As much as this collection is an homage to love, survival, and enduring faith and connection, it is also a fierce indictment of racism, toxic relationships, sexist misogyny, the misappropriation of Islam, and the wounds that such oppressions leave upon the bodies, spirits, and an entire people.

The beautiful imagery of these poems does not conceal the piercing insights that lie like thorns in each delectable verse.

Muslim Vibe: “Writing these poems as a Muslim woman, with the deeply layered emotions and experiences that any woman will go through in her life with similar identities makes it such a powerful read, and an one as well.Maha’s experiences of love, of trauma, of heartbreak, of feeling colonized, and of reclaiming her heritage makes for both a deeply personal and relatable experience for the reader – and leaves us with a renewed sense of solidarity, understanding, and reflection of our own lives.”

|.| rose-water syrup |.|

rose-water syrup is Maha’s first poetry collection, published in 2019.

Her work looks at the intersections of being a Muslim, Palestinian, immigrant, feminist. She discusses the colonized mind, and the heart of a lover.

You may purchase rose-water syrup at Amazon, though it is her preference that you instead purchase directly from the publisher.

|.| reviews of rose-water syrup |.|

Kenza Saadi for Sister-hood Magazine: “I felt all my senses come alive as I was reading through her words. It is an incredible sensation. Equally, her poetry rings with a clarity and an innocence that I have seldom seen in this age of so much pretension. Reading Maha´s poetry is a beautiful, even if sometimes heart-wrenching, voyage. Take it.”

Julie S. Lalonde (Award-winning feminist buzzkill): “Maha is a feminist, immigrant, Muslim poet and “rose-water syrup” is an absolute must. I’ve included two of my favourite poems here, but it’s 80+ pages of brilliance.”

Jessica Ava Harn for The Muslim Vibe: “rose-water syrup is the perfect response to the greater need for Muslim creativity, as it weaves together faith, love, and an important female voice to create a masterpiece of poetry.”

Mary Barnet (Founder and Editor in Chief of Poetry Magazine): “In her autobiographical work she identifies herself over and over again, as a woman As a memoirist in each individual poem and often groups of poems, her work resembles that of George Orwell in Homage to Catalonia Orwell’s gripping tale of his days during the Spanish Civil War. […] This is definitely a Feminist telling of the refugees early and later life. This is the history, growing up and later years of a very strong woman. This is a book to read and experience, to see the […] life of a strong but peaceful Muslim who seeks a life away from violence. Please, if you wish to understand the effect on a woman of war and hatred, read it!”