Dahab Jihar was born in Sudan. Her family are originally from Eritrea. Dahab spent her childhood in Saudi Arabia, Sudan and in Egypt (Alexandria). She worked hard on improving her English whilst at school and when her family later moved to Sweden, her ability to communicate in English helped her a great deal. In Sweden, Dahab’s family lived in a small town where they were the only people of colour. She recalls the way she was treated: “I remember going down the street, and these old ladies would come and touch my curls. Even as a child, I found that quite offensive … I was like a novelty.”

Although she did not wear hijab until she was in her twenties, she always had a strong sense of identity as a Muslim and often felt a sense of conflict: “The onus was onus on me to integrate … but you can’t integrate into a society that doesn’t allow you to integrate sometimes. What I realised growing up in Sweden was that I was expected to assimilate, and I had to almost shed off my identity as a Muslim, as a Black woman … my language, my culture ”. Dahab credits her mother’s strong nature as helping her to navigate these issues and appreciating the Swedish culture whilst also asserting their own identity and culture positively.

At the age of 18 years, Dahab came to visit an uncle in London and decided that she wanted to move to the UK. She began her undergraduate studies in London, which was interrupted when she briefly moved back to Sweden after getting married. She returned to complete her degree and PGCE after her first child was born.

In 2004, Dahab moved to Birmingham upon a friend’s recommendation. She has become familiar with the Muslim community in Small Heath and has also become a part of the Eritrean Muslim community and can identify both positives and negatives in negotiating these spaces. Compared to Sweden, she finds it notable how easy and comfortable it is to wear the hijab or a veil in Birmingham. Dahab began teaching Quran and Arabic as well as a weekly sister’s circle. She has also been active in charity work and in pursuing outdoor sports. She now works as the headteacher of an Islamic school in Small Heath.