Shireen Ahmed

Shireen Ahmed is a writer, public speaker, and award-winning sports activist focusing on Muslim women in sports,[1][2] as well as the intersections of racism and misogyny in sports.[3][4][5]

Shireen Ahmed
Known forSports activism, writing, and public speaking
Websitehttp://www.shireenahmed.com/

Work

Ahmed is well-known in the women in sports industry, a frequent commentator around intersectionality and freedom of identity practice within sports.[6][7] In an interview with The McGill Daily, Ahmed explained what being a sports activist was:

"Advocating for equality and social justice by means of sports and advocating for the inclusion of Muslim and athletes of colour in sport. Sertaç Sehlikoglu, curator of Muslim women in Sports blog, coined the term."[8]

Ahmed actively engages with media producers in mainstream and alternative groups.[9] In one example, Ahmed responded to a documentary film about a women's soccer team in Zanzibar. In an interview with researchers for the study, "Radical Sports Journalism?: Reflections on 'Alternative' Approaches to Covering Sport-Related Social Issues," Ahmed explained, "The title of the movie was 'From Veils to Cleats.' I emailed them through Facebook. I didn't call them out. Basically, I said, when you use that title you're saying you can be either veiled or unveiled – that's it…If those women decide to take off their veils while they're playing that's their choice as long as they have a safe space to do it, but a lot of the women on that team don't unveil while they play so what are you actually saying here? So, they changed the title of their movie, which I felt was huge."[10]

She is part of the weekly podcast, Burn It All Down, the first feminist sports podcast to analyze sports culture from an intersectional feminist lens.[11] Her co-hosts are Hofstra University History Professor Brenda Elsey, author and sportswriter Jessica Luther, Lindsay Gibbs of ThinkProgress, and Penn State University Professor of History and Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies Amira Rose Davis.[11] They have interviewed guests like ESPN's Jemele Hill, legendary sportscaster Andrea Kremer, WNBA's Layshia Clarendon and Essence Carson, and Brazilian soccer legends Sissi and Tafa.[12]

Personal life

Ahmed was born to Pakistani parents in Halifax, Canada.[13] She attended the University of Toronto in Canada, and played soccer during college.[14] Ahmed now lives in Toronto, Canada with her family.[14]

Honors and awards

Ahmed received the 2018 Naiem Malik Memorial Award for her advocacy work around Muslim women in sports.[15] She was also named to the Muslim Women in Sports Powerlist in 2018 and 2019.[16]

References
  1. Kessel, Anna (2018). "The unequal battle: Privilege, genes, gender and power". Griffith Review (59): 242.
  2. Alvarez, Anya (2017-05-15). "Hijab in Sports: How Muslim Women Athletes Are Fighting for Acceptance". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
  3. "Shireen Ahmed - SheSource Expert - Women's Media Center". www.womensmediacenter.com. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  4. "The Daily Beast - Shireen Ahmed". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  5. Achariya (2018-07-20). "Voices of the Game: Shireen Ahmed is a powerful advocate for women of color in sports". Raw Charge. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  6. TeamMom (2019-05-16). "WHAT Podcast: Sports Activism, Muslim Athletes, and the Playoffs". Blazer's Edge. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  7. "Women & Non-Binary Folks in Sports Media". Google Docs. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  8. "Sitting down with Shireen Ahmed". The McGill Daily. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  9. Antunovic, Dunja (2019-04-03). ""We wouldn't say it to their faces": online harassment, women sports journalists, and feminism". Feminist Media Studies. 19 (3): 428–442. doi:10.1080/14680777.2018.1446454. ISSN 1468-0777. S2CID 148760983.
  10. Forde, Shawn D.; Wilson, Brian (October 2017). "Radical Sports Journalism?: Reflections on 'Alternative' Approaches to Covering Sport-Related Social Issues". Sociology of Sport Journal. 35 (1): 66–76. doi:10.1123/ssj.2017-0162 – via ResearchGate.
  11. Bruton, Michelle (2017-07-03). "Burn It All Down: The Feminist Sports Podcast You Need to Download". OZY. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  12. "The Media That Moved Us in 2017: Our Picks for Resistance and Joy". Rewire.News. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  13. Jaafari, Shirin. "I was made to feel I had to choose between my faith and my soccer". Public Radio International. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  14. "1-3: Playing the Game, Wearing Hijab". Game of Our Lives. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  15. "SalaamSportsOfficial on Instagram: "Shireen Ahmed: 2018 Naiem Malik Memorial Award Recipient For all her work towards advocating sports amongst Muslim women.…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  16. "Muslim Women in Sports Powerlist". Muslim Women in Sports. Retrieved 2019-07-12.
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