Mona Haydar
Mona Haydar (born 18 May 1988) is a Syrian-American rapper, poet, activist, and chaplain. Her EP is Barbarican (2018), and she is best known for her viral song "Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab)," a protest song. Early life and education Haydar was raised, along with her seven siblings, in Flint, Michigan. Her parents immigrated to the United States from Damascus, Syria, in 1971. At 14 years old, Haydar began performing spoken word poetry in Flint at open mics and poetry shows downtown. There she developed her act and was taught to use poetry as a way to tell stories she felt were largely ignored or intentionally skewed by the mainstream media. Haydar was mentored by the majority Black artist community in Flint who taught her to use her voice as a way to heal white supremacy and tell true stories. One such mentor was Dr. Traci Currie, then, a professor at the University of Michigan - Flint. In 2011, after graduating from the University of Michigan - Flint, Haydar left the US and studied at Jami' Abu-Noor in Damascus, Syria. When the Syrian conflict erupted, Haydar's studies in Islamic spirituality were cut short and she moved back to Flint. Haydar has