Anjum Kasmani, a Sydney-based lawyer and wearer of many community hats, recently returned to Brunei after her visit there as part of the AAMEP 2023 delegation. Fellow AAMEP 2023 delegate Natasha Halim caught up with her to ask her about her new connections. Read the interview below:
How many collaborations did you end up doing after AAMEP and what are they?
About 5-6 so far. Alhamdulillah, I love collaboration and teamwork. I was hugely inspired after my initial visit to Brunei and really wanted to follow up on some of the amazing people and initiatives I met the first time.
I took the opportunity to visit Brunei again in Rabi’ul-Awwal to see how the blessed month is celebrated there. While there, I organised some collaborations, while for some others I was invited to collaborate.
The primary collaboration of this visit was with Progresif, who hosted a number of podcast recording sessions at their studio. The first was a panel interview with Bruneian women of faith for the She Recites podcast. One of the esteemed guests was Hajah Dr Nur Annisa binti Haji Sarbini from UNISSA which I was *especially* excited about. Ustaz Loqy (AAMEP alumni) assisted me in contacting my other wonderful guests as well.
Following this, I was invited by Progresif to be a guest on their podcast and was interviewed by Dr Mona Kassim (who I met at an AAMEP dinner a few weeks earlier). What made this collaboration even more special was that our crew was also made up of AAMEP contacts: Adam from Matters OC (AAMEP alumni) and Fuad (the radio host who interviewed our delegation).
Following this excitement I was invited by Ilma Events to give two talks and a performance. The talks centered around devotional arts and female entrepreneurship. Alhamdulillah, it was great to have these conversations and share perspectives.
My final collaboration was with Dr Mona and Dr Iznan, delivering a talk about social impact. There was a robust Q&A session afterwards!
In Australia I’ve also been blessed to get to know a number of alumni from the AIMEP. This led to a very fruitful visit to Indonesia in December to set the foundations for some further collaborations for both She Recites and Desert Echo Daff School.
How did these collaborations happen?
Genuine appreciation for the work of others, and keenness to combine ideas and skills into something meaningful and impactful.
But also a lot of late nights drafting proposals, presenting pitches, and networking to find the right guests or the right partner. That’s the reality. Collaborations don’t happen instantly, rather what creates the win is a lot of patient interaction with potential partners, fueled by an intense vision, and supported by reaching further than one’s own circle..
I also believe there has to be a high level of trust from both sides. I’m grateful that the trust was built on interactions in my initial visit and then reinforced via long distance communication and finally achieved in person again on my second visit.
Which is your favourite and why?
Each one was special in its own way. Conducting a panel interview for She Recites was a vision I had had for over a year and it was a huge moment to be able to see that to fruition. It was truly validating to see how happy and grateful the noble guests were to be in that space.
I also really enjoyed being interviewed by Dr Mona for the Progresif podcast. Little to my knowledge Dr Mona had actually observed me in each of the previous collaborations – and had been making copious notes! In the podcast she asked me to go into further detail about some of the themes that had come up and so it was a fantastic way to reflect back on the week. It’s also rare that someone who is involved in social impact and busy serving gets an opportunity to share their WHY and so it was a really beautiful way to wrap up my second visit. And Dr Mona is a brilliantly sharp presenter too. I was able to learn so much from her style! I shared a lot about my upbringing in the UK and Australia as a Muslim, and why I do what I do and am so passionate about faith-based social impact – if anyone is interested, this podcast episode is a good starting point!
Projecting into the future – what is on your horizon collaboration-wise?
Alhamdulilah the work doesn’t stop!
There are a number of exciting collaborations in the pipeline InshaAllah, ranging from law to drums to women’s spaces.
I used to think I loved idea generation the most but now I’m sure that collaborating on an idea is my true passion! Truly spectacular things happen when people come together to create. And when it’s faith based, it’s even more special!
I’d say definitely watch this space InshaAllah! In the meantime if anyone wants to collaborate with any of my enterprises, do get in touch!
Anjum’s Bio
As a lawyer, Anjum works as the Deputy Divisional Registrar and Conciliator at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Here she works with parties to negotiate and resolve legal disputes. Previously Anjum specialized in Zakat and Islamic law and held the post of NSW State Manager for the National Zakat Foundation. Anjum is passionate about connecting with and removing barriers for Muslim women locally and internationally. She is Founder and Consultant for Sacred Islamic Wills, an educational platform helping Muslim women learn about their Islamic inheritance obligations and write their wills. Anjum also produces and hosts the She Recites podcast, where she interviews female scholars and devotional artists from around the world. Anjum is dedicated to women’s creativity and creating safe spaces for expression. She is the founder of Desert Echo Daff School, the first Islamic drumming and nasheed school in Australia. She also acts as the Global Events Director for Ladies of Light- The Rabbani Project, running spiritual events for Muslim women locally and online. Last but not least, Anjum is a 2023 alumna of the Australia-ASEAN Muslim Exchange Program!
