Being Muslim in Barbados

Podcast Episode #1, A Better Way to Travel 

What’s it like being Muslim in Barbados?

If you’ve ever wanted to make a trip to the Caribbean, we’re now hosting trips to Barbados in partnership with Barbados Halal Experience. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with the local community, explore some of the most beautiful scenery around, swim with turtles, ride jetskis and sail on glass-bottom boats. Our local hosts will share stories about the island’s Islamic heritage, the impact of the slave trade and what it’s like being Muslim in Barbados today.

The Caribbean is famous for its crystal clear waters, year-round sunshine and slower-paced lifestyle.  Photo: Soumaya Hamdi

Are there countries that you automatically think you’d NEVER visit because they’re not ‘Muslim-friendly’? Can you think of a country that, when it comes to mind, you say to yourself “nah, they probably don’t have halal food available and anyway, I’ll stick out like a sore thumb and probably be the only Muslim around”?

I used to think like this. Being visibly Muslim at home can be tricky at times, let alone while navigating a foreign country.

Who needs that kind of awkwardness on holiday?

The thing is, what you and I see of a country through social media and magazines is usually only what destination marketers have carefully curated for you to see.

Take Barbados. This beautiful Caribbean island is popularly seen as a playground for the rich and famous. But, what if I told you that you could swim in your burkini in the morning, pray at one of the several local mosques at midday and enjoy dinner in an outdoor halal restaurant?

In this episode I’m joined by local Barbadian Muslims Suleiman and Firhaana Bulbulia, a powerful father-daughter duo with vital leadership roles in the local Muslim community.  Suleiman is the Secretary of the Barbados Muslim Association and co-founder of Barbados Halal Experience and Firhaana is the founder of the Barbados Association of Muslim Ladies.

Today they’ll be giving you an exclusive insight into what it’s like being Muslim in Barbados. 

This is the first instalment in our 6-part limited series exploring what it’s like being a Muslim in different parts of the world. I’ll be speaking with local Muslim leaders and changemakers across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, and I’d love for you to join the conversation. Share your thoughts, comments and questions in the comments section and join the conversation about travelling to learn about our collective Islamic heritage all over the world.