developer for Aerospace software at AIRBUS, Bangalore, and is passionate about AI, ML related topics and their applications in the aerospace industry.
*Bio and image published with guest’s permission.
Episode notes:
* Inspiring Journey Of Twin Muslim IITian Sisters From Kasargod Draws Unwarranted Criticism On Social Media (Shahzeen Khan, The Observer Post, January ‘24)
* Ramseena Rasheed’s Instagram


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mainbhimuslim.com

In this conversation, MBM’s producer and host, Mariyam Haider speaks with Sulfath Laila and Gargi Harithakam, who are the co-founders of Vanaja Collective - that supports and helps couples from Kerala’s queer community, overcome their families’ resistance and find systemic avenues to bring them together. One of the successful cases that Vanaja Collective worked on was of Adhila Nasarin and Fathima Noora - who fought familial and legal challenges - to reunite and live together as a couple.
As a queer Muslim woman, Sulfath shares their journey growing up in a household that was largely driven by men and followed patriarchal norms and expectations. Over the years, Sulfath notes how they have derived support and strength from the women in her family, fought patriarchal mindsets and come together to tackle Muslim stereotypes and unjust rhetoric in other spaces. Sulfath also shares how queer voices from within Kerala’s Muslim community are emerging and voicing themselves in price marches and other public dialogues and initiatives.
Gargi discusses how ill-practices such as ‘conversion therapy’ continue to exist that harm the LGBTQI+ community and despite it being outlawed, is often used by families against their own kin. Gargi and Sulfath underline their commitment through Vanaja Collective towards expanding spaces of conversations and support for people from other marginalised backgrounds. We discuss how Malayalam cinema has a long way to go in showcasing stories with feminist characters and queer couples whose love stories do not end in misery or tragic circumstances. Finally, we engage in ways that listeners can support Vanaja Collective’s fundraising efforts and stay connected with them. All details are mentioned on MBM’s website.
You can support Vanaja Collective’s ongoing fundraiser by donating through the link here: https://milaap.org/fundraisers/support-the-organisation-4
Episode notes:
* Kerala student dies in Goa, death puts focus on inhuman 'conversion therapy' on queer people (Cris, The News Minute, May 2020)
* ‘Conversion therapy’ still continues in India, despite a ban (Sukanya Shaji, The News Minute, August 2023)
* Kerala study reveals 45% prevalence of conversion therapy among LGBTQIA+ persons (Cris, The News Minute, February 2023)
* Kerala's lesbian couples share heart-warming photos from a memorable get-together (Onmanorama, July 2023)
* Queer Representation In Malayalam Cinema: The Past, The Present, And The Possible Future (Rhea F, Feminism In India, July 2023)
* The youth of Kerala want to make gay marriage legal (Mathrubhumi, March 2021)
* Malayalam films that tried to explore LGBTQ+ representation (Pooja Pillai, Pink Lungi, September 2023)
* Movies discussed in the episode:
* Desatanakkili Karayarilla (1986)
* Sancharram (2004)
* Moothon (2019)
* The Great Indian Kitchen (2021)
* Badhaai Do (2022)
* Queerphobia in Kerala: A Student Fights For Gender Identity on College Campus (Smitha TK, The Quint, December 2022)
* Kerala: Lesbian Couple’s Harrowing Journey Shines Light on Continuing Dangers of ‘Conversion Therapy’ (Mrudula Bhavani, The Wire, July 2023)
* Kerala lesbian couple separated by parents, united by High Court, drops a viral bridal photoshoot (Shaurya Thapa, DailyO, November 2022)
MBM visual identity design by Sunakshi Nigam || Music by Jupneet Singh


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mainbhimuslim.com

Main Bhi Muslim’s last episode of the year is with the spirited and incredible human being, Sabika Abbas, aka @boltiaurat on Instagram.
Sabika is a poet, organiser, SEL educator and story-teller. Her work revolves around issues of gender, minority rights and justice. She performs in public spaces, edits anthologies, translates and is constantly working on at least five dreamy or nonsensical side projects. If not for her work, she would be a full time stand-up comic or leading a cult of ‘doing nothing’. After working with change.org and Fearless Collective, Sabika, is currently the Organising and Campaigns Lead at Noor.* 
In this episode, Sabika takes us down her memory lane growing up in a mosque complex in Lucknow, how her Muslim upbringing has shaped her view of life and helped in using her voice against injustice and oppression. We discuss her journey being a poet performing on the streets and how her poems belong to the people and streets she shares them with. Sabika also talks about the current realities for Indian Muslims and the constant reconciliations one does when the country one is born in and belongs to, denies it acceptance and protection. Finally, we talk about love of all kinds, how kindred friendships keep our hearts and souls warm, and ending with a beautiful poem by Sabika talking about what being a lover means to her in current times. 
This episode is recorded to commemorate and celebrate the anniversary** of the 2019 Shaheen Bagh protests led by Indian Muslim women. Do give this episode a listen, share it within your circles and recognise your part in standing up for justice and liberation for all.
*Bio republished with permission by the guest.
**The episode host mistakenly says third anniversary of the Shaheen Bagh protests in the conversation. This year marks the fourth anniversary. The error is regretted.
Episode notes:
* How Pro-BJP WhatsApp, Facebook Groups Are Using the Israel-Hamas War to Stoke Islamophobia (Kunal Purohit, The Wire, October, 2023)
* India terror law haunts Muslims jailed since 2020 for Delhi riots (Hanan Zaffar and Danish Pandit, Al Jazeera, February, 2023) 
* US Commission on International Religious Freedom (names of political prisoners mentioned in the episode)
* Gulfisha Fatima
* Umar Khalid 
* Khalid Saifi 
* Natasha Narwal 
* Devangana Kalita 
* Siddique Kappan: India journalist walks out of jail after 2 years (Al Jazeera, February, 2023)
* Why Shaheen Bagh protests are an important moment in India’s history (Elizabeth Puranam, Al Jazeera, February, 2020)
* Building allyship & solidarity through shared tiffins - a childhood memory, present-day friendships and action-filled hope to tide over hate and othering (Mariyam Haider, Substack, August, 2023)
* Sabika Abbas Naqvi: Reclaiming public spaces through poetry (INKtalks, February, 2020)
* ‘Bulli Bai’, 'Sulli Deals': On Being Put Up for ‘Auction’ as an Indian Muslim Woman (Mariya Salim, The Wire, January, 2022)
* ‘Auction’ of India’s Muslim women shows tech weaponised for abuse (Al Jazeera, January, 2022)


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mainbhimuslim.com

In this MBM conversation, Mariyam Haider speaks to Zoya who identify as a “They/Them with a She/Her vibe” and defines themselves as a “queer soul with the vibrant hues of a Transwoman, embracing the diverse rhythms of life.” In this episode, Zoya shares their journey exploring gender fluidity, and discusses how this exploration has enabled them to have more meaningful relationships. They also share their relationship with their Indian Muslim identity and the ways it shows up in their life.
A DEI professional, Zoya sheds light on the challenges and opportunities present within the corporate spaces, the Supreme Court ruling that failed to grant same-sex couples marriage rights in India, and the responsibilities of allies across the board.
Finally, we talk about finding love and discuss the role of queer and minority representation in certain Hindi movies and the recent Amazon series, Made In Heaven, Season 2. This month in which we observe Trans Awareness Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance, do give this episode a listen and share it with your loved ones.
Episode notes
* Faith & Queerness: Finding The Intersection Between Religion And Homosexuality ((Gaysi), 2 August, 2022)
* SC Refuses to Legalise Marriage Equality, 2 of 5 Judges Say Queer Couples Must Be Given Legal Rights (The Wire, 17 October, 2023)
* NATIONAL LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY (NALSA) VS. UNION OF INDIA (South Asian Trans Law Database, Centre for Law and Policy Research)
* Full NALSA Judgement 2014
* Breaking news: India falls short to granting marriage rights to same-sex couples but the Chief Justice articulated unprecedented assertion of queerness and trans rights in verdict (Fabrice Houdart, Substack, 17 October, 2023)
* Nepal Courts Refuse to Register Same-Sex Marriages - Lower Courts Defy Supreme Court Order (Human Rights Watch, October 10, 2023)
* How Made in Heaven Tests Limits of Secular, Liberal Imagination of Muslim Women (Zehra Mehdi, The Quint, 2 September 2023)


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mainbhimuslim.com