This documentary traces Fitriya Mohamed’s journey as she reshapes the Toronto sports landscape and advocates for representation of Muslim women in the world of basketball.

By: Nageen Riaz

Fitriya: Muslim On and Off the Court is a short documentary that delves into the incredible journey of Fitriya Mohamed, a Muslim female athlete and the driving force behind the Muslim Women’s Summer Basketball League (MWSBL). The film shines a light on the complexities that come with trying to find a safe space for Muslim women athletes and why such a space is so vital to Toronto’s landscape. Even when facing cultural barriers and endless challenges, Fitriya continues to fight for representation and aims to redefine what Muslim women can do, both on and off the court. 

“The one change I hope this documentary brings is a narrative shift for Muslim women and for people to understand there are so many other complex characteristics to us,” said co-director and writer, Selina McCallum. 

McCallum first pitched the idea for the documentary as part of an alumni callout for the OYA Black Arts Coalition. She had been a part of their emerging filmmakers’ program in 2019 and saw this callout as an opportunity to create a documentary surrounding Muslim athletes. 

“I reached out to Fitriya and asked her if it would be okay if I pitched MWSBL as a story and she was totally on board,” said McCallum. “From there Safa really fought for my film so I really appreciate both of them for being so passionate from day one and advocates all the way through.”

Safa Ali Mudei was originally the producer but later also took on the role of co-director and writer alongside McCallum. “Working with Selina was so inspiring because it just made me feel like I was at home. It made me feel centred and aligned so that I can adhere to my religion as a Muslim woman while also creating the art that I wish to see,” said Mudei.

The documentary had a lot of support, both from the internal team as well as from OYA, but getting it to the big screen was no easy feat. With pre-production spanning from October to December of 2022 and post-production from January to April this year, the film was completed over seven months ago. Currently, it has seen widespread success and positive feedback, with festival screenings in both Canada and Australia and future screenings in the works.

“What made the response so wonderful and important was the feedback we got from our Muslim peers, especially Muslim women, knowing that they can see somebody else that may look like them and may even live the same experience as them on the screen,” said Mudei. “It’s important to recognize that they are as powerful as they know they are and they’re able to express that in a bigger light.”

The mission was always to empower Muslim women, but finding the space and resources to do that wasn’t always easy. The documentary shines a light on the stories of Melissa McLetchie and Nazie Shakur, two women who embraced Islam despite the challenges and islamophobia they faced. They both share how important MWSBL is in fighting back against these barriers and how the league allows Muslim women to truly feel like they belong.

“I think it’s very important for us to be a source of positive representation in basketball as Muslim women,” said Melissa McLetchi in the documentary. “To challenge the stereotypes, challenge the misconceptions and just to show people that yes we are Muslim, we are women, we wear hijab but we do other things too.”

Fitriya Mohamed first launched MWSBL in the summer of 2020, but due to COVID-19, its first season was postponed to 2022. Since then, the Toronto-based non-profit basketball league has seen great success in its community and has united women every summer through the sport.

“I’m doing the work today because basketball has done so much for me and I want to give back. MWSBL has been my way of doing that and growing the sport within my community,” said Mohamed. “What we really wanna do is shed a light on Muslim women doing amazing things and them taking up space. Those are some of the things we do with MWSBL and I just wanted to make sure that it’s portrayed that way in the documentary.”

“Fitriya recognized that she wasn’t able to play safely in a spot while also adhering to Islam,” said Mudei. “And so what she did was create her own space where she could also welcome other youth and that has been such a light to see with the amount of impact it had on so many people.”

Despite Fitriya’s unwavering determination, MWSBL is still yet to find a permanent home as establishing a safe women-only space is proving to be a struggle. “Finding a space like that isn’t easy and so the mission is to make the league sustainable in that way so we have a set location every year,” she said.

Not only is MWSBL fighting for a permanent spot in Toronto, but also a spot for Muslim women in competitive athletics globally. 

“I know a lot of people experience external factors, like not being able to play wearing their hijab at the highest level of competition,” said Mohamed. “But we’re doing the work to ensure to our community and our girls, at least in Canada, that doesn’t happen.”

The documentary redefines what it means to be a Muslim woman by highlighting how every individual has their own story and capabilities. “It was the passion and grit behind Fitriya and her story that inspired this documentary. Just being around her and seeing how she really wants to change the narrative for Muslim women in sports and overall,” said McCallum. “I just knew it was a strong story, a powerful one that would touch many people, Muslim and non-Muslim.”

“The message to take away from this film is definitely don’t let people change who you are, just let them accept you for how you come,” said Mudei.

Fitriya: Muslim On and Off the Court will be available to watch online, look out for more details on their Instagram account.