January 2018: Seva
I began the New Year speaking to a brilliant cohort of interfaith leaders in the Interfaith Civic Leadership Academy. We shared what keeps us spiritually connected by remembering the moments that mobilized us to our fights for a better world: the Muslim ban, gentrification in our hoods, 9/11, religious trauma, homelessness, chronic illness, and love/sincerity from people when the universe appeared to be hopeless. It was evident in the room (and a needed reminder for me as I work on my 2018 intentions) that community organizing and justice work are core tenets of our faiths, that spirituality requires service (seva) to the community, that our houses of worship need to be centers for effective organizing.
Rephrased from Reverend Dr. Chloe Breyer’s (Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York) summary of my presentation: I shared strategies on to “how to poke your way into the male-dominated mosque-lead leadership meetings in Kensington that you [as a young woman] are not invited to.” Some tips include speaking my mind on various platforms (aka using Instagram for the revolution) and in person, not internalizing what other people think or say about me (we know this work comes with noise), and accepting a position with my City Councilmember Brad Lander (straddling a job in local government as an activist is still and always will be a tough feat), which has given me both a platform to advocate for the well-being of Bangladeshi-American women and children and gain leverage with some of the uncles in my community who grasp the importance of civic involvement in NYC.
Tazin Azad, a fiery parent organizer at PS: 217 (Ditmas Park, Brooklyn), shared how she organized and won to create an alternative lunch menu (hot veg options, gluten-free, Halal-friendly). She did this for her own children and for all students at the school who deserve to eat better. Tazin and I were besties in undergrad where we first met at the Brooklyn College Women’s Center. We lost touch after graduation and reunited in person after four years! I’m so proud of her work and knowing that Bangladeshi women continue to inspire my commitment. (Read more about her work here: https://ptalink.org/topic-areas/activities-events/organizing-to-create-a-new-school-lunch-menu)
May we continue to extend our hands to serve our communities in incremental steps in the new year and always.
