“My Lord! Enrich me with knowledge..” (Quran, 20:114)
“The pursuit of knowledge and the use of reason, based on sense and observation is made obligatory on all believers”
Mariam Kaleem-Ahmed is my name ; a proud Muslimah hijabi, a daughter to amazing parents, a sister to supportive siblings, a wife to a loving husband and lastly, a self-directed passionate volunteer. I am a proud graduate of an HBCU- University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Undergraduate degree) and St John’s University (Master’s degree). I am currently enrolled in a Graduate Entry Medical Program to obtain my Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree. I was introduced to Muslimah Mentorship by Sister Feruzah and I am honored and glad I became part of an organization in Ghana, whose vision embodies mine in all aspect. As a Muslim girl growing up in Ghana, my external environment and society defined my value by marriage. Their favorite saying was “Whoever has married has completed half of their religion”. However, I was lucky to have parents, siblings and mentors who reminded me that there was another half of my Deen, which included a portion of seeking knowledge. They also saw my potential and instilled the passion to pursue an education, career and also reminded me that my future spouse should see me as a partner and also encourage my aspirations, just as I will do theirs. However, as I got older, I realized a lot of younger Muslim women were not lucky to have the support I had or faced discrimination and marginalization which made them give up. So my goal was to provide that Mentorship and guidance that has brought me this far, although, I still have a long way to go. Additionally, also engage in activism to help fight some of these unfair acts that hurt Muslim girls. It is quite humbling to be part of Muslimah Mentorship Network and to be able to provide such support to other young Muslim women. Additionally, it is an honor to form bonds with such amazing Muslim women and ladies who are either part of the organization themselves or are mentees. Moreover I am passionate about giving back, it is the core of who I am and honestly defines me.
“The acquisition of knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim, whether male or female.”
My goal as a member of Muslimah Mentorship is to, In Shaa Allah, help in the process of creating more educated and career oriented Muslim girls; who will one day enjoy having that balance of not only being wives and mothers but also be addressed as Journalists, Bankers, Attorneys, Judges, Business Analyst, Fashion designers etc. In Shaa Allah, I look forward to the day that, in every establishment I walk into, I can visibly see a Muslim woman who is succeeding and has her head held up high.
