“There is a lack of conversation by Muslim women that’s real within the public realm,” says Aliyah Quadri. Co-founder of the new web television talk show series Honest Tea Talk, Quadri and her two partners are filling that void with much-needed, heartfelt – well – honest talk.

Inspired by Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk and seeing how many Muslimahs were drawn to the vulnerability of the content, the women saw a need for a “Muslimac” version:

Picking up the mic

For the longest time, Muslim women have been brilliant at wearing masks, and this has been to our detriment. Honest and real conversations rarely go beyond closed doors, which can often leave some sisters feeling like they’re the only one going through things. Honest Tea Talk brings deep, raw, and often unspoken topics to the table to lay down our masks and start much-needed discussions about matters related to Muslim women and the ummah at large.” LaYinka Sanni, Co-founder of  Honest Tea Talk

The tea-drinking, deep-talking women have been friends for five years and then some; each is a successful community-driven entrepreneur in her own right. The founders at the table of Honest Tea Talk are: Aliyah Quadri, CEO and founder of Solace UK and Sisters Achieve; LaYinka Sanni, Founder of Evolve & Emerge and Sumayah Hassan, Founder of Recite & Reflect. Sanni describes the team: “Each of the women have been, and are still on, their unique and individual journey of growth and are involved in work aimed at helping Muslim women improve themselves and their relationship with Allah.”

Having open and especially public discourse by Muslimahs has been complicated by issues of haya’, backbiting and even the time-constraints of overly occupied Muslim women. “Honest Tea Talk is important because the voice of the average Muslim woman has either been silenced or misrepresented. HTT is a platform for us to honestly and openly discuss raw topics that most Muslim women encounter in their lives. We hope it will initiate discussion and positive change,” explains Sanni.

What to expect

Episode 1 of Honest Tea Talk went live today and keeps to it’s promise to be “…real and honest — to ourselves and others. It’s the opener of why Honest Tea Talk exists, and the foundation upon which all other episodes will be built on.” The trio intends to address issues such as, sex, money and wealth, marital discord, mental health and infidelity. They also look forward to sitting and speaking candidly with male guests to examine issues affecting individuals, families and the community at large. They hope that all discussions will be starting points for more real, honest discussions both private and public.

You can watch Honest Tea Talk here and follow the hosts’ journeys on their Facebook page.