In a time of rising global tension and deep communal divides, Soraya M. Deen is choosing to speak — louder, clearer, and more courageously than ever before. As the founder of the Muslim Women Speakers Movement, a tireless advocate for women’s empowerment, and a bold interfaith bridge-builder, Soraya is no stranger to the costs of standing up.
But after October 7 — when Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel, igniting a devastating war — her silence cracked. “The silence of the Muslim community after that day… it broke my heart,” she tells us. “I knew I had to speak. Louder than ever. Even if I stood alone.”
A Voice That Refuses to Be Muted
Born in Sri Lanka and now based in Los Angeles, Soraya’s activism spans continents — from grassroots organizing in California to peace-building work in Nigeria. She has spent decades challenging patriarchy and religious conservatism, urging Muslim leaders to denounce hate, and amplifying the voices of women within faith communities.
“My interfaith work isn’t about kumbaya,” she says with clarity. “It’s about accountability. It’s about truth-telling. It's about calling out antisemitism and Islamophobia with equal courage.”
October 7: A Turning Point
When asked why that day marked a shift in her public narrative, Soraya doesn’t hesitate: “The massacre in Israel was a moment where too many leaders chose to whisper — or worse, to say nothing. I could not stay silent. Speaking out cost me relationships, invitations, alliances. But staying quiet would have cost me my soul.”
Her decision to publicly condemn the violence — and to stand in solidarity with Jewish communities mourning their dead — was met with both gratitude and backlash. “Some said I was betraying my people. But what does ‘my people’ mean, if not all of us?”
Building Bridges in a Time of Rupture
Soraya has long stood at the intersection of compassion and resistance. Her approach to interfaith activism centers on nonviolent communication, deep listening, and shared grief. “Peace-building doesn’t mean we agree on everything,” she explains. “It means we refuse to dehumanize each other.”
Through intimate dialogues between Muslim and Jewish women, especially in LA and online, she’s creating new models of what real solidarity can look like: mutual accountability, emotional honesty, and mindful leadership grounded in faith and human rights.
Empowering Women to Lead — and to Speak
At the heart of Soraya’s work is the belief that women are essential peacekeepers and truth-tellers. “We know how to sit with pain. We know how to hold contradiction,” she says. Her movement trains Muslim women across the globe to take the mic — in schools, mosques, media, and political spaces.
From mentoring survivors of war to coaching emerging leaders in Nigeria, her message is unwavering: “Your voice is sacred. Use it.”
Hope in a Fractured World
Despite the backlash and threats she’s faced, Soraya radiates hope — not the naïve kind, but the hard-won kind forged in community, clarity, and courage. “We can build a world beyond hate. But we need to start telling the truth. All of us. And especially those of us who claim to speak for God.”
In a world where many retreat into silence, Soraya M. Deen is reminding us that the only way forward is through: through dialogue, through discomfort, and through the fearless use of our voices.
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Soraya M. Deen
Founder of the Muslim Women Speakers Movement, Interfaith Leader, and Relentless Voice for Justice
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