In a trendy inner north suburb of Melbourne, Australia, there is a bustling restaurant called the Moroccan Soup Bar. Queues of people often line the footpath waiting to get a table at this popular spot.
So in a suburb known for its food and cafe culture, what makes this place stand out? It has a couple of trademarks, not least of all its vivacious owner Hana Assafiri who will most likely greet you warmly at the door. It is also run solely by Muslim women, has a verbal menu that is memorised by the wait staff, is entirely vegetarian, and doesn’t serve alcohol. Oh, and the food is delicious.
When Hana first leased the shop front 18 years ago, she had no idea what she would use it for. Perhaps a place for women to sell spices, or somewhere to sew clothes, the possibilities were endless. Then Hana had a moment when she realised, “Food to me was the major connector across cultures,” and the shop evolved into what it is now — a Melbourne food institution.
Hana is a passionate activist and has a history of working with and advocating for women in crisis.
"An empowered woman for me is an empowered society.” she told the ABC program Compass. This is why the restaurateur only employs women, they are all Muslim, often in crisis or simply in need of work.
Once established, word spread that the restaurant was a safe space that welcomed Muslim women. And they simply turned up; friends in tow, looking for work. Many of them were women that Hana had met through her work at a crisis center for women and they came from a range of nationalities including Lebanese, Iraqi, Somali, Russian, Indian, and Vietnamese. She doesn’t turn anyone away.
The Muslim wait staff at the Moroccan Soup Bar are not strangers to discrimination.
Hana has encountered customers who have made inflammatory Islamophobic comments. For example, when a male customer asked Hana, “Why’s that woman got that thing on her head?” she replied, “It’s a symbol of her faith.” The customer then exclaimed, “The only thing it’s symbolic of is beheadings and honour killings.”
Other staff members have told stories to Hana about abuse and hurtful remarks they experience on an everyday basis. It is sadly a sign of the times as Islamophobia is on the rise in our society.
Read more: This Woman Was Told ‘All Terrorists Are Muslims.' Her Response Was Perfect
Enter Hana’s next passion project — "Speed dating a Muslim."
Each Sunday afternoon Hana invites a group of Muslim women to come to her Moroccan deli just a suburb over from the restaurant. She also invites a range of non-Muslim Australians. Over tea, coffee and sweets she pairs up the two groups and encourages conversation.
Hana has evocatively dubbed these events as "speed dating" to spark people’s interest in a positive way; although it has nothing to do with dating or romance.
“These events were naively and quite innocently born out of a need to speak to a humanity and to speak to a narrative or a conversation beyond what seems to be on offer by both the media and politicians.”
Hana doesn’t blame the wider community for the judgements or misconceptions many people have of the Muslim faith. She says that if she believed what she saw on TV she would be afraid of Muslims too.
For the Muslim women who participate in the "speed dating" sessions, it is about reclaiming their identity. The conversation is a way for women to respond to the hostility that comes with the many misconceptions in Australia. And for the non-Muslim participants it is a chance for them to ask anything they’ve ever wanted to know.
“Nothing is off the table” Hana says. “You can ask anything, providing it is a enquiry and not a judgement.”
Conversation meanders between questioning whether a woman is still a Muslim if she wears her hair uncovered, are women forced to wear the hijab by their husbands, are they allowed to answer the door and what do they think about ISIS.
The women are open and willing to answer all the questions, and the conversation is friendly and inquisitive. Manal Shehab, who wears a niqab, was even told, “We’ve never heard a woman in a face veil talk!”
Read more: This Woman Is Challenging Stereotypes of Muslim Women With These Powerful Photos
Through these conversations many misconceptions about the Muslim faith seem to be corrected and even laughed away.
When Husana Pasha first joined the speed dating sessions she was worried she wouldn’t know enough about her religion to answer peoples questions. She points out that one of the biggest learnings in these events is how diverse the Muslim culture and faith is.
“We are all so different as a community... If we are all so different, how do you hold us all responsible for what’s going on in another country? I can’t possibly understand that. I can’t be held responsible for what some of my girlfriends do, let alone what a terrorist is doing on the other side of the world," Pasha said.
Hana hopes these events can be “an experience where we both walk away a little bit changed."
Hana was born into a Muslim family in Australia. Her mother is Lebanese and her father Moroccan. At school and at home she felt out of place. Constantly questioning the strict rules placed upon her because of her gender.
At the vulnerable age of 15, Hana’s parents found her a husband and she endured what she refers to now as an extremely abusive relationship. After a suicide attempt, her parents were forced to realise that if the choice was between their daughter’s life or ending the marriage, they would rather have Hana alive.
“Leaving wasn’t easy, defying cultural expectations, norms, and young women don’t get divorced and come back home.” says Hana of that difficult time.
Divorced, she returned to school at the age of 19. She described the feeling of being back in a classroom as being ‘free’. “Knowledge for me, that’s what gave me resilience.”
And resilience she has. She is now helping to empower and build resilience in other women.
She is on a mission and she is “speaking to prejudice wherever it is.” Let’s all follow suit.
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