Articles/Submissions > Interview at UMAA Conference
Interview at UMAA Conference
By Alina R.
 My experience at the UMAA convention this year has been the best so far. The speakers, the youth town hall, the hotel and the overall convention itself was a huge success. Congratulations to the UMAA’s organizing team.
Amongst the panel of women speakers this year one of them who influenced me the most was Sister Shabnam Dewji who not only spoke confidently and eloquently but is a great role model for us, the shia sisters. Thank you Shabnam Aunty for all your help.
Alina:
Salaam un Alaykum Shabnam Aunty!
Shabnam Aunty:
Wa alaykum Assalaam!
Alina:
Can you please tell me a little bit about yourself.
Shabnam Aunty:
I was born in Zanzibar (Africa), grew up in Dubai (UAE) and then after marriage I moved to the USA about 24 years back. My husband and I both went to college here and then 4 years later we moved to Los Angeles, California where we had three children. Now I am a full time working mom. I am one of the Directors for Time Warner Cable.
Alina:
When you immigrated to the USA did you face any challenges?
Shabnam Aunty:
When we moved here to the USA our sole purpose was to go to school and that is what we did. Therefore it was not that much of a challenge for us.
Alina:
Girls my age sometimes find it difficult to be “different”. How would you recommend we deal with this issue?
Shabnam Aunty:
This is a very real issue these days. Always remember never to loose your hope and focus. While I was in Dubai, I went to a Catholic school. Even though I was in an Islamic country I was still quite different from the rest of the kids at school.
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The best thing to do for yourself is to get respect for yourself.
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You should be proud of who you are and have high self esteem.
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You should always act confident and never loose your identity. Remember: Ignorance is on them not on you.
This should give you an opportunity to teach others and make them aware of other people. No matter what anyone says it should not bother you. Remember: You are not alone.
Alina:
Sometimes issues come up about being Muslims and then there are the Shia-Sunni differences, how do you recommend we deal with it?
Shabnam Aunty:
This is an interesting and ongoing issue. The fact that you are a Muslim is not a secret in any way. People now know about Islam. Few still get very much influenced by the media and believe in everything it says. When you befriend people, demonstrate Islam. Show them your beliefs and your practices. They will surely be impressed be it and you will not encounter any issues.
The Shia-Sunni debate which continues to go on is also of importance but the most important thing is that We are all Muslims first! We believe in the same Allah, we read the same Quran, we fast together, and we face the same Qiblah. People tend to forget how much we have in common.
Let me give you an example: When my nephew went to college he was the roommate with another Muslim boy. When he came to know that my nephew was a Shia he in his ignorance said that Shias were not Muslims. When Ramadhan came my nephew fasted and said all his prayers on time which his roommate did not. After a couple of months of their stay together he finally said to my nephew that he was certainly a better Muslim. So Alhamdulillah this is the way we can demonstrate our faith and win them over.
Alina:
What would be you advice to young girls of the Shia community?
Shabnam Aunty:
Remember to:
For in the end you have to become a productive member of the society. Whenever you have time you should volunteer your time and energy in helping the other members of your community. Be a part of the different organizations that lend a helping hand to the others. As a woman remember that you have rights in Islam and a man should never look down upon you.
Alina:
As a speaker, what topics do you enjoy talking about?
Shabnam Aunty:
I love to talk about issues that affect us on a daily basis. I have always been fascinated by the role models in Islam so I do like to discuss them. I also enjoy the revolutionary ideas of our youth so I enjoy mentoring them.
Alina:
What kind of things do you do at the mosque that you are affiliated with in L.A.? Do women play any role in the decision making?
Shabnam Aunty:
I am the Principal of the Islamic school in L.A. It is called SIJLA which is a part of NASIMCO and the World Federation. We not only have the regular Islamic school but we also plan lots of other events and fun things which the kids enjoy like field trips and other religious events.
Women play a major role in the decision making process at SIJLA. We have a 50% representation of women Board members which we feel is extremely important because issues pertaining to the women can only be solved by them.
Alina:
What would you say to the sisters who wear a hijab?
Shabnam Aunty:
Sometimes when girls wear hijab a person who has no knowledge about the Islamic values and principles might think that in Islam women are inferior to men. Before Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) women had no rights. But now instead of confining the women in their homes when one wears a hijab they are liberated. Just as women are supposed to guard their private parts so are men.
So girls, again, be proud of who you are and don’t let anyone look down upon you. Be strong and confident.
Alina:
We are members of a cool website for young shia sisters by the name of www.shiasisters.net. Would you have any suggestions for it?
Shabnam Aunty:
It seems to be a great friendship link! Maybe you should have friends share their experiences when they go on trips like Umrah, Ziarat, Hajj. You can also share information about volunteer projects, good books or articles to read and job opportunities within the community. Do not put a lot of personal information on there.
Alina:
Thank you so much Shabnam Aunty for you time. We, the shia sisters, appreciate all your valuable comments and pray that even we can become such worthy and caring citizens of our community.
For those of you who might be interested in contacting Shabnam Aunty, her email address is shabdewji@aol.com |
