For as long as I can remember, my mother's blessing for me as I step out of the house, the city, or the country, has been, "May you be successful in your mission."
I think anyone who knows me has probably gauged that this is my greatest desire, wish fulfillment, and prayer in life.
Last week, we premiered Five Feathered Friends, the first animated series representing our Shia Ismaili Muslim community, at the Global Encounters Festival in Dubai. Over 25,000 people attended the Festival, which offered a platform for athletes and artists from over 30 countries to showcase their talent - to create, compete, and connect in the spirit of brotherhood that unites our international community.
The response to our series for The Ismaili TV was so overwhelming, that we added two additional screenings, and a pre-show for the closing ceremony, all of which kept me too busy to reflect on the magic of this milestone moment.
Five Feathered Friends was a labour of love for over 100 people on the production team and took almost two years to come to fruition, but for me, personally, it felt like the unfolding of a lifetime of painstaking work.
I began reading at the age of two, knew I wanted to be a writer at age ten, but I saw my entire life's trajectory mapped out for me after 9/11, at age thirteen. The impact of media representation on youth identity and belonging as a Muslim became clear to me at a very young age, and there was no denying the direction in which I was being compelled, to advocate for more inclusive storytelling despite what felt like endless roadblocks and an impossible journey ahead.
In these 25 years, I rigorously researched the socio-political drivers of narrative representation, I committed myself to honing my artistic crafts, I went to meet the heads of every major media production house from Sesame Street to National Geographic, I had long discussions on equity work with the Ministry of Education, Members of Parliament, Senators, and civil society organizations, I went to work and live in remote, vulnerable societies to better understand the relationship between international development and storytelling, I developed curricula and taught students from Kindergarten to University (and they taught me), I sat on board and committees that influenced policymaking, I stood up to silent stares at media conferences and left humiliated, and I doubted myself, and I prayed, and I felt defeated, and I prayed, and I cried, and I founded Birdwings Media, and I prayed some more for the patience to stand firm in my conviction that young people must see themselves reflected in each other's stories if we are to successfully challenge the divisive rhetoric that dehumanizes any child among them, irrespective of their cultural background or religious beliefs.
The premise of Five Feathered Friends is that characters from very different countries, contexts, and lived experiences come to study and grow together in an aspirational setting which exemplifies Muslim values of respect and a longstanding history of interfaith and intercultural harmony. Feathercrest Academy may be a fictional place, but it is certainly not an unrealistic one in which pre-schoolers from all walks of life can feel seen, heard, and valued.
Since our premiere, my inbox has been flooded with emotional messages from parents and educators from different countries describing the profound impact that the show has had on their children, whether that meant seeing a Tajik character on the screen for the first time or hearing a character say "Bismillah" before learning to fly.
I am indebted to everyone who was a part of the production, who showed up to support us, and who stood by me in hope for the decades it took to get here, especially my parents and family, who did everything in their power to open doors for me where none existed.
I have always struggled to stop and celebrate a "win" because it seems that there is always much more work to be done, but I am taking today to reflect on my mother's prayers.
If you asked me yesterday how I want to be remembered, I would have told you that I hope I am known as someone who surrendered completely to her mission in life. If you ask me the same question today, I might amend my response to say I wish to be someone who better understands that my "Mission is: to know God, and enjoy Him forever, and to see His hand in all His works" (Richard Bolles).
Alhamdulillah
