Muslim, Maori, Magnificent
My whakapapa is Maori. My faith is Islam. My identity is both, completely.
In te ao Maori, we greet with the hongi — pressing noses, sharing breath. In Islam, we greet with salam. I do both.
My tupuna taught me the land is sacred. The Quran says the earth is a masjid. My culture taught respect for elders. Islam commands the same.
I wear a hijab and a pounamu pendant. I pray on whenua that my ancestors walked for centuries. I am fully Maori and fully Muslim. I will not let anyone tell me otherwise.