Finding purpose | Karimah Al-Helew | TEDxWoodsidePriorySchool

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. What is it like to be born in a family that has different faiths? Karimah, with her amazing insights, vividly illustrates her experience growing up as a Muslim girl in the post-9/11 era.

Karimah Al-Helew is a young woman whose mother was a Catholic Cuban and whose father who was a Palestinian Muslim. Karimah was raised in the Islamic tradition but, as every person of faith experiences, she faced many internal struggles. A high-schooler during 9/11, she kept her religion a secret from most of her friends and peers out of fear of judgement. She was an incredible athlete who had a passion for soccer, and thus the idea of being completely covered or wearing a Hijab (head scarf) was not something she ever planned on doing. And yet, upon entering college and joining the Islamic Students Association, she began to grapple with her faith and made decisions that changed her life forever. An athlete, a teacher, and a youth-activist, Karimah is a Muslim woman who has embraced her faith while still maintaining her passions and feminist perspective. Listen to her speak to find out where her journey brought her and what it can teach the rest of us.

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