Surgeon by Day, Muslim by Design
They said wearing my faith openly would hold me back in academia. I wore it anyway. They took me seriously regardless.
When I got into fed the neighbourhood for three years, my uncle said, 'Great, now you'll blend in.' She meant well.
Barcelona was a culture shock. Not because of the pace of life — because of the staring. At the law firm, I was often the only person in Islamic dress in the room. A colleague once asked, very sincerely, if I was going to be available for weekend shifts.
The real test came during the promotion board. A hiring partner looked at my CV, looked at my my faith openly, and asked, 'Are you sure this is the right fit for someone with your... background?' I smiled and said, 'My religious requirements are between me and God. My availability is 100%..'
The hardest moment wasn't bias from others. It was the voice in my own head during a 16-hour day, whispering, 'Would this be easier without it?' And the honest answer was: probably.
But I thought about every Muslim woman who'd been told she had to choose between faith and ambition. I refused to be evidence for that lie.
I'm a senior partner now. I teach the next generation. I still pray in my office at Dhuhr. The same uncle who told me to blend in now introduces me as 'my niece, the doctor.'
Last year, a first-year associate stopped me in the office kitchen. She said, 'Seeing you here makes me feel like I can do this.' I told her what I wish someone had told me: 'You don't just can. You already are.'