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About
Palestinian American storyteller, writer, producer, and hakawati known for blending oral storytelling traditions with digital media and children's literature including her bestselling book Everything Grows in Jiddo's Garden. She is also known for having written for and been featured in major publications including The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, CNN, BuzzFeed, and Allure.
Before fame
She started the blog MissMuslim in 2016 and began sharing content on Instagram around the same time. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University. She released her debut children's picture book Everything Grows in Jiddo's Garden in 2025.
Trivia
She has spoken at high-profile events such as the Women's March on Washington and delivered a TEDx Talk focused on the theme of identity. She received the Shirley Chisholm Catalyst for Change Award in 2017 for her work in journalism and media. She won the PR News CSR & Diversity Award in 2021 for her diversity initiatives within the public relations industry. She was also nominated for Agency of the Year in 2021 in recognition of her continued work promoting diversity and inclusion in media and PR.
Family life
She was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as a first generation American of Palestinian descent. She has some Brazilian heritage. She is a mother.
Associated with
She and Naomi Shihab Nye are both Palestinian American writers known for discussing issues surrounding Palestine.
