I first wrote about Sukina Abdul Noor and Muneera Rashida back in 2013. The two women teamed up to form Poetic Pilgrimage four years before both decided to convert to Islam. Many have reacted with surprise to the combination of ‘Hip Hop’ and ‘Hijabi’, and the pair have had to deal with angry responses from some Muslims who think their performances haram. But they find no contradiction between their music and religion.
Hip Hop Hijabis, a new documentary, produced by filmmaker Mette Reitzel and now aired by Aljazeera, offers an insight into debates within some British Muslim communities – and the dilemmas faced by women who want to challenge the boundaries. Should they stick to ‘spoken word’ performances, or ignore the disapproving voices and sing? It’s very interesting to see which audiences respond coolly to the women – and which welcome them. You can watch the documentary here, and you can read an interview with Muneera here, and see interviews with both members of Poetic Pilgrimage here.
