NATURAL CONNECTIONS

Founder of Muslim Hikers, Haroon Mota, reveals how he is working to create a genuine sense of belonging and community in the great outdoors

- Haroon Mota,

Muslim Hikers began as an Instagram account, created in September 2020 to tackle loneliness and isolation during the pandemic. I wanted the page to encourage an online community that would connect people who shared a love for the outdoors, while also trying to empower and inspire more people to get outside.

From my own experiences of hiking and adventuring, it was evident there was a real lack of representation for Muslim and South Asian communities. It was rare to see people who looked like me engaging in the outdoors, which can often foster feelings of alienation for minority communities who want to explore hiking as a hobby.

It was important for me to be a part of the solution and to try to bring greater diversity to the outdoors. The goal from the start was to help more people from our communities to appreciate the wellbeing benefits of getting outside and exploring the countryside.

Establishing a supportive community was integral to the birth of Muslim Hikers. But what began as an online community page quickly grew in recognition and appreciation, and people were soon asking for us to organise walking events.