Ilham Ibrahim is a writer and researcher based in Istanbul. She recently completed her MA in Sociology from Ibn Haldun University. Her research interests include the sociology of religion and secularism, the ethnography of the state, and the anthropology of Islam. Her dissertation focused on religious and secular reforms during the colonial socialist periods of Somalia. In addition to her academic work, she is passionate about community work, traditional art, music, and poetry, and enjoys creative writing.