Today I had the pleasure of inviting six Muslim women TikTok content creators to Parliament to recognise and celebrate the hard work of Muslim creators on the platform in recognition of International Women’s Day (8th March) and the UN’s International Day on Combatting Islamophobia (15th March).
At the event we heard from a range of creators including modest fashion and beauty products reviewer Maryam Malik (@maryxm.mx), journalist and author Unzela Khan Shaikh (@unzela_), modest fashion entrepreneur and founder of Sumayah, Sumayah Saadi (@by.sumayah), founder of skincare brand Solo Skin London Nazma Bashir (@soloskinlondon), BookTok creator Coco (@cultofbooks) and makeup artist and social justice advocate Marium Jeelani (@mariumimj) who spoke passionately about how the platform has contributed to their professional success alongside sharing their faith in the public sphere. The event also aimed to highlight how TikTok is also becoming an increasingly important home for small businesses, contributing £1.63bn to UK GDP last year. I am incredibly proud to see that young Muslim content creators are playing an influential part in this growing sector.
It was also great to meet again with Sumayah Saadi, one of TikTok shop’s leading modest fashion entrepeneurs and proud Mancunian! I had the pleasure of visiting Sumayah’s newly opened store in Levenshulme last September where I was able to hear more about her incredible efforts in starting an eco-friendly modest fashion business using TikTok before opening up a physical store on Stockport Road, which had hundreds of people queuing down the street on opening day.
These young women’s successes are a testament to the importance of social media in helping young Muslim women share their own experiences and interests to a wider audience and to also help SMEs to grow their brands, which are vital for our local economies as well as contributing significantly to our economy. Platforms like TikTok are helping to encourage young Muslims in particular to show confidence and take pride in their culture, religion, and heritage and it was wonderful to hear these inspiring young women share their stories. It was a delight to show them around Westminster Hall and take some tips and tricks on how to become a social media sensation!
