Show Notes
Welcome to the Missing Perspectives podcast, where we celebrate game-changers and truth-tellers who are shifting culture, challenging norms, and carving space for underrepresented voices. In today’s episode, we’re joined by two powerful forces in the arts and advocacy space – Sara Mansour and Aishah Ali, the co-founders of Muslim Agenda. Boldly named and fiercely necessary, Muslim Agenda is more than a platform - it’s a movement. Created in response to the relentless stereotyping of their community in public discourse, the initiative aims to reclaim the narrative and build safe, joyful, and radically inclusive spaces for Muslim women to heal, create, and thrive. Sara and Aishah have not only confronted Islamophobia head-on - they’ve created something groundbreaking: Australia’s first Muslim Women’s Festival, bringing together artists, poets, thinkers, and communities in both Sydney and Melbourne - and beyond. Today, we’ll talk about what inspired the name Muslim Agenda, what authentic representation truly looks like beyond tokenism, and how they’re holding space for grief and joy, creativity and protest, community and celebration - particularly in a moment of global crisis and rising censorship. We’ll also dive into how poetry and the arts can be powerful tools for resistance and healing - including Sara’s founding of Bankstown Poetry Slam, and Aishah’s own work as a poet. This is a conversation about reclaiming power, redefining identity, and building the future - on their own terms. Let’s get into it.
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