Press
In 2016 I teamed up with Grazia Arabia and PUMA and modelled for their “Do You” campaign
March 2024
‘Ramadan feels different this year’ - Ireland’s Muslim community on how they will mark their holy month - The Irish Independent
Are Western Muslims losing the spiritual essence of Ramadan? - TRT World
Are Western Muslims losing the spiritual essence of Ramadan? (trtworld.com)
Where to buy Ramadan dates that support Palestine - The New Arab
Where to buy Ramadan dates that support Palestine (newarab.com)
International Women’s Day 2024: Celebrating the resilience of Palestinian women and mothers - The New Arab
Celebrate the resilience of Palestinian women and mothers (newarab.com)
10 children’s books on Palestine to read to your children - The New Arab
10 children's books on Palestine (newarab.com)
Dr Haya’s fight to save Gaza’s pregnant women and newborn babies - The New Arab
Dr Haya's fight to save Gaza's pregnant women and babies (newarab.com)
January 2024
Gaza Mom: Laila El-Haddad on Israel’s genocide, intersection of Palestinian food and politics and the legacy of Refaat Alareer - The New Arab
Gaza Mom: Laila El-Haddad on Gaza, food, and Refaat Alareer (newarab.com)
November 2023
Laila Rouass on the responsibility of speaking up against genocide - The New Arab
https://www.newarab.com/features/laila-rouass-using-her-celebrity-platform-gazas-voice
October 2023
In a world determined to erase Palestinians, Etaf Rum’s Evil Eye is a unique portrait of Palestinian women and the act of resistance - The New Arab
https://www.newarab.com/features/evil-eye-unique-portrait-palestinian-womens-resistance
OCD convinced me I was dangerous - it hurts to see people joking about intrusive thoughts - Stylist
"Stop saying you 'let intrusive thoughts win'" (stylist.co.uk)
September 2023
Grief to action: The Woman Life Freedom movement one year on - The New Arab
Grief to action: The Woman Life Freedom movement one year on (newarab.com)
ITV’s Count Abdulla: Being a Muslim vampire is complicated - The New Arab
ITV's Count Abdulla: Being a Muslim vampire is complicated (newarab.com)
August 2023
Other Names, Other Places: Codeswitching will take its toll - The New Arab
Other Names, Other Places: Codeswitching will take its toll (newarab.com)
All She Lost: A Lebanese women’s herstory of a nation fighting to survive - The New Arab
A Lebanese women's 'herstory' of a nation on life support (newarab.com)
July 2023
‘Being a third culture kid has its pros:’ Egyptian artist Bayou on the craft of bilingual lyrics and building bridges with music - The New Arab
Egyptian musician Bayou is a third culture kid never at home (newarab.com)
May 2023
Sofia Rehman’s ‘A Treasury of Aisha:’ Was the Prophet Muhammad’s wife Aishah the ultimate social justice warrior? - The New Arab
Was Aisha bint Abu Bakr the ultimate social justice warrior? (newarab.com)
April 2023
A digital spiritual revolution: When it comes to their faith, British Muslim women are taking matters into their own hands - The New Arab
British Muslim women and a digital spiritual revolution (newarab.com)
March 2023
The Othered Woman: Shahed Ezaydi’s quest to debunk white feminism - The New Arab
The Othered Woman: A quest to debunk white feminism (newarab.com)
January 2023
Justice and Beauty in Muslim Marriage is a blueprint for a gender-just marriage model - The New Arab
https://www.newarab.com/features/just-marriage-model-justice-and-beauty-muslim-marriage
Featured in “When global justice movements meet the media’s Western gaze” - Anmol Irfan for Media Diversity Institute
Featured in “Today’s men are desperately asking how to be a man - and Andrew Tate provides an answer” - Harry de Quetteville for the Telegraph
Discrimination in the NHS and the effect it has on British Muslim women’s reproductive health - The New Arab
https://www.newarab.com/features/nhs-inequity-and-british-muslim-womens-reproductive-health
December 2022
Bisht, please: The crown gowning of Messi and the West’s utter contempt for Arab custom - The New Arab
https://www.newarab.com/features/gowning-messi-and-wests-contempt-arab-custom
A new wave of British Muslim romance in literature - The New Arab
https://www.newarab.com/features/new-wave-british-muslim-romance-literature
Featured in SBS’ podcast The Controversies: Women’s rights and the FIFA World Cup
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/womens-rights-and-the-fifa-world-cup/tfm7ee3a0
November 2022
Why this Muslim is pushing back against Andrew Tate - Al Jazeera
Why this Muslim is pushing back against Andrew Tate | Social Media | Al Jazeera
I didn’t receive justice when I was assaulted in Qatar. This year’s World Cup has reopened painful memories - gal-dem
https://gal-dem.com/justice-sexual-assault-qatar-world-cup/
October 2022
These Bodies of Water: An education on how water drives British foreign policy in the Middle East - The New Arab
How water drives British foreign policy in the Middle East (alaraby.co.uk)
This is more than just about the hijab: How the death of Mahsa Amini sparked a feminist revolution in Iran - The New Arab
Iran's feminist revolution is just getting started (alaraby.co.uk)
September 2022
Thing said and left unsaid: Muddy People is a charming memoir of a child out of place - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/muddy-people-coming-age-memoir-faith-and-identity
The Gulf’s abusive male guardianship laws are about patriarchy, not religion - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/opinion/male-guardianship-laws-are-about-patriarchy-not-religion
August 2022
Celebrate Women in Translation Month with these 10 must-read books by female Arab authors - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/ten-must-read-books-celebrate-women-translation-month
Featured in “Is It My Responsibility to Represent 1.9 Billion Muslims in My Writing?” - Tasneem Abdul-Rasheed for Amaliah
https://www.amaliah.com/post/65541/muslim-representation-in-books-discussed
For The Economist Arab women are obese but Western women are body positive - The New Arab
Fat-shaming for Arab women, body positivity for the West (alaraby.co.uk)
Dana Al-Otaibi and the culture of victim-blaming - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/opinion/dana-al-otaibi-and-culture-victim-blaming
For gender justice in Arab countries, abolish colonial laws! - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/opinion/gender-justice-arab-countries-abolish-colonial-laws
July 2022
Why we must talk about postnatal anxiety and OCD - The Femedic
We need to talk about postnatal OCD and anxiety (thefemedic.com)
‘We are not safe anywhere’ : Egyptian women fear systemic normalisation of gender-based violence and femicide - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/egyptian-women-fear-growing-normalisation-femicide
Featured in “Q&A with Yousra Imran” - Raya Al Jadir for Nasher News
https://nasher-news.com/q-and-a-with-yousra-imran-into-the-depth/
June 2022
Challenging Tunisian society’s homophobia through theatre - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/challenging-tunisian-societys-homophobia-through-theatre
Featured in “How to exercise with depression and anxiety (even when your mental health won’t let you)” - Isabella Silvers for Stylist
May 2022
Head Above Water: When illness exiles the mind from the body - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/head-above-water-when-illness-exiles-mind-body
February 2022
Featured in “#WhereisNoof, Qatari women question how safe they really are” - Dania Akkad for Middle East Eye
https://www.middleeasteye.net/big-story/qatar-noof-maadeed-case-women-question-safe
January 2022
Featured in “Palestine: The cause that lights a fire under the British Arab community” - Nick McAlpin for The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/why-palestine-lights-fire-under-british-arab-community
December 2021
Fatima Al Qadiri’s Medieval Femme: Between the golden era of our past and the fantasy of our future - The New Arab
October 2021
I wish people would stop making me feel guilty for not enjoying my pregnancy - gal-dem
https://gal-dem.com/pregnancy-shaming/
September 2021
Lift Like a Girl: Is Netflix’s first Egyptian documentary a true tale of female empowerment? - The New Arab
July 2021
Featured in “An Olympic Contradiction: when a Muslim woman’s oppression is a white woman’s empowerment” : Mariam Khan for The Flock
Cut from the Same Cloth? An examination of the intersectionality of identity as Muslim Women in Britain today - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/cut-same-cloth-personal-essays-muslim-women
Featured in “Discrimination at work: ‘I was shocked when the interviewer ghosted me’” : Isabelle Jani-Friend for Financial Times
Discrimination at work: ‘I was shocked when the interviewer ghosted me’ | Financial Times (ft.com)
The legal loophole holding Egypt back from criminalising marital rape - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/legal-loophole-exploiting-egypts-marital-rape-problem
How I escaped a date with a murderer - Cosmopolitan UK
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a34759663/dated-a-murderer/
Kuwait’s stateless Bidoon community faces rising human costs - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/kuwaits-stateless-bidoon-community-faces-rising-human-costs
We Wrote in Symbols: Ground-breaking anthology renews millenia-old tradition of female Arab erotic literature - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/we-wrote-symbols-anthology-female-arab-exotica
June 2021
Britney’s conservatorship reminds me of my life under Qatar’s guardianship system - gal-dem
https://gal-dem.com/britneys-conservatorship-reminds-me-of-my-life-under-qatars-guardianship-system/
10 must-read books about the Palestinian struggle for self-determination - The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/10-must-read-books-about-palestinian-struggle
Featured on Speak to SAVE (Spiritual Abuse and Violence Eradication) with Maryyum Mehmood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVU6fcnR3oQ
Featured in ‘Muslim feminists are not interested in the white woman’s gaze’: Anmol Irfan for The Conversationalist
May 2021
Featured on Peacemindedly podcast
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nb2x0dW5lLmxpYnN5bi5jb20vcnNz
Featured on The New Arab Voice podcast: Under siege, and occupation, Palestinians resist Israel’s Ongoing Nakba
How I redefined strength for myself post-EDS diagnosis - Strong Women Training Club - Stylist UK
https://www.stylist.co.uk/fitness-health/redefined-strength-diagnosed-ehlers-danlos-syndrome/512639
Women in Kuwait tell police ‘take us seriously, or more of us will die’ - The New Arab
This year Sherihan reminds us why she remains a Ramadan icon across the Arab world - The New Arab
Featured in Book(ish): Q&A: Yousra Imran, author of Hijab and Red Lipstick
https://bookishmag.co.uk/blog/yousra-imran
April 2021
I live with a chronic illness but I’m reclaiming Ramadan for myself - Aurelia Magazine
https://aureliamagazine.com/ramadan-and-chronic-illness/
Muslim leaders and NHS urge British Muslims to continue vaccinations over the month of Ramadan - The New Arab
The Muslim Problem: Deconstructing Western stereotypes about Muslims to end the toxic relationship with Islam - The New Arab
March 2021
Featured in ‘How These Pro-Feminist Books Emboldened a Muslim Woman’s Confidence in her Faith’: Hafsa Lodi for Vogue Arabia
https://en.vogue.me/culture/pro-feminist-books-islam/
Featured in ‘The Women Proving Muslim Feminism Is Not A Paradox’: Hafsa Lodi for Refinery29
Muslim Feminism Is Not A Paradox (refinery29.com)
'Today I feel beautiful in my Hijab': Women’s History Month feature for Elle UK
Yousra Imran: 'Today I Feel Beautiful In My Hijab' (elle.com)
'You can't edit live speech': Exclusive audio app Clubhouse brings Arabs together in unfiltered conversations - The New Arab
Featured in ‘International Women’s Day:The newsletters by women of colour that are making emails exciting again’: Tahmina Begum for The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2021/3/7/iwd-woc-newsletters-you-must-sign-up-for
Featured in ‘Celebrating World Book Day with our favourite reads’: Emma Clayton for The Telegraph and Argus
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/19133118.celebrating-world-book-day-favourite-reads/
February 2021
‘The homeland does not leave the body until the moment of death’ - Remembering Mourid Bargouti - The New Arab
January 2021
Author Yousra Imran says publishing world needs to change - The Telegraph and Argus
Drunk on Ink Q&A with Yousra Imran and Hijab and Red Lipstick novel: Soniah Kamal for Jaggery, Desi Lit Arts and Literature Journal
Planning A Family With A Chronic Illness - The C Word
https://www.thecwordmag.co.uk/real-talk/planning-a-family-with-a-chronic-illness
December 2020
Featured in “Do Muslim Women on TV Pass the Bechdel Test?””: Anmol Irfan for Media Diversity Institute
https://www.media-diversity.org/do-muslim-women-on-tv-pass-the-bechdel-test/
Featured in the Metro’s “People reflect on the personal wins, milestones, and good things that happened in 2020”: Faima Bakar for Metro
Featured in “The best books by Arab authors in 2020" : Elias Jahshan for The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2020/12/22/the-best-books-by-arab-authors-in-2020
The New Arab’s review of Hijab and Red Lipstick (Diana Alghoul)
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/society/2020/12/22/hijab-and-red-lipstick-by-yousra-imran
When I was growing up, wearing lipstick was a brave thing to do - Harper’s Bazaar UK
Featured in Discriminatory Laws Still Hold Women Back in the Middle East - Sania Farooqui for the Inter Press Service
Discriminatory Laws Still Holding Women Back in the Middle East | Inter Press Service (ipsnews.net)
The Sania Farooqui Show - Episode 6: Sania Farooqui in conversation with writer Yousra Imran
Episode 6: Sania Farooqui in conversation with writer Yousra Imran - YouTube
West Yorkshire Author Releases Debut Novel Hijab and Red Lipstick - Hijabi Culture
http://hijabiculture.com/feature/west-yorkshire-author-releases-debut-novel-hijab-and-red-lipstick/
The Facade of Women’s Rights in Saudi Arabia: How Saudi Arabia’s Fear of Feminism Landed Loujain Al-Hathloul in a Terror Court - The New Arab
How Saudi Arabia's fear of feminism landed Loujain al-Hathloul in (alaraby.co.uk)
From being a fitness influencer to living with an invisible disability - gal-dem
https://gal-dem.com/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-fitness-influence/
Dewsbury writer Yousra Imran on her debut novel Hijab and Red Lipstick
November 2020
Halima Aden Acted with Integrity - Muslim Twitter Should Too- The New Arab
Halima Aden acted with integrity, Muslim twitter should too (alaraby.co.uk)
Featured in ‘Respect my hijab,’ Muslim model Halima Aden tells industry as she quits runway: Diana Alghoul for The New Arab
Featured in Go Higher West Yorkshire - Aiming higher helps us to be trailblazers
https://www.gohigherwestyorks.ac.uk/news/blog/aiming-higher-helps-us-to-be-trailblazers/
Five Books That Changed Me - Frost Magazine
Hijab and Red Lipstick featured in “British Muslim Women On the Moment They Dissociated Shame From Sex”: Tahmina Begum for Restless Network
https://restlessnetwork.com/british-muslim-women-on-the-moment-they-dissociated-shame-from-sex/
Muslim Writer Breaks ‘Hijab and Red Lipstick’ Paradox Stereotypes: Islam Channel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjEdnzZ7p9o
Interview on Living the Life on Islam Channel
https://islamchannel.tv/programme-video/living-the-life-tufail-hussain-and-yousra-samir-imran/
Tales Before Bedtime’s review of Hijab and Red Lipstick
https://talesbeforebedtime.co.uk/2020/11/20/hijab-and-red-lipstick/
Taralynn Moore’s review of Hijab and Red Lipstick
https://www.taralynnmoore.com/author-feature-yousra-imran/
Yet Another Blogging Mummy’s review of Hijab and Red Lipstick
https://blogmumjd.wordpress.com/2020/11/17/hijab-and-red-lipstick-by-yousra-imran-book-review/
Safiya Reads’ review of Hijab and Red Lipstick
https://safiyareads.wordpress.com/2020/11/16/hijab-and-red-lipstick-by-yousra-imran/
Yousra Imran on her debut novel Hijab and Red Lipstick - Yorkshire Post
Hijab and Red Lipstick inspired by real life culture struggle - The Telegraph and Argus Bradford
Hijab and Red Lipstick inspired by real life culture struggle - Asian Image
https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/18846420.hijab-red-lipstick-inspired-real-life-culture-struggle/
Teen Librarian Mum’s review of Hijab and Red Lipstick
http://teenlibrarian.co.uk/2020/11/13/hijab-and-red-lipstick-blog-tour/
TB Honest’s review of Hijab and Red Lipstick
https://tbhonest.co.uk/2020/11/13/hijab-and-red-lipstick-by-yousra-imran-is-a-powerful-read/
Mendip Children’s Book Group’s review of Hijab and Red Lipstick
https://cbgmendip.weebly.com/blog/hijab-and-red-lipstick-by-yousra-imran
College author publishes debut novel - Bradford College
https://www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/news/college-author-publishes-debut/
I was the idea of the nightmare daughter - The Greater Conversation
https://thegreaterconversation.substack.com/p/29-i-was-the-idea-of-the-nightmare
Featured on Mixed Messages: Yousra Imran - “This is me - take it or leave it!”
https://mixedmessages.substack.com/p/yousra-imran-this-is-me-take-it-or
October 2020
Sudan’s Revolution and the Broken Promise of Women’s Rights - The New Arab
A Muslim Ghosting Tale - muzmatch - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03FCJehV8Zk
Why Hijab and Red Lipstick is a cautionary tale of why you shouldn’t get married to escape - muzmatch
How To Avoid Danger on muzmatch - muzmatch
https://muzmatch.com/en-US/blog/relationships/how-to-avoid-danger-on-muzmatch
Featured in “Muslim Twitter Reacts to Primark’s Latest “Modest” Range” - Hafsa Lodi for modestish
https://modestish.com/primark-modest-fashion/
August 2020
Imperialism, patriarchy and the history of Palestinian LGBTQ activism - The New Arab
Featured in “Breaking the Tampon Taboo: Why are tampons taboo in some communities of colour?” - Isabella Silvers for Red and Women’s Health
https://www.redonline.co.uk/health-self/self/a33518796/tampons-bame-communities/
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/health/a33403057/tampons-bame-communities/
Hijab and Red Lipstick feature on Kate Foster’s blog
July 2020
Desperate and trapped, Gaza’s youth turn to suicide - The New Arab
The Screams of Ahlam: Harrowing honour killing in Jordan sparks movement for justice - The New Arab
June 2020
Remembering Sarah Hegazy: Arab LGBT community mourns loss of a ‘beacon of hope’ - The New Arab
Hijab and Red Lipstick featured on Culture Whisper:YA Author and publisher Abiola Bello talks diversity in children’s books and publishing
https://www.culturewhisper.com/r/kids/ya_author_abiola_bello_interview/15655
Hijab and Red Lipstick featured on Chloe Metzger’s blog: Most Anticipated 2020 Reads: Part 2
https://chloemetzger.com/2020/06/15/most-anticipated-2020-reads-part-2/
April 2020
Hijab and Red Lipstick featured on Headscarves and Hardbacks: 20+ Books By Muslim Authors To Read in 2020
https://headscarvesandhardbacks.com/2020/04/02/books-by-muslim-authors-to-read-in-2020/
March 2020
A Frank Letter to Male muzmatch Users - muzmatch Blog
https://muzmatch.com/en-GB/blog/relationships/a-frank-letter-to-male-muzmatch-users
February 2020
Featured in “From muzmatch to Minder, Muslim millennials are using ‘halal dating’ apps to do their own matchmaking”: Diana Alghoul for The New Arab
Hijab and Red Lipstick featured in “20 Books by Asian Authors to Read in 2020”: Farhana Shaikh for The Asian Writer
https://theasianwriter.co.uk/2020/02/26/20-books-to-read-in-2020/
January 2020
Hijab and Red Lipstick featured on A Crafty Arab: Top Arab and Muslim Children Books for 2020
http://acraftyarab.com/2020/01/2020-arab-muslim-children-books-resource/
Things I wish someone would have told me about getting married - muzmatch blog
October 2018
Mvrs: The Egyptian Hip-Hop Artist Delving into The Trials and Tribulations of Third Culture Kids- Scene Noise (Cairo Scene)
https://scenenoise.com/Interviews/mvrs-egyptian-hip-hop-artist-third-culture-kids
December 2015
Fitness Influencer Yousra Samir’s Weight Loss Transformation: Dannielle Blaker for Vogue Arabia
https://en.vogue.me/archive/body-soul/qatar-blogger-yousra-samir-weight-loss-transformation/