Today we’d like to introduce you to Eiman Ali.
Hi Eiman, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Nearly 10 years years ago, Muslim Women For was started by Doha Medani, Eiman Ali and Lela Ali. We are three African immigrants, Muslim women and we wear our identities as badges of honor.
However, we weren’t always on this path to celebrate and embrace our truest selves, particularly because of certain small, but heavy experiences that kept reminding us that we were different and not American enough.
We recognized that Muslim women and women of color like ourselves have historically had limited access to resources, opportunity, and power, and experience spaces (both Muslim and non-Muslim) that are dominantly led by cis men, where we are often sexualized, devalued, and silenced. This is why we created a space of our own- a space that didn’t exist in our community.
Muslim Women For is a group of women, and Black and Brown folks working to co-organize and center marginalized Muslim communities in North Carolina to leverage our transformative power through political and community education, cross-community solidarity, cultural work, and the development of organizers.
Everything we do begins with relationships. Our base-building model centers Muslim women — not as recipients of services, but as leaders, organizers, and decision-makers in their own communities. We invest in deep, ongoing one-on-one outreach with faith leaders, student organizers, and community members across North Carolina, building the trust and relationships that make sustained collective action possible.
From that relational foundation, we create entry points — in-person events, political education, cultural programming, and direct action opportunities — that move people from awareness to engagement to leadership. We meet our community where they are, in their languages, in their spaces, and on their terms. This is how we build power that lasts.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Our impact so far has been extraordinary. We have led a social justice leadership retreat for women of color and femmes from North Carolina in Washington, D.C. During the training, we reflected and learned about building community and relationships through the power of storytelling, learned how to uplift spiritual resistance in our social justice and community work, and brainstormed strategic and sustainable ways to build local and grassroots power in our communities.
We have organized events to bring the community together for bonfires and Get Out The Vote block parties. Additionally, we have been able to provide self-defense workshops, “Know Your Rights” trainings, and political education materials as part of our rapid response efforts.
We have led advocacy days at the General Assembly, spoken out on expansions of ICE’s presence in North Carolina and ensured community leaders are educated on their rights no matter what their citizenship status is.
We also host Muslim or Muslim women only spaces for timely discussions on issues such as internalized Islamophobia, racism, and hijab. We received an award from the ACLU of North Carolina for our work in Championing Liberty across the state.
Our events are rooted in community needs and are fueled by hiring small, local and people of color-owned businesses for food and other services.
At Muslim Women For, we recognize that true power lies with the people — and our long-term strength depends on the strength of our base. This year, we deepened our commitment to a base-building model that goes beyond short-term mobilization and builds lasting relationships that translate into collective action.
We are building on what’s working:
Deep Relational Outreach — Cultivating one-on-one relationships with Muslim leaders, faith leaders, and student organizers across the state, grounded in mutual trust
Powerful Convening — Amplifying our community’s voice in progressive spaces tackling immigrant justice, reproductive freedom, voting rights, and community safety
Digital Political Education — Using new media, including our Niyah comics and online blog, to engage, inform, and build trust with our broader audience
Culturally-Centered Programming — Expanding faith- and culture-rooted events that consistently drive high engagement and turnout
El Nas Lel Nas (The People for the People) — Our in-person event series creates clear entry points for new members and volunteers to connect with our work and move into action
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Muslim Women For is the name of a non-profit based in North Carolina. Muslim Women For stands for “Muslim Women for community organizing, leadership development and grassroots organizing” We want to work on a variety of different issues so that is why we kept the name broad but at the core, the organization is run by and for Muslim women.
Muslim Women For focuses on social justice initatives particularly increasing civic engagement in North Carolina and raising awareness on how to get civically involved. We host voter registration events and support leadership development pipelines for Muslim women.
Also – we support and uplift Muslim women regardless of how they choose to practice Islam. This organization is for all people that identify as Muslims and all people that want to be allies of Muslims and the broader Muslim community.
Muslim Women For’s staff participates in political advoacy and provide advocacy trainings for Muslims across the state. We have internship and fellowship programs throughout the year for Muslim women interested in advocacy work. We have paid and volunteer phone banking and canvassing opoprtunites as well.
How do you think about happiness?
It is beautiful seeing healing and intentionality in Muslim
Women For’s work. Intention means that every action
I take has a meaning and purpose behind it. Being exposed
to Muslim Women For’s organizational framework has
taught me about intentionality in practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://muslimwomenfor.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muslimwomenfor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/muslimwomenfor
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/muslim-women-for
