Events
Power To The Community –The Power Issue Launch
Written by Zeynep Dilek & Edited by Karini Viranna
Photos by Danilo Sierra
Power To The Community – The Power Issue Launch
Written by Zeynep Dilek & Edited by Karini Viranna
Photos by Danilo Sierra
A little over a month ago, we came together at Refuge Worldwide to celebrate the release of the POWER Issue with an evening full of live beats, resilience, and joy.
Hosted by the fabulous Zeynep Dilek, the night featured reflections from our founder Kemi Fatoba and guest editor Karini Viranna, alongside readings by contributors Celina Baljeet Basra and Bayode Adafin.
The energy carried on with a soulful live mini set by Berlin-based R’n’B artist NADA, followed by a sneak peek of filmmaker Emmanuel Amoako-Jansen’s debut film Stilllieben.
Recently, we caught up with host Zeynep Dilek to get to know her a little better and hear her honest take on the evening.
A little over a month ago, we came together at Refuge Worldwide to celebrate the release of the POWER Issue with an evening full of live beats, resilience, and joy.
Hosted by the fabulous Zeynep Dilek, the night featured reflections from our founder Kemi Fatoba and guest editor Karini Viranna, alongside readings by contributors Celina Baljeet Basra and Bayode Adafin.
The energy carried on with a soulful live mini set by Berlin-based R’n’B artist NADA, followed by a sneak peek of filmmaker Emmanuel Amoako-Jansen’s debut film Stilllieben.
Recently, we caught up with host Zeynep Dilek to get to know her a little better and hear her honest take on the evening.
Host, Zeynep Dilek, kept the energy high as she guided us through a magical evening in celebration of POWER
Describe a day in the life of Zeynep.
A day in my life as a single woman, Muslim, and full-time babe usually starts early. I ideally wake up for Fajr (morning prayer), still in my PJs, a little sleepy, and have a cute little conversation with Allah. It’s my favourite quiet moment before the day kicks off.
Then I get ready and make breakfast — usually hard-boiled eggs with a gluten-free protein Brötchen… I am that person only in the morning. After that, I sit down at my home office desk, and the workday begins: calls, calls, calls, emails, emails, emails, Dhuhr (noon prayer), presentations, more presentations, Asr (afternoon prayer), and a whole lot of professionalism. I low-key have a different work personality — still me, but the corporate version.
For lunch, I take a mental health walk, sometimes with a friend but mostly alone. I get a coffee, enjoy my neighbourhood, breathe a little, and then head back. Later comes Maghrib. After work, I make sure to do something for my body or my mind — usually reformer Pilates, running, or a little spa moment. Or I meet some loved humans. Somewhere in between all of this, I’m either obsessing over one song for days or fighting my ongoing social media addiction.
I end the day with Isha (night prayer), another small conversation with Allah — thankful for the day, debriefing the day, or both. This is my routine while working full-time in the corporate world, but I’m actually taking a break next year to explore my creativity and step into self-employment. I’m excited (and a little nervous) to see what that version of my daily life will look like.
How did you get started with moderating? What do you enjoy about it?
My very first moderation happened thanks to my dear friend, Merve. She organised Footlocker’s first-ever “After Iftar” event during Ramadan in 2023 and asked me to host it. It felt really special — it was the first event of its kind for our community in Germany, and I was genuinely honoured to moderate. And honestly, I loved it. People seemed to love it too. It was such a wholesome evening with Muslim creatives and influencers sharing how they navigate work during Ramadan — plus baklava, çay, and really good vibes.
My next moderation was for Axel Arigato’s Emerging Talent Series, where I interviewed my soul friend, Khadija, about her work as a musician and producer. Our whole community came out to support her, and the atmosphere was beautiful. I got to show off my skills a bit too — switching between English and German and translating in real time for the audience. Khadija closed the night with a housy set, and we all danced inside the pretty Axel Arigato store.
After that, I took a small break from moderating, and then came this opportunity with DADDY — which honestly felt like the perfect way to step back into it. What I liked about it: the topic of the issue, the people involved, and the warmth of the crowd made the whole experience incredibly special for me.
DADDY collaborated with Refuge Worldwide to create these limited edition "Power To The Community" tote bags with all proceeds going to Refuge’s fundraiser to keep their platform running
What was your most memorable moment from the POWER Issue launch party?
One moment that really stayed with me was when Karini talked about her grandmother — a woman who didn’t fit neatly into one category. Karini described how her grandma could go out one night, and then be at Jumah prayer the next morning. I felt that. As a Muslim woman who grew up in Berlin, that duality has always been part of my life too. My religion and Iman were always priorities, but I was also a curious cat who wanted to explore the world.
Hearing that someone two generations before us navigated similar things made me feel seen. I’ve always imagined our grandparents’ generation as the ones who “did everything right,” so being reminded of their humanity — that humans are just human regardless of time — meant a lot to me. And on a broader note, the feeling of the event was unforgettable, too. It left me with such warmth. The night carried a true sense of community and appreciation for what DADDY has built — and that’s rare.
The POWER issue touched on Muslim identity and community. How has your faith shaped you as a person, and what do you wish naysayers understood about your faith and the community?
These questions are deep, haha — but I love it.
Islam has a very special place in my heart. It’s not just a religion for me; it’s a state of being. My faith has shaped me by giving me a sense of consciousness for things bigger than myself. It reminds me that there’s more to this world than what I can see or understand. That perspective grounds me.
My Iman has never been a straight line. I’ve had ups, downs, lefts, rights — I even had a moment where I almost let go of my faith entirely. But the rise afterwards was even stronger. For me, faith is fluid, like a current. I’m learning when to swim harder, when to shift direction, and when to just let the flow carry me where I need to go.
What I want the naysayers to know is honestly, the basics. Islam means peace, and the two most repeated attributes of Allah are “ar-Rahman” and “ar-Rahim” — the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. To me, that says everything. At its core, Islam is peace and love.
Berlin-based Egyptian R’n’B singer, NADA swept the crowd away with her song “Let Empathy Be Your Guide”
Life has changed a lot since DEI entered the chat during the pandemic. Do you think that shift is still felt in Berlin? Why or why not?
Ah, DE&I… I’ve been working in the field for four years now, in both management and consulting, and yes — a lot has changed. When the conversation exploded around the time of the Black Lives Matter movement and the murder of George Floyd (may he rest in peace), there was momentum you couldn’t ignore. Projects suddenly received funding, brands focused on representation, and BIPOC creatives were getting more visibility and opportunities.
But when sentiment in the U.S. shifted at the start of this year, the ripple effect reached this side of the planet too. Budgets suddenly shrank, and brands quietly stepped back from “diversity projects.” It really revealed who was in it for the trend and who was in it for the cause.The hopeful part is that the EU is actually moving in the opposite direction — pushing for stricter equity and inclusion standards. That gives me hope for the work ahead and for the projects that matter to our communities.
And as for Berlin: the city can’t escape its diversity — it’s everywhere, beautifully. But its structures? They can still avoid inclusion and equity if we let them. That’s why spaces like the POWER issue launch are not just important; they’re essential.
Was there a piece from the POWER Issue that you resonated with, and why?
There are actually a few things in this issue that really resonated with me, so I’ll try to share them as honestly as I can.
This issue struck a nerve because I’m currently in a phase of my life where I’m being called to step into my own power — and I can’t really run away from it anymore. That sounds very big and dramatic, but in reality, it often shows up in small ways: saying no, understanding who you are, or taking responsibility for things I was once just “okay” with.
In Kemi’s foreword, she reflects on where the POWER issue might lead and whether power can even be an ethical thing. That really stayed with me. I think this is exactly why so many of us — myself included — hesitate to step into power: we’re afraid of the responsibility that comes with it, and of the potential harm it could cause. But Kemi herself sets such a strong example of how power can be used in a communal and ethical way. She built a platform that amplifies underrepresented voices, and with this Issue, she quite literally shared her power by handing it over to another human — the guest editor, Karini — making power a shared, community-centred experience rather than an individual one.
I was also deeply drawn to the visual language of the images by Hanna Begič, David Ụzọchukwu, and Muhammad-Taha Ibrahim. Their work is very different from one another, yet it carries a shared gentleness. There’s a sense of community, and for Hanna and Muhammad-Taha, also a connection to religion — soft touches, mundane moments, water on skin, a hand resting on another body. All of it felt calming and soothing to me. It also made me realise how rarely I’ve seen Muslim people portrayed in such delicate, tender ways.
Lastly, I loved how every piece in the issue pulls you into a completely different world. I’m not even done reading yet — I want to return to each story, give it more space, and sit with it longer. To me, that’s the mark of a really special Issue: one you keep coming back to, again and again.
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