PIONEER | SEEMA
THE TALES OF SAMIRA AHMED AND HER REVOLUTIONARY GIRLS PRATIKA YASHASWI
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eading Samira Ahmed, you would expect her to be someone who’s always been a published writer, as if she’d tumbled out of the womb creating historic and phenomenal characters and storylines. But it turns out, she published her first book at 46, after a long and rewarding career involving teaching high school English, working for non-profits and even fighting for equitable funding in NY’s public schools as a lobbyist. “Love, Hate, & Other Filters” was an instant bestseller.
12 | SEEMA.COM | MAY 2022
She is the first South Asian Muslim woman to voice Kamala Khan, Marvel’s first Muslim superheroine. Like Ms. Marvel, her signature characters have always been revolutionary girls. Her “revolutionary girls,” as she calls them, represent an archetype of strength, insight and compassion, are usually Muslim and often Indian American. “Revolutionary girls don’t necessarily take up arms,” says Ahmed. “…sometimes the revolutionary girl is just taking control when others are falling
