MOSTResource.org

Resources on Muslims for the Entertainment Industry

  • Story Bank
    • Business & Technology
    • Entertainment
    • Culture & Lifestyle
    • Medical
    • National
    • Faith
    • Sports
    • Women
    • World
  • Resources
    • Faces & Places
    • Statistics
    • Infographics
    • Research / Reports
    • Quick Takes
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Staff
    • Parent Organization
    • Videos
  • Story Bank
  • Business & Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Culture & Lifestyle
  • Medical
  • National
  • Faith
  • Sports
  • Women
  • World
mostresource storybank video

Explored Our Story Bank Yet?

Our curated collection of thousands of stories has helped top Hollywood writers, producers, and creatives. Watch our brief video to learn more.

World — February 26, 2019   

Inside Zanzibar’s ‘Burkini island’

Original article by Jo Munnik, published in the CNN on 02/01/2019

Photo Credit: CNN
Photo Credit: CNN

Everything revolves around the Indian Ocean in Zanzibar — from fishing to seaweed farming to tourism, water is the way of life for the citizens of this predominantly Muslim island. And yet despite this, a large portion of the population does not know how to swim. In 2011, Zanzibar was struck by tragedy when a spice islander boat capsized. Many locals on board drowned because they did not know how to swim. Soon after, a swimming program called “The Panje Project” launched to teach the local communities how to swim.

Though it sounds like a “no brainer,” there were some cultural barriers to get past. When Khadija Sharriff started the initiative, families were reluctant to send their female children for lessons. “When we first started, the elders… in the village… just couldn’t put their finger around this concept of taking their daughters to the beach and teaching them how to swim.” It was not until a prominent elder in the village enrolled his daughter to the swimming program that others eventually followed.

Ms. Sharriff and her team have made sure Muslim women and girls feel comfortable. They have designed a “burkini,” a full-length swimsuit, for their female pupils, and have hired and trained female swimming instructors, locals from the community. Three years ago Kazija Haji says she didn’t know how to swim but thanks to the program, she now says that not only is she now not afraid of the water, but she’s also a swimming instructor. ” I feel such a great sense of accomplishment teaching swimming because I do it for myself, my family and my community.”

To date, 7,000 people have learned to swim through the program and last year alone, 633 Muslim women and girls learned how to swim. No small feat for according to the WHO, 372,000 people across the world die from drowning each year, and women and children are reported to be at most risk.

Read more ...

Our Experts Are Here To Help

Want to start a conversation with our experts for help with your project?

Related Articles

  • M Film Lab Now Accepting Applications for Screenwriting Program
  • American Eid – Interview with Director Aqsa Altaf
  • Post vaccine, Muslim travelers are heading to… Israel

More From The Story Bank

Post vaccine, Muslim travelers...

Last year the Abraham Accords were signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. This marked a public normalization of relations not seen in decades. And with this new … [Read More...]

Meet the first Muslim head...

As new head coach for the New York Jets, Robert Saleh is making history as the first Muslim American to lead a team in the National Football League. The Lebanese American is also the third Arab … [Read More...]

Meet American’s Youngest...

According to The Hill, Bushra Amiwala "is part of a new generation stepping into politics." In 2019, she was elected to the Skokie Board of Education in Illinois, making this Pakistani-American … [Read More...]

Riz Ahmed Is Oscars’ First...

Riz Ahmed has become the first Muslim nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Academy Awards for Sound of Metal, not long after Mahershala Ali made his own history with two Best Supporting … [Read More...]

More Women Study Physics in...

A recent report from Physics magazine finds that physics departments in many western universities have a "significant gender disparity, with far fewer women than men taking up the subject." However, … [Read More...]

Enter your email to receive periodic updates

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy© 2002–2023 MOST ResourceMOST Resource globe


We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and to collect anonymous data to enable us to manage our website. Our Privacy Policy is a complete disclosure of our data collection policies, including the choices you have to control information we might collect. Your use of this site represents your consent to our Privacy Policy.