The Guardian has run a feature about the founder of Ishqr, a dating site for Muslims in America.
Founder Humaira Mubeen wanted to create a website for modern young Muslims who identify with a certain type of upbringing and cultural background, having grown up in America.
The site was originally called Hipster Shaadi, but Mubeen changed it to Ishqr last May, which is the word for “love” in Arabic with an added “r”.
Mubeen talks about how she kept the site secret from her traditional parents, who eventually found out about it from German friends who heard it being discussed on the radio.
With the support of her five siblings, she is currently travelling across the country expanding the site and looking for potential investors.
The website is more about finding marriage that most dating sites, and users indicate on their profile how serious they are, whether “testing the waters”, “just friends” or “looking to get married, yo”.
Read about Mubeen’s story here.