Breaking Barriers: Amplifying the Voices of Arab and Muslim Women

This will be a powerful panel discussion led by Let's Talk Women of Colour and Women Leaders of Tomorrow with experts exploring how colonial and orientalist narratives have shaped harmful stereotypes about Arab and Muslim women in media and politics, often used to justify surveillance, intervention, and war. We will discuss how these narratives still impact representation today, and how Arab and Muslim women can reclaim self-representation, resistance, and agency beyond Western stereotypes.

Open to all ages and genders, this event will have a focus on empowering Arab and Muslim women, while encouraging others to learn what genuine solidarity looks like.

The event will take place in Room 640, UBC’s Asian Centre, 1871 West Mall, Vancouver on June 6th 2026 from 5:30-7:30. Please dress in business casual and arrive at least 10 minutes early.

Our panelists:

Nesrine Basheer: Nesrine Basheer is an applied linguist and a specialist in teaching Arabic as a foreign language (TAFL). Her research interests include the teaching and assessment of writing and the multidialectal approach to teaching Arabic. Nesrine has taught Arabic at the American University in Cairo, the United Nations, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Maryland, and more recently, the University of Sydney. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is passionate about advancing Arabic first and second language education at the K-12 and tertiary levels.

Evangelene Alaraj: Evangelene Alaraj (who publishes as E.G. Alaraj) is a Vancouver-based author of lyrical and soothing children's picture books. She is best known for her poetic board book When Stars Arise and her picture book My Language Is a Garden. Her celebrated book, My Language Is a Garden, was inspired by her and her husband’s efforts to teach their children Arabic, highlighting how a heritage language connects children to their family, culture, and roots.

Friba Rezayee: Friba Rezayee is the founder and the Executive Director of Women Leaders of Tomorrow and its leadership in sports project GOAL (Girls of Afghanistan Lead). She was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan. At the age of 18, she made history by competing in Judo at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens as Afghanistan’s first ever female Olympic athlete.Friba has been an outspoken and passionate advocate for women and girls’ education, gender equality, human rights, and women’s rights in Afghanistan and worldwide from an early age to present.

Shauya Ighani

Attendees will have the chance to engage in an open discussion, sharing their lived experiences, struggles, dreams, and questions.

*Tickets will be by donation with all funds being donated to Woman Leaders of Tomorrows's summer program for Afghan women to provide them with a chance to swim, ride a bike, and experience freedom in Canada this summer.

Parking options:
The most convenient and closest parking options are the Fraser River Parkade and visitor parking of West Mall, with the North Parkade and Rose Garden Parkade also serving as excellent backups.

About Let's Talk Women of Colour:

Let’s Talk Women of Colour is a youth-led nonprofit dedicated to creating intentional spaces for dialogue, education, and empowerment surrounding issues impacting women of colour. Based in Vancouver, we foster critical conversations on race, identity, femininity, colonialism, and systemic injustice through community-centered programming rooted in compassion and intersectionality.

Through our signature Coffee Chat series, we partner with local cafés to transform everyday spaces into environments for meaningful social justice learning, bringing together young women aged 12–21 for honest, thought-provoking dialogue. We also host public panel discussions and community events that challenge silence around overlooked social issues and encourage young people to engage critically with the world around them.

Beyond in-person programming, our social media platforms use accessible educational content, storytelling, and advocacy to build a digital hub centered on the experiences of women of colour. We believe education is the foundation of collective action and that informed conversations have the power to inspire tangible change.

As our community continues to grow, with expansion efforts underway in Toronto and Los Angeles, our mission remains the same: to empower the next generation of changemakers to challenge injustice, build solidarity, and use their voices to reshape the future.

About Woman Leaders of Tomorrow:

At Women Leaders of Tomorrow (WLOT), we believe that when Afghan women and girls are empowered through education and sport, entire communities thrive.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, WLOT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating life-changing opportunities for Afghan women and girls through access to higher education and leadership development—with Judo as a key tool for empowerment.

Through their programs, they

• Provide access to world-class education at home and abroad
• Empower girls through sports programs, including Judo, to build resilience, confidence, and leadership
• Support women in entering traditionally male-dominated fields such as law, engineering, politics, and the military
• Create a path to meaningful employment and independence for Afghan women graduates

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Host or Publisher Zoya Reebye, Let's Talk Women of Color.