Identity
1 min
Between Two Worlds: Being Muslim in Yogyakarta
At school I was too Muslim. At the mosque I was too Indonesia. I spent years feeling like I belonged nowhere.
Revert journeys. Identity struggles. Faith found, lost, and found again. Unfiltered voices from your brothers and sisters across the world.
In Egypt, a divorced woman is a tragedy. I decided to be a plot twist instead.
At school I was too Muslim. At the mosque I was too Indonesia. I spent years feeling like I belonged nowhere.
They said wearing hijab would hold me back in media. I wore it anyway. They took me seriously regardless.
Fasting while studying for finals in Milan tested everything I thought I knew about patience.
When the flood came, our Islamic centre became the only institution that stayed — Muslim and non-Muslim alike.
In Norway, everyone assumed I was born Muslim. Actually, I found Islam at 41.
In Tunisia, everyone assumed I was born Muslim. Actually, I found Islam at 35.
Fasting while teaching children in Vienna tested everything I thought I knew about gratitude.
In the mountains where my ancestors prayed to the sky, we built a mosque from felt and wood. It moves with the seasons, like faith should.
I've answered 'aren't you hot in that?' approximately four hundred times. Here's my actual answer.
I spent 24 years searching for meaning in evangelical christian. Then a taxi driver changed everything.
At school I was too Muslim. At the mosque I was too Kazakhstan. I spent years feeling like I belonged nowhere.
They said wearing a beard would hold me back in law. I wore it anyway. They took me seriously regardless.