Every One of You Is a Leader

Investigating the Experience of Being a Brown British Muslim Woman in Professional Contexts

Bibliographic Data

ID3458871
AuthorsSaiyyidah Zaidi (0009-0004-3778-2269), S Akbar Zaidi (University of Oxford, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume15
Issue10
Pages1229
Publication date2024-10-10
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel15101229
OpenAlexW4403301927
LanguageEN
References cited16

The Hadith paraphrased as 'every one of you is a leader' does not discriminate in gender in any way-both men and women are leaders. What does this mean in practice, and how are Muslim women perceived and received in line with this Hadith? Only in very recent years are Muslim women in Britain starting to occupy prominent positions: 13 Muslim women Members of British Parliament were elected in 2024; celebrities such as baker Nadia Hussain are regularly seen on British TV; and others such as Fatima Manji in the media. In this article, I explore how different 'contextual intersectionalities' influence and impact a Muslim woman and her leadership role. How does the intersectionality of her outward expression of faith identify her? How does a Muslim woman navigate a space where she is the leader and her skills are sought, yet her faith representation may instigate unconscious/conscious biases? Using an autoethnographic method, I investigate the impact of my identities as a Brown British Muslim woman in three distinct settings. First, in the professional and academic space of British Christian practical theology, where I was the first British Muslim to obtain a doctorate in the subject and was the first Muslim Trustee and Committee Member of the British and Irish Association for Practical Theology (BIAPT) between 2020 and 2024. Second, as a leadership advisor and executive coach to FTSE-listed companies, where I support C-suite leaders to generate sustained change in individuals, teams, and systems. And third, as a tutor and supervisor of proven business leaders to master the skills of coaching in their own right. I discuss how I am met in these spaces and the impact of that on my being. In conclusion, I call for increased understanding and awareness of the emotional tax paid by Muslim women who choose to take leadership roles

Political science · Psychoanalysis · Sociology · Education and Islamic Studies · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Psychology · Race, History, and American Society

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access