This Muslim woman is providing badass self-defense lessons on social media for hijabi women
It’s been less than two weeks since Donald Trump was elected president, but hate crimes against Muslims and other marginalized groups have already increased in a dramatic and terrifying way. Although this is a frightening time for all women, certain demographics are at a far greater risk — and that’s why it’s so inspiring that a 24-year-old Muslim woman is providing self-defense lessons on social media for hijabi women.
Zee Abdulla of Chicago tells The Washington Post that she was around eight years old the first time someone spit on her for being Muslim.
In her role as vice president of an organization called Deaf Planet Soul, Abdulla teaches basic self-defense classes to women — and she says that the morning after Trump was elected, she received calls from multiple Muslim women asking how to protect themselves if they are grabbed by their headscarves.
Abdulla took immediate action — the Sunday after the election, she held a “hate crime survival seminar” with the assistance of trainer Miso Ceko of Chicago Mixed Martial Arts.
Abdulla’s seminar focused on defense moves to escape a “hijab grab” and she provided the participants with information about how to report hate crimes.
She posted videos of the seminar and encouraged everyone to share them widely in order to empower those who are at an increased risk of violence due to Trump's presidency.
The multiple videos have already received over 3.5 million views and 57,000 shares — and Abdulla has gotten requests to teach classes all over the globe, from the United Kingdom to Nigeria.
It’s incredibly tragic that a hate crime seminar is necessary in 2016, but Abdulla’s courage and refusal to stand by while her peers are harassed is inspiring and provides a powerful reminder that millions of Americans still believe that love trumps hate and we are truly stronger together.