Maha is a Canadian Palestinian Muslima with storytelling inclinations leaning left toward the impassioned, philosophical and lunatic side of funny, thought-provoking stuffs. All content is generated by and copy-written solely to her. Absolutely no content, whole or in part, may be used elsewhere without Maha’s explicit written permission. To contact her, either leave a comment below, or send a message to zimmo.maha(at)gmail.com

Here she is reading one of her own stories:

Maha began writing for print media London News Review in 2004, at which time the LNR’s editor asked that she begin writing daily snippets online, as compliment to her political pieces.

Since, Prolific Immigrant has served as a space where Maha continues to exercise her voice. It was not until 2010 that she shared this site, as well as any of her writing, with family and friends.

Anonymity allowed her the room for greater honesty, and much of her earlier writing was under a different name.

This is the only page which I update, and do so on her behalf regularly. Though she is no longer shy about name association, it was only in 2015 that she became comfortable sharing her work openly. Over the last two years, she began writing for Chai Latte Diaries, Sister-hood Magazine, and Elle Beaver. In May of 2017, she began sending her poetry to journals.

Since the summer of 2016, poetry is where Maha has rested her pen. A completely different beast is such writing, and so this is why Prolific Immigrant has not been updated regularly. This may or may not change anytime soon. Thank you for your on-going support of both this incredible woman and the strength of her voice. I understand why you are here today and why you will come back tomorrow.

Below is a smattering of where else you may read Maha.

Poetry – Maha began writing poetry in August 2016. In June 2019, a collection of her poetry was published under title of rose-water syrup. And in 2021, Maha’s follow-up, titled the incense(d) heart was published. All purchasing information may be found here.

Poetry
checkpoint(s) | clairvoyant | what’s in a horse’s name (January 2018, Cosmonauts Avenue)
scribe i (January 2018, Ottawater poetry journal)
sisters, eyes wide shut (January 2018, Ottawater poetry journal)
intuition (January 2018, Ottawater poetry journal)
before you next wear your stupidity on your mouth | ‘i don’t get involved in politics’ [ARC Poetry Magazine, the annual issue no 84 (available in October 2017)]
an immigrant’s mother’s intention (October 2017, Sister-hood magazine)
colonized iii (September 2017, Rise Up Review | Poems of Protest)
an immigrant’s mother’s intention (August 2017, Across the Margin)
bond (August 2017, Across the Margin)
the lies i had to unlearn (August 2017, Across the Margin)
security blanket (August 2017, Across the Margin)
the conversation we never had (August 2017, sister-hood magazine)
the colonized | for my molasses sisters because you know what i’m talkin’ about (July 2017, sister-hood magazine)
the colonized | for my honey molasses sisters because you know what i’m talkin’ about (June 2017, METATRON Press)
the conversation we never had (June 2017, METATRON Press)
how i learned to speak (in print, Taj Mahal Review Vol. 16, No. 1 June 2017)
grief (May 2017, sister-hood magazine)

Sister-hood Magazine – Beginning July 2016, Maha’s contributions can be found here. Sister-hood magazine is brought to us by award-winning Deeyah Khan, creating a platform for the amplification of Muslim women’s voices.
the conversation we never had (August 2017)
grief (August 2017)
the colonized (July 2017)
Let them eat cake (February 2017)
Don’t be an asshole this Christmas (December 2016)
Because Allah knows best (September 2016)
On the pornification of the female (August 2016)
Outstanding balance owed (July 2016)
A lot to talk about (July 2016)

Maha Monday Advice Columns*@ Chai Latte Diaries:
Friendly texting?
The Fella Who Wants to Commit (but is stuck in a tree of his own making)
On initiating a virtual engagement
‘Just do it’, the most painful advice possible
The secrets we keep from lovers
Our reader basically kidnapped her ex. Now what?
Online chatting monogamy
Harassment in the workplace
On having financial (love) concerns
One woman is struggling to find the purpose of her life while in tandem emotionally self-cutting
This hilarious seeker of advice wants to know how to flirt so she no longer has to hide behind coffee cups
Speaking to strangers but not being creepy
Someone’s curious about ‘chemistry’ and what it all might mean
Should he ask her again a year after she said no?
How to deal with a lonely Ramadan
Bankrupting yourself to meet a friend’s extravagant spending
How to deal with a recently retired parent who is angry arguing with everyone and their mother
On resenting him and his ex
A beautiful one asks what to do about her absentee father and those daddy issues
I am asked about the ‘ghosting’ phenomenon; men we’re dating, who then vanish, only to resurface months later as though nothing happened
A woman has her prayers answered but hadn’t noticed because she’s too busy trying to make everyone and the sink happy
A woman is worried about body image and settling for the wrong man
She’s moved to a new city, and is trying to make friends. Only, they’re all mean-girls
Is it alright to cut men out of your (potential) dating pool because they are illiterate monkeys ‘lol’?
Lukewarm interest, commitment issues. Lots of excuses. Yawn.
Regarding his silence
The heartbreak of friendship’s end
A man’s wife tells him she no longer loves him
Online dating-site sleuthing your friend’s new love interest
When you start talking about marriage
On the stigma of being divorced / single, and relatives that don’t make it any easier
Person A is seeing Person B. Person C has other designs for Person A
Writer’s Block, finding your voice, and the fear of failure
Picking up the pieces after emotional and verbal abuse
A gentleman asks me how to address the challenges of marriage while he cares for his elderly parents who live with him
When match-making aunties ask why you’re so picky
The challenge and reward of mother-daughter relationships
Dealing with helplessness and frustration, and feeling marginilized due to Islamophobia
A new interest wants to chat endlessly, but is flippant about requests for a safe meeting situation
Not ready to committ
Getting past the awkwardness of first date/ meeting/ coffe-ing
The rumour-mill
Can you remain friends/friendly with someone you once dated/coffee’ed?
On missing chances and getting off the dating/coffee-ing merry-go-round
On sex, household chores, and obligations within marriage
How can we trust again after having our trust shattered?
An unwanted triangle, plus what to do when your kind efforts go unappreciated
On one-sided relationships and love interests that do a disappearing act
On father and daughter / son relationships, and the people who point out “issues” as weaknesses
The harmful effects of being a victim of gaslighting
On being rejected – and shamed – after expressing your feelings for someone
Single daughter and inheritance
One-sided counselling amid difficulties in a new marriage
Secretly mourning a person who was once significant in your life
Place your faith NOT in meeting the right person, but rather in the Path on which He will place you. Everything else falls into place from there
Mother-in-law / daughter-in-law relationship issues
Getting to know someone long distance + moving for marriage
Dealing with past abuse and considering a relationship with a nonMuslim man
Marriage and polygamy
‘I’m worried that having a baby will ruin our marriage
My faith wavers and I don’t feel motivated to pray

Maha Monday Advice Columns* @ Elle Beaver:
Meet Maha – Your new favourite advice columnist
How do I satisfy my personal and physical needs (quickly)?
Nerves Versus Nuptials
My Boyfriend Keeps Siding With His Female BFF
I Slept With My Best Friend – But I Don’t Want a Relationship
You Must Forgive (Yourself) In a Broken Marriage
How Do I Face My Fear of Public Speaking?
How Do I Tell Someone I Don’t Want to Work With Them?
Someone asked us what’s wrong with women. (Seriously.)
How to Help Your BFF Through a Breakup
My boyfriend broke up with me because his family is racist

*The questions to be answered by Maha are not chosen by her, but rather by the editing teams of CLD & EB.

Humour
Hawaii 5-0 Sardonic Recaps – A sardonic tribute to the television show Hawaii 5-0. This was a limited exercise spanning a few months, that Maha might learn how to write funny. It didn’t work.

In print, poetry
before you next wear your stupidity on your mouth | ‘i don’t get involved in politics’ [Arc Poetry Magazine, the annual issue no 84 (available in the fall of 2017)]
how i learned to speak (in print, Taj Mahal Review Vol. 16, No. 1 June 2017)

In print, long-form essays – It was only under threat of losing my friendship that Maha agreed to send her writing once in response to a submissions call-out. Both stories were accepted for Min Fami, and Maha has since refused to send anything else to anyone anywhere. None of us get it, but we love her still.
Min Fami: Arab Feminist Reflections on Identity, Space and Resistance
(A Mixed Bag Mag has done a brilliant write-up of Min Fami’s launch and panel discussion; find it here.)
Best of rabble.ca, 2009.
20 Years of rabble.ca, 2020.

Political contributions
Rabble
Embassy (May 2006)
Media Monitors Network
…and random places when you Google-creep her name.