Shukriya, Dubai

We spoke to Shukriya about the dangers of being an activist in Dubai, the importance of working with people on the ground and the key component of inclusivity. Dubai born and raised, Shukriya is a producer and model who advocates for body positivity and queer and POC representation in the media. She often hosts panels and contributes to discussions in the UAE on the topic, using her platform to inform, educate, and empower. We met her at her home in the city.

Would you call yourself an activist, Shukriya, or something else?

Back in the day I would’ve said I’m an activist, but not so much anymore, because I came to realise how detrimental it can be to one’s health to be an activist – especially here in Dubai. You’re quite censored on what you can and can’t say online, and a lot of people can take even the simplest things you post online as an attack or defamation. So, I prefer being called an ‘advocate’ instead. 

This is an interesting distinction. Can you talk more about what you see as the difference between an ‘activist’ and an ‘advocate’? 

I feel like activists are on it all the time. It’s their whole lives, basically. It’s them stepping on people’s toes and making sure their voices are heard. Activists are very amazing people, but it just takes over your life. You need to be okay with it becoming your life. Advocacy, I think, is talking about things in a way that’s more educational, vs “we need a change right this second.”

And what are the issues you’re most passionate about advocating for?

I’ve been focusing more of my energy right now on diversifying fashion here in Dubai in regards to plus-size women and Black women; women who don’t look the cookie-cutter type. I feel like that’s something I can speak about really well, because that is literally my life. This includes Black struggles, too. It’s not the same in Dubai as in the West, as we don’t really have police violence here; it’s more about microaggressions, racist remarks, things that happen at work. It’s a bit tamer here than in the West. 

What drives you day-to-day, do you think?

The fact that people just need to see more people being themselves. I often get messages from people saying “Your page is really inspiring, you’re doing great” or “You’ve boosted my confidence”. People just need to see more people doing that so they can feel inspired to be themselves. I wore short shorts the other day and I posted about how basically I went to the store and got harassed by this woman for wearing shorts outside here. I continued wearing the shorts and posted them on Insta and I told the story. People took the risk and said, "I’m gonna wear shorts today when I hang out with my friends". You just need more people to do it, and even though I'm getting fucked for it, I'm still doing it. There’s a ripple effect. A lot of people here in Dubai assimilate, because it’s easier and potentially getting negative feedback or stares. It’s just not in my DNA to do that.

Can you explain more about the difference between activism in Dubai versus in the West? That’s something we’d really like to get our heads around.

The thing is, you won’t find ‘activists’ like you do in the West here in Dubai. People are very fearful of posting things online here because you can’t speak negatively about anyone or anything without it being pretty much illegal. I think the rules were implemented on the basis of ‘everyone getting along’, but it's kind of messing things up right now because people do want to have these conversations. For example, there was a whole discussion going on a week or two ago about how lots of drivers from the brands Talabat and Zomato who were being made to wait outside in the heat and not given any water, and a lot of them are of Asian descent. And it was such a conversation that people were tagging these corporations and these companies, but they would have to take it down after a while, thinking, “Okay, enough people saw it and I have to take it down because I'm worried that I’m gonna get reported or sued.” 

This is really interesting. How does that affect the ways that social change happens in Dubai? What’s important for us to know?

It’s important to know that in Dubai, a lot of these conversations happen between people in private instances, barely online, and rarely over text. They’re almost always in real life, because people are just scared. Sometimes I check my phone to make sure no one’s listening in on me, or if I’m on a call with someone, I’m scared too. And I’m from here! My whole life has been here! And I’m still scared of getting caught for those things. Communities don’t mind talking about things, people don't mind talking about things. We’re just scared of getting into trouble. Freedom of speech is a bit of a stretch here. 

Has this influenced the way you behave, personally?

Yes. I used to be really really talkative on Insta stories, for example. I used to call people out. I was basically a terror on Instagram at a point when no one was safe. Then a friend of mine messaged me one day saying “I’m very concerned that one of these days someone is going to report you and you’re going to go to jail or get deported,” so I had to completely shift the way I spoke online. Now, I don’t do it as much anymore. I’ve had to stop. Every now and then maybe I’ll post something, but as a blue moon type of thing.

Who are the people inspiring you or influencing you in your activism, or in your work as a creative, in Dubai?

I can’t from the top of my head name any activists or anyone who would claim to be an activist here specifically. There are people who do it in their day to day without it being public. For example, my mentor Amirah Tajdin, who is also a director, she doesn’t necessarily use her platform in a way that says she’s an activist, but her body of work speaks for it. The films that she directs, everything that she works on is so diverse that it’s already a stance in its own way. She chooses who she wants to use in her projects and straight off the bat it’s diverse and active. Like, the last thing she did was for Nowness, and it was a black love story based here. Nobody is doing that. Nobody would do that here. A love story about a Kenyan man and a Congolese woman and how they build their life here is a beautiful short film. I can’t think of anyone else here who would do that. She’s a rule breaker, incredibly brave, and innovative. Her sister, Wafa Tajdin[we interviewed Wafa, too, you can read the interview here] is inspiring too. Every single thing they do is different. It’s not always the same. They have a very specific signature on things that they work on together.

That sounds beautiful. And how about globally?

Globally I would say there is a transwoman plus size model who is Somali and I’m currently obsessed with her. Her name is Ceval. Coming from a Somali background like mine and ours, being trans is a no go. Being queer is a no go. It’s absolutely unacceptable. She uses her platform to say she is both of these things, and I am proud of it. She uses her platform on a daily basis not only to promote herself but also to boost the trans experience. Her bravery and courage inspire me every single day. It’s scary to do that; just being herself means she’s in danger. That is the type of activism I’m looking at right now. Women themselves who are being themselves and that in itself is their activism. It’s so brave and courageous.

It is brave to be yourself when society is telling you that you should be someone else. Are there any other attributes that these people have, do you think, that makes them stand out as inspirational to you?

I feel like things like trans rights and plus-size representation are things that are consistently spoken about, but no one is actually doing anything about them. It’s just talk. It’s one amazing magazine cover, everyone’s happy, and we move on. I look up to these girls because they keep the conversation going even when people aren’t necessarily listening anymore. They’re making movements, but not necessarily on massive platforms like other activists. They mean a lot to me. Those are the kinds of people I look up to. 

What are your frustrations with activism in general these days?

I feel like there is so much going on at one time that everything is kind of overlapping. If the topic right now, let's say, is BLM, I feel like the topic would be redirected then to Free Palestine. Everything is overlapping and people are kind of getting mad at each other because one is being talked about more than the other. Is anyone actually paying attention anymore to the problems, or is everyone just pissed now? No-one is actually listening to each other anymore. People get into activism sometimes and I wonder if they really care about what’s going on, or whether they’re just trying to guilt-trip people into believing that they’re better because they care more.

We’ve heard a lot about this ‘information overload’ and pressure to always be speaking on everything in the activism realm. What would you like to change about the way activists and advocates interact, then?

I would like people to stop guilt tripping each other over not doing things the ‘right’ way. If you guilt people into joining or speaking on a movement, then are they even doing it for the right reasons anymore? No. Now they feel guilty and like they are being watched. They’re reposting these colourful infographics. Do they know what’s going on? Do they know the history?

We’re going to talk a bit about inclusivity, within the realm of activism. What does inclusivity mean, to you?

Inclusivity means seeing yourself in a publication, on a platform, on TV, and recognising that that person is just like you and they’ve been given a platform. 

And where do you feel Dubai and the UAE stands in terms of inclusivity? 

Definitely behind, but it’s making strides, fast. I would say back in the day, when I was in my teens, it was very white-washed here, to the point where it was mostly Arabs who looked white or white-passing Arabs in the media. Arabs who were darker, browner or tanner, weren’t portrayed at all, which doesn’t make sense, because the population of Dubai is extremely diverse. Now, there are more ads for African-looking people and Asian people. There’s a huge billboard right now on Sheikh Zayed Road, for example, of an Arab girl, a Black girl and an Asian girl literally with cornrows. To be honest, I can say it was a bit of a disaster of a shoot, but they were trying, and that’s a pretty great attempt. That’s a huge move. But overall, it’s still very white. 

When it comes to women’s rights, women are actually treated pretty well here by law. There are laws that mean people need to be paid equally and women are quite respected here. Race and similar topics we can’t really talk about, even though technically it is illegal to be racist here. You could go to court for being racist. 

What else do you think global brands need to know about operating in Dubai?

We are known for being a very futuristic place with lots of oil, money, and luxury. We are very ahead in those terms, but then in regard to meshing with the public, we're a bit slow with that. We also need to consider that this country is very young, and considering how much has happened in such a short amount of time, it’s pretty exceptional. Everyone here now is obsessed with social media and looking good and not being cancelled and everything is now a PR thing. Dubai is now like, “Oh shit, we now need to catch up with the rest of the world and we need to basically match what everyone else is doing, so we can keep up with the times and not look like this raunchy, luxurious, trashy place that a lot of people think that it is.” This place has a lot of history, amazing people live here, but they’re only seeing the surface level of what is there right now, I think. 

Have you seen anything from adidas specifically, when it comes to inclusivity or activism in Dubai or further afield?

I know that adidas isn’t the most diverse place, as in - a company and as a brand. The people who represent adidas aren’t very diverse. To me they’re quite white-washed. How can people who work there or even their offices here in Dubai know what I’m talking about or relate to anything I’m saying if they’re not from those backgrounds? You can't even imagine what I go through on a day to day. So how can a company that is not diverse want to diversify themselves?

I don’t know if this is a fair comparison, but adidas UK seems to be doing all of the right things. I follow a couple of YouTubers that live in London and they did this whole drive where they gifted adidas football kits to these little kid’s football teams. When I think of adidas London I’m like, “Okay they’re in the game”. The tracksuits, the style. They’ve made their mark specifically in that city that I haven’t seen literally anywhere else. Like when people say they’re going to this adidas event here in Dubai you’re like okay… It doesn’t have the same pizzazz as it does in London. Whatever they’re doing there is right. They need to implement that and just make the brand cooler here and more of a thing. When you think of Nike London or adidas London you’re wooed, but here you’re like, meh.

Ensuring that a brand is consistent across the world is so important. Is there anything from a brand that you’ve seen and thought it was truly ‘inclusive’?

I don’t think any brand is actually doing it here. No brand is at my standard of what I think they should be doing here.  Globally, however, I would say Nike… 

What have you seen from Nike?

I’d say Nike are the most diverse brand I have ever seen in my life, and when you see their posts it’s not like, “Oh this post is so diverse,” because it’s just what Nike does, period. I feel like adidas lacks that in a way. When I think of diversity, I don’t think adidas. I think of Nike first because they do it so well, and in a way that is not shocking. 

I had a sort of ambassadorship gig type of thing with Nike in 2019, where they basically supported me in my plus-size fitness journey. They said, “We see what you’re doing, and we want to support you.” They kitted me out, they signed me up to all these amazing classes, and it was a proper, “we support what you are doing right now” type of thing. A lot of their events that I’ve gone to, everyone there was diverse, even their PR company was diverse at the time. Their PR company was an Indian girl, 3 Filipinas and two Black girls. They were doing things that were for women empowerment, they had talks, they had proper people in the industry here speaking about the right things at the right time. 

“We see you and we want to support you” really encapsulates what we believe is important when it comes to being of value in this realm.

Right. I think that here if they really wanted to make a change then they need to start looking at sportsmen, models, activists, advocates and real home-grown ones. I’m gonna use this moment to boost myself here because I’ve been doing this for a minute. I was born and raised here. I’m a very diverse person. I’m Black, Muslim, Plus Size and Queer. I tick a lot of boxes and there are a lot of people like that here that are very low key because they’re not given the platform to do these amazing things. So, I feel it’s adidas’ job to be like. “We need to find these cool people that can actually promote the brand in the right way", not in a ‘diversity hire’ type of way. You need to support them, build with them, pay them properly. It needs to be more of a support thing than a, “Here’s a PR box, have fun!”. 

We’ve heard a lot about brands’ performative approach when it comes to working with activists. Do you feel that brands can fit better in the activist space?

I feel like it’s a good thing when it’s done properly, with the correct intentions and honestly.  You can tell when brands are being genuine with their message and when brands are doing it for clout. To those people – sorry, you’re very obvious with what you’re doing, and it does not fly. If you’re doing one shoot with one post with a plus-size model, but all the rest are average to sample size, I can tell you’re not doing this thing for real. It’s so fake. There are brands that do it properly, like Parade, the underwear line. From the beginning they were very diverse and were on their shit from the get-go.  

Apart from consumers seeing through performative inclusivity or representation, do you feel that there’s anything else big brands don’t seem to understand about activism, or this realm?

I don't think that they understand that this isn’t a joke. This is people’s lives. This isn't a one-post type of deal. Like all those fucking brands that posted about BLM and did absolutely nothing afterwards. You realise that there is a large Black community on this planet? Arab Black, African Black, Asian Black. You need to follow through with those things because a lot of the time it will come back to you in an amazing way. You’re supporting people who will eventually support you back. You’re not doing anyone any favours if you’re not following through with what you said you were gonna do. 

Is following through the crux, the key, for brands? Making a commitment?

Yes. Keep the work going. Not just pride month; you need to do that shit year around. Black History Month is just not for February; it’s for the entire year round. Stop Asian Hate isn’t just a hashtag. Why is no one talking about that right now? People need to keep these conversations going. Give people platforms to talk about them, like Instagram lives or a podcast, to discuss it and meet in real life in their countries and have these conversations, share their culture. Think of ways to make this a forever trend and not a trend in the moment. 

How about in the UAE, specifically? What do you want to see from brands here?

If it’s UAE specific about activism, then they need to listen to the people that live here. They need to actually talk to people like me or the Tajdins, the guys from SOLE DXB [who we also interviewed for this project - see the interview with Rajat here]. Talk to the people who are actually educated or know what's actually happening.  People are willing to talk if you give them the platform. I don’t wanna do a video or content for someone if I know it's gonna be pushed down to the end of the feed and never seen or heard from again. You’re wasting my time and your time and nothing is coming out of it.  

Also, you have to give the right people the right platforms. Stop reusing the same people over and over again that are doing absolutely nothing to any movement ever. Cater more to the underdog. Not everyone is a super-rich influencer with a Range Rover. Give micro influencers and smaller creators a chance to showcase what amazing people they are. Switch it up a bit. And when it’s in within the community - conversations between people of colour, for example - you should step back.

Ha ha! We’ve made a point of really hammering that home, so I’m glad you’ve said it too! We’re going to wrap up shortly, but this has been a fascinating conversation. Do you have any parting words in general on activism, and being an activist?

I wanna firmly say that this isn't a competition. We all fit into this space. There’s space for everyone. 

And for adidas?

I’d say to adidas that it’s time to put this shit into high gear. It’s already happening, and they need to catch up. In Dubai specifically. adidas doesn’t really stand properly here; they don’t have the stature here that they do in other major cities, which I don't understand, because Dubai is a major city. The UAE is a major place. They have a standing in the UK and in London! You guys need to make it happen here as well! I don’t know if that means switching out our entire team or getting cooler people or maybe consultants, or what. But tap into the people here! Give this side of the world more of their attention vs the rest of the world. Give the people here the chance to be seen by people around the world. But also remember that a lot of things here are driven by what’s going on in other places in the world; mesh them both and make them one and you’re golden. 

Also: be more inclusive and kind. Be the trailblazers, really shaking the table and breaking stereotypes. I wanna see adidas shake it up and be disruptive and messy and cool. Support local artists here – they’re amazing and they deserve a platform. Make them global. Make this place global. Make this a place people wanna look at. This city and country is more than luxury, cars, beaches, yachts and jets. We don't all live like that here. That is not the reality of this place.