“Multilingualism was a burden”, muslim master student and opinion maker Yasmien Naciri testified. She constantly felt trapped on a bridge trying to connect different worlds. In high school she preferred reading over writing, because in reading there was no interaction needed. But then she took part in a poetry contest and discovered the joy of writing.

She also found out that the way she wrote, was not yet present in the media. The Belgian newspaper De Morgen asked her to write a biweekly opinion piece. In the beginning she was very happy with that opportunity, but soon she felt disappointed that she was positioned as a muslima with a headscarf. “In the reactions to my pieces I was mainly reduced to what is on my head, instead of what is in my head. People even dared to ask me if I was able to write my own columns. That hurt me and made me insecure, but it didn’t stop me from writing my own book ‘We nemen het heft in handen’. My parents always told me: if you don’t get a seat at the table, bring your own folding chair. I have a voice that is worthy of being heard. Above all, I have realized how important it is to express and write your thoughts.”
—Katrien Verreyken