Dear friends

It’s hard to go on as usual these days, isn’t it? The images, stories, relentless bombing, horrific loss of life coupled with abject support by so many in positions of power of this genocidal war being waged on the people of Gaza and Palestine is something we are all bearing witness too. What can we do? We share content showing the destruction of Gaza and reporting coming from the ground. We gather at vigils and march in protests. We call or email our elected officials for a ceasefire.

We pray.

We pray.

We beseech Allah (S).

And, it all is just overwhelming and too much. But also, how can it be too much for us when we’re safe, we have homes and shelter, food on our table and no bombs raining down on us? As Muslim Girl’s founder Amani Al Khatatbeh shared on her Instagram, “If it triggers you, maybe it’s supposed to trigger you. Awaken something inside of you.”

Or, as she shared in response to the relentless narrative being promulgated that Palestinians are “human animals” or “inhumane” people who want to die - “ … in the immortal words of Palestinian poet Rafeef Ziada, ‘We teach life, sir.’”

We’re all broken here at Haute Hijab, just like you are. We continue to hold the people of Gaza and Palestine and all those who have lost their lives in our hearts and are praying for a ceasefire, for an end to the violence and for the oppressed to gain their freedom. For all those oppressed around the world to also gain their freedom.

We urge you to educate yourself about the history of the region. To raise your voice and awareness anyway you can. To pray. We know you have to weigh the decision to be outspoken with what the policies and climate may be where you work or where you go to school, so do whatever you can.

And, when you’re feeling down and overwhelmed, seek community, in-person if possible. Our Marketing Manager Noor, who is Palestinian, was sharing in our weekly company meeting about struggling to get up and do the regular things we all must do: take care of our kids, go to work, care for our families, cook dinner, help kids with homework – whatever your responsibilities are. We know it’s a privilege for us to be doing this given the state of what others are going through, but it all is rendered impossible at times by the weight of our grief and pain.

She shared how she and her husband have been going with their kids to a weekly prayer circle at their masjid, and how even when she is wiped out by the day and just wants to stay home, her kids beg her to go. So she gets up and goes, and it helps to give her life and keep pushing forward with everything she needs to do.

My own daughter, who has been facing a lot of her own things around increased violence and potential threats (as many students, both Muslim and Jewish, are at universities and colleges across the country), attended a vigil on her campus last week where the name calling towards those at the vigil got ugly. She met with friends at her Muslim Life group on campus afterwards and said it helped bring her comfort and ground her.

Community helps. Safe spaces and friends help. Fortify yourself so you can keep fighting, keep pushing.

And, because we all need to keep working, keep living, keep caring for our families so that we can be here tomorrow and the day after that and the day after (and continue to enjoin good and forbid evil), let’s talk about what’s happening this month at Haute Hijab. It’s time for Novemberfest, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever before: We’ve lined up Daily Deals every single day from now until November!

Each week we’ll be sending out an email at the top of the week with a calendar of products that will go on sale. You can also check our Daily Deals page every day by 11 a.m. EST to see what’s new! Enjoy the deals, stock up on all your favorites and try some new hijabs and hijab foundation products!

On the blog, we’re bringing back our “Women in Charity” series, which highlights the stories of dynamic Muslim women working with various charitable organizations and on different endeavors and initiatives. This month we are working to feature women from Palestinian Children Relief Fund, Mommying While Muslim (which has a new charitable arm), MakeSpace and more!

We’ll also bring you the final installment of “The Layla Project,” a year-long look at our writer Layla Abdullah-Poulos’ journey of health and healing. Plus, how many of you know about the strife and conflict in Sudan and the Congo? Our fellow brothers and sisters in humanity and our ummah are suffering in other parts of the world, and we should know about it.

It’s a lot, we know. But we are strong Muslim women, and we have the capacity to stretch ourselves and enjoin good in so many different ways. May Allah (S) help us all. Keep us in your du’as, and keep the people of Gaza, Palestine and all those suffering around the world in your du’as. And remember, always begin with Bismillah.

Editorially yours,

Dilshad