Being a Muslim Woman in Reading

Living in Reading as a Muslim woman has helped me understand how powerful simple welcome can be. People sometimes see Muslim women as though we are one single group, with the same thoughts, choices and experiences. In reality, our lives are as varied as anyone else’s, and my own is shaped by faith, family, work, friendship and community.

For me, faith is at the centre of life. It shapes not only worship, but also everyday things: how I try to treat people, understand patience, care for family and take responsibility. For many Muslim women, faith is not only something private; it can also shape how we present ourselves to the world. Although the headscarf is often read through assumptions of pressure, it is for many a personal choice and an act of worship. It is a meaningful part of faith and identity, yet there is so much more to a person than one visible expression of worship can tell.

Reading’s diversity has made me feel mostly at ease, although I have sometimes experienced uncomfortable moments. They remind me how important it is for people from different backgrounds to speak and listen to one another with openness, honesty and a willingness to break down judgments.

Some of my most meaningful experiences here have come through interfaith and community life. I attend English classes at a church and have joined scriptural reasoning sessions, where people from different faiths read, listen and reflect together. Through Dialogue Society, a charity where I volunteer, I have also taken part in Christmas dinners and iftar meals. Such gatherings create a warm environment where people of different beliefs can share food, recognise unity despite difference, and build a pathway towards a more peaceful society.

I also hosted an iftar in my home with local citizens through a Dialogue Society-related event. It was a lovely evening for my family and our guests, and made me feel not like an outsider trying to fit in, but like an ordinary neighbour meeting local people. For me, being a Muslim woman in Reading is not a story of exclusion. It is a story of faith, family, friendship, community and the wish to contribute to the place I now call home.

Aysenur G.

Dialogue Society Reading