Our Story
At Strange Inc., we live and breathe our mission to empower the voices of Muslim women. We were born out of a burning passion to uplift and celebrate the creativity and diversity of our community, especially our youth and their poetic talents.
Our journey began with spoken word performances, but as we delved deeper, we realized that our community needed much more. Muslim women’s voices were being silenced, twisted, and misrepresented in media and politics. We knew we had to act.
For too long, our voices have been drowned out by biased and offensive narratives, and our stories have been hijacked and told for us. But at Strangers Inc., we refuse to be silenced any longer.
We are a faith-based organization guided by the Quran and the Sunnah of our final messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Our banner is truthfulness, and our blueprint is excellence in all we do.
We collaborate, build, and unite Muslim creatives worldwide, mobilizing a movement for positive change through art. Our art heals and repairs through faith-based practice, helping us reclaim our identities.
Since we modified our mission in 2022, we have published our first volume, Poetic Justice, and hosted multiple writing shows. We provide editing and coaching services and have created an intimate writing group for Muslim women where we support each other through weekly prompts.
Our goal is to uplift the authentic voice of Muslim women by publishing more books, teaching and awarding more great writers, and informing the world about our realities. We refuse to let the media be our voice or let anyone tell us that the hijab is our prison.
We are a powerful force, fighting every day to disallow the adulteration of our religious freedoms and tell our stories as women of faith, integrity, community, and culture. At Strange Inc., we are taking bold steps to make sure that our voices are heard loud and clear.
How we help you share your voice
At our non-profit publishing house, we’re driven by a strong desire to empower Muslim women writers. We want to help you share your voice and tell your unique story. That’s why we offer a range of services, including editing, digital art, and illustrations, as well as one-on-one and group coaching sessions to support you every step of the way.
But we’re more than just a publisher. We’re a community of writers who understand the importance of supporting each other on this journey. Become a member of The Writers Block, our exclusive space where we meet for silent writing sessions and live writing workshops. This is where we come together, share our experiences, and find strength in each other. We believe that writing can be a powerful tool for healing and growth, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Our Vision
Our Mission
Official Values
Faith based
Our direction as an entity is deeply rooted in faith, guided by the teachings of the Quran and the noble example of Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him).
Integrity
We seek not perfection, but rather a standard of excellence that is guided by authenticity and the manifestation of the best versions of ourselves.
Community
Our community is one of support and encouragement, fostering growth and instilling confidence in self-expression in line with our values.
Remedy
We believe that our art serves as a wholesome remedy, offering solace and renewal to those who engage with it.
Authenticity
And, above all, we embrace authenticity, embracing unique voices that are guided by truth and inspired by life’s experiences.
Meet Our Team
Aishah Alam
Founder and President
Aishah Alam, founder of Strange Inc., is a writer, poet, and a mother of two adorable girls who share a striking resemblance to hobbits. She holds a Bachelors in Social work and Islamic Studies from Mishkah University and is studying her Masters in social work. She founded Strange Inc. in 2014 and is the mother of two daughters who inspired the new focus of Strange Inc. She has edited two of the publications of Strange Inc. and is releasing a book in August called The Woke Writer.
Kashmir Maryam
Co-founder and Vice President
Kashmir Maryam is an internationally-acclaimed author, poet, and therapist-in-training who is turning heads in the literary world with her unique insights on mindfulness, spirituality, and personal growth. Born in England and of Kashmiri heritage, her books ” The Muslim Woman’s Manifesto: 10 Steps to Achieving Phenomenal Success, in Both Worlds,” and “Nafsi: Jihad Upon My Self,” offer a fresh perspective on the intersection of spirituality and modern life. Through her guidance on self-care, inner peace, and finding purpose and meaning, she has helped countless readers discover the transformative power of personal growth and spiritual fulfillment through an Islamic framework.
In addition to her literary pursuits, Kashmir is also a passionate advocate for creative Muslim women. She co-founded Strange Incorporated, our nonprofit that empowers and uplifts marginalized women through coaching and educational workshops aimed at developing the skills necessary for successful publishing. With a mission to awaken the creative potential of Muslim women in a purpose-driven, spiritually aligned way, Strange Inc. is fostering a new generation of community thought leaders. Keep up with Kashmir and her latest work on social media at @kashmirmaryam.
Danielle Loduca
Board member
Danielle LoDuca is a Coach Trusted Advisor for Female Leaders. Through coaching, writing, teaching and speaking, Danielle empowers women to expand their impact while taking better care of themselves than ever before.
She believes that women are the most powerful force in the world and that when women are strong, everyone benefits.
After having 5 kids in 6 years, she found herself burnt out, frail and unfulfilled. Pursuing her dream to be a horseback archer started her on a journey to transform her weakness into strength and wellbeing – mind, body, heart and soul.
From her fearless writings about her experience as an American Muslim, to founding and advising multiple businesses and nonprofits including the largest Islamic center in NYC, she has a track record of vision and bold action balanced by strong faith and genuine love.
She can be reached via email at danielleloducacoaching@gmail.com and consultations can be scheduled at https://DanielleLoDucaCoaching.as.me/
Hager Shaukat
Board member
Hager Shawkat is the Program Director of the Community Wellness department at Sauti Yetu Center for African Women in the Bronx, NY. She has been working in public health for over 10 years. Since beginning with Sauti Yetu in 2015, she established the Community Wellness department to provide tailored reproductive health education and expanded the scope of the Department’s work to include outreach and education for other health-related services to improve the health and well-being of our community members. She currently oversees five projects within the Department. Ms. Shawkat holds a Master’s in Public Health from the CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College. She gained prior experience in research, program coordination, and program evaluation at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the New York State Health Foundation, and Public Health Solutions.
Imam John Starling
Advisory Board member
John Starling is an alumnus of NCSU’s Poole College of Management and the Islamic University of Madinah’s College of Mission and Doctrine. He holds a Master’s Degree in Islamic Studies from the Islamic University of Minnesota and a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy from Bay Path University. He has also been awarded numerous traditional ijazahs/licenses with permission to narrate and teach in the fields of Islamic Law, Doctrine, and the Prophet Muhammad’s Biography. In the past, he has worked at the C-level in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors here at home and abroad.
Rita Sherman
Advisory Board member
Rita Sherman, Owner of OE2 Consulting, with over 30 years of corporate experience, is an accomplished professional with demonstrated success delivering strong results in the communications, document management, and technology sectors for Fortune 500 companies. She is skilled in solving complex problems by applying Lean Six Sigma’s fact-based and data-driven methodologies. Her broad background includes a Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical & Systems Engineering, Non-Profit Certification and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training. For the past 20 years, Rita has been giving her time and talent to non-profit organizations around the US and the globe supporting initiatives such as fundraising development and event planning, strategic and business planning, process improvement, accreditation preparation and board development. Rita lives with her husband in upstate New York and enjoys singing, dancing and playing classical piano.
Ali Ahmed
Advisory Board member
Ali specializes in the Private Investment space with WahedX, a subsidiary of the world’s leading Islamic FinTech Wahed Inc. Ali’s focus is on building partnerships with investors and institutions globally. Prior to joining WahedX, Ali worked for both JP Morgan and EY in London for over 5 years. Ali holds a qualification in Investment Management and studied Management with a specialism in Accounting and Finance at the University of Manchester. His mission is to democratise access to investing so regardless of who you are, you have the same access to investment products as high net-worth individuals and institutions. Ali is also the founder of GradGurus, a social enterprise that helps students from low socio-economic backgrounds transition from education in to professional careers..
Laura El Alam
Editor
Khadijah Stott-Andrew
Editor
Irada Ronalder
Editor
Illustravina
Artist
Renee Hunt
Artist
Waheduzzaman Manik
Graphic Design
Alexandra Sieh
Artist
Tekmile Kedikoglu
Illustrator
Aysenur Topal
Illustrator
The Strange Inc. Show
Looking for a valuable resource to help you navigate the writing world? Tune in to The Strange Inc. Show! Our show provides insights, answers to common questions, and features interviews with successful women writers. Join our community and take your writing to the next level. Listen now and be inspired!