Canberra a 'wonderful little bubble' for Muslim community

But the community needs to be proactive, not just reactive, in countering stereotypes and the effects of violent extremism on how people perceive the Islamic faith, chair of the Multicultural Community Forum Diana Abdel-Rahman said.

"Though we would love to not be in the limelight, we find ourselves there."

Walk in my Shoes: Stories by Muslim Women is a collection of digital stories by eight women about what it means to be Muslim in Canberra, at this point in history.

"With this project we are able to invite the broader community into our lives, that we are actually ordinary, everyday women, we are not subjugated, we're not only doing work in the kitchen," Ms Abdel-Rahman said.

"Not just mothers, but we are vibrant, open, educated, fantastic women, like all the women that you will find across the community. That we are exactly like that."

The eight stories cover themes that are both familiar and perhaps lesser known.

There is fear, guilt, and frustration from a young woman whose bus did not arrive in time to get her home for prayers, meaning she had to pray in a Canberra park instead.

There is the woman whose mother is Chinese-Indonesian, who was subjected to racism while looking for a job in Indonesia. Another woman wonders why, when her brother dies, her Canberra neighbours don't visit as they would have in Sudan.

Another woman shares the story of her mother in Pakistan, who took her children and fled a violent relationship.

"What I recall from my mum is that during the most difficult times, she had no-one else, she had no family she had no education, she was not an independent person. But what she did have was her faith," Sarwat Maqbool, 32, said.

"I look at my story as having a very strong underlying faith message, that she persevered."

Ms Abdel-Rahman said the phrase a "wonderful little bubble" came from a woman who had just returned to Canberra from Queensland, where she had spent 10 years.

The woman was eventually forced to remove her hijab while living in the northern state, but in Canberra she felt safe.

The stories were launched by Minister for Women and Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Yvette Berry.

Minister Berry said the stories help shed light on the diversity of people living in Canberra.

"Diversity is changing Canberra for the better," she said.

"These highly personal accounts allow us direct access into the lives of a group of Muslim women living in Canberra and how their experiences, like all Canberrans, are multifaceted."

The project was produced by PhotoAccess in partnership with Gen S Stories, and funded by an ACT Government Participation (Women's) Grant.