Brit-ish Muslim Girl Diaries

If you were diagnosed with blood disorder tomorrow, what would you do to find a stem cell donor who could save your life?

Amal and Zara speak to Anie Hussain, who was diagnosed with rare blood disorder aplastic anemia at the age of 17. However, Anie is from an ethnic minority background, therefore finding a stem cell donor who was a good match was incredibly hard since so few of us from ethnic backgrounds are part of the donor register.

In this episode, we discuss:

· Anie’s journey after being diagnosed with cancer

· Searching for a stem cell donor

· The Anthony Nolan stem cell transplant register

· What YOU can do to help

Learn more about how to join the stem cell register or forward this link to someone who may be eligible to register:

Amal and Zara speak to Aaminah Aziz, Head of Finance and Operations of Salams, one of the world’s most popular Muslim marriage apps. The Salams app has 3 million users across 100 countries. 45,000 marriages have taken place as a result of Muslims meeting on the app. In 2021, they also introduced a great new feature on the app called Salams Connect which allows you to find new friends in your area.

We get to find out all work that goes on behind the scenes at Salams and ask Aaminah all of our juiciest questions.

Topics covered:

· Impact of Salams on the Muslim community

· Stigma in the Muslim community around using apps to find a spouse

· Interesting trends seen on Salams

· Whether Salams employees read user messages

· How Salams address issues around inappropriate behavior on the app

· Advice on the search for a spouse

· Finding new friends using Salams Connect

Find Salams:

Zara and Amal chat with a friend about whether men and women can really be close friends. Expect differing opinions and a heated discussion!

Zara and Amal interview American Muslim author and editor Gabrielle Deonath on her new book, Shukr, an inspirational dua and gratitude journal. 

Topics covered in the episode:

· Expressing gratitude in your prayers to reconnect with your faith

· Inspiring hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him) included in the Shukr journal

· How your faith can increase when studying the Quran and hadith

The Shukr Dua and Gratitude journal aims to bring greater meaning to the words you may hear, read, or recite in worship and offers an opportunity to truly absorb and connect with them. With guided prompts and space for reflection, Shukr will help you think about the religious significance and context of each dua, hadith, and verse and will encourage you to contemplate how you can apply them to your daily life. Undated entries offer space to reflect any time of the year and flexibility for even the busiest of schedules. Check out Shukr, to take your spiritual connection to the next level!

Amal and Zara interview British Muslim convert and founder of Power of Voice Academy, Khalila Lister. Growing up in London in a Jewish family, she started her career touring the UK as a radio host and interviewing celebrities. She left this career behind upon discovering Islam. In this episode, they discuss Khalila’s journey to becoming Muslim, her work as a public speaking coach, and tips for everyone to project confidence when speaking.