From the extravagantly decorated haut couture evening wear to the simple Ts supporting important social causes, the vision and talent of Muslim women designers, entrepreneurs and social activists was a powerhouse of innovation at the first annual International Muslim Fashion and Design Festival 2014 held in downtown Toronto on the August 23-24 weekend.
My Year Abroad: Development in Egypt
“Say: travel through the land and observe how He began creation.” [29:20]
Sailing down the Nile River on my way to work in Aswan City, I stopped to reflect before the breathtaking scene unfolding before me: the empowering sun overbearing above, an uncompromising terrain spanning rugged mountains and winding sand dunes with quaint homes dotting in between. These banks were once home to the mighty Pharaohs and Kings of antiquity. I spent a moment to take in the majesty of one of the most spectacular cities I’ve ever visited…for the last time.
The bigger picture
We thought we were seeing oasis villages not too far off into the distance. Imagining tiny villagers scurrying about their busy day, preparing a delicious hot dinner for our arrival. Snapping out of our daydreams, Ayman, our Western Desert guide who is from an actual oasis called Bahariya, insisted that there were no other souls in the desert.
Sharm baby Sharm...
You know a place is good when I forget that you’re actually in Egypt (No offence to my Egyptian friends … Cairo is well … Cairo). We debated about going to Europe instead – serious considering ignoring the advice of all of our friends in Europe who warned of rain, rain and more rain. But, as she has done so often, Mother Egypt sucked us back in. So we gave it another try. And thankfully we did.
Alleyways and livelihoods...
Beyond the tourist trap of Khan Al Khalili, a famous bazaar district filled with rowdy shopkeepers and unimpressed street cats, the backstreets are numbered with winding maze-like alleyways from which foreigners tend to steer clear. The narrow, broken down roads, dishevelled looking characters and smells that I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to inhale may not seem so welcoming at first sight, but with the aid of a helpful young chap by the name of … you guessed it…Mohamed, the end-all be-all name for all Egyptian men that walk this earth, put on his tour guide hat and led us throughout the back alleys where people’s livelihoods are gained.