December 2014, I had the pleasure of interviewing the lovely Sister Laila Alawa who is the owner of Lilla Stjarna Jewelry, the Founder of Coming of Faith and is the Digital Director for KARAMAH Law. In speaking with her, she explains how she views the world, where she gets her energy from and why she has such gusto! In her own voice she speaks with such a positive outlook and has wonderful energy that we should all emulate in our daily lives. I hope you all get to embrace it and implement it where ever you are!
Here is who she is in a nutshell — but listen to her live here! Enjoy!
Laila on Laila: ” I’m the CEO and President of Coming of Faith, a leading news and media company for underrepresented minorities, and serve as a branding consultant for businesses and political personalities. I’m the business owner of LillaStjarna.com. You can find my writing on Salon.com, Dame Magazine, The Guardian, The Toast, and Mic, among others. My work has been mentioned in The Guardian, BuzzFeed, The Atlantic, Mashable, Color Lines, Bustle, Feministing, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. I have also appeared on Al-Jazeera America, BBC World News, NPR, and Huffington Post Live.” (source:http://www.lailaalawa.com/)
In 2012, two friends, Laila Alawa and Rasheeda Abdul-Musawwir, decided to create a space for underrepresented women to share their stories. After years of sharing personal narratives with friends, the two realized that it was unusual for transformative stories to be found in the media, particularly when it centered on minority women. Laila and Rasheeda began cultivating a safe space for voices of Muslim American women. (source: http://www.comingoffaith.com/about-2/)
- Sister Laila graciously invites all sisters to submit their stories to her site: Coming of Faith. For those who wish to do so please click here.
Founded in 2002, KARAMAH’s Law and Leadership Summer Program (LLSP) brings together a select group of Muslim women from around the world to study and to learn from each other and from top professors. The result is a unique program diverse in ideas and cultures, but unified in its commitment to developing Muslim women’s understanding of Islamic Jurisprudence, Leadership, and Conflict Resolution.
- For those sisters wanting to be more knowledgeable and participate in the KARAMAH.org law leadership program – please click here.
LILLA STJARNA is inspired by the natural world: raw gemstone pieces, handmade lace collars, wirewrapped bracelets, handforged rings, mixed-media necklaces, & delicate statement earrings made with great passion and great care in my (very!) colorful home studio. You’ll find of mix of gold + silver geometric jewelry, colorful statement pieces + unique mixed-media designs, all made in small batches with great passion + great care.
- Need Jewelry? Click here to shop!
Insha Allah we can all take a moment to inspire ourselves and those around us. Allah is truly great in that no one person can do it all — we all bring differences that complete the Ummah of the Prophet Mohammad SAW.
Wassallam
