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The New York Times and Women’s eNews look at an often-profiled woman and her women’s shelter, the City of Hope, in Dubai. May Allah bless her for the work she does.
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Muslim women in India rally to push the government into implementing recommendations for improving Muslim issues made by a committee over a year ago.
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The Yemen Times looks at popular opinions on the niqab.
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Angola will host a beauty pageant for survivors of land mines.
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Ruth Marcus gives her take on the Harvard Gym Shebangabang.
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The New York Times examines the issues surrounding home-schooling in the Muslim community in the U.S.
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A court in India upholds the decision that a woman is entitled to maintenance from her husband—who is also her sister’s husband.
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Afghan feminists use the Qur’an as it was intended—to give them the rights that are taken away from them. Barikallah! Don’t miss the video at the bottom.
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Maria Khani uses her role as educator and speaker to promote a “traditional” gender role for Muslim women. I can feel myself getting uppity; I might write more on this later.
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A women’s-rights group in Singapore tries to attract more male members in order to spread the message of gender equality.
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According to the U.N., violence against women in Afghanistan has reached endemic proportions.
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The U.A.E. gets its first female judge. Barikallah!
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In Germany, a comic book featuring a Muslim youth who fights against religious extremism features a female Muslim sidekick named Ayshe.
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Mideast Youth looks at Irshad Manji’s “Moral Courage Project,” and also rips Dr. Wafa Sultan a new one.
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Women in the Saudi workplace don’t want flowers, gifts, or invitations to dinners. They just want to do their job.
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Uganda’s government banned a workshop that would teach sex workers about their rights under the law.
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Saudi women participate in awareness-raising and volunteer-planning workshops put on by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer foundation.
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While I understand Islamophobia in the U.S., I don’t believe that this is it. It sounds like good, old-fashioned comeuppance to me.
- Natasha Fatah gets hassled by Indonesian officers because her headscarf isn’t tight enough.
We at Muslimah Media Watch would like to thank all of our readers who sent us in news tips! Since I was on vacation all week, I didn’t have time to comb all my news sources every day. If you see a news story about Muslim women, or have a story idea you think we should check out, let us know at muslimahmediawatch@gmail.com.
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On the Saudi rapist who claims Islamophobia:The boy who cried wolf. He’s making a mockery of the problem of Islamophobia. IDIOT!!
And on Maria Khani:Can anyone say HYPOCRITE??She’s telling other women to stay at home but she herself is prancing around doing lectures. Why is she not at home? Are her children and husband not important? And if she does not have children and/or a husband than how can she understand motherhood and wifehood enough to lecture on it?This is so reminicent of Farhat Hashmi – a PhD woman who travels around the world lecturing Muslim women on how they should stay at home and serve their husbands. But she encourages polygamy and other wonderful things. Another hypocrite. Such hypocrisy makes me throw up a little in my mouth.
duniyayou beat me to it…i was going to say the same thing…damn..gotta be quicker on these posts…lol.does she so easily forget that Khadija was a business women before and after her marriage to the prophet…and aisha was a lecturer and teacher etc…she hasnt got a leg to stand on and yet people listen to her…why?
This was an especially good Friday round up, masha Allah…lots to ponder and share here!I know she’s yer friend by I would still say there is a good bit of skewing that comes from Natasha Fatah. Ever read her “response” to Aqsa Parvez’s murder?http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_fatah/20071214.html”The Middle Eastern head covering has become the most significant icon for Islam in the West, which is unfortunate, since 90 per cent of Muslim women in this country don’t wear one.”~Fatah, where did that statistic come from? And why “Middle Eastern” again?This one especially irritated me-”Common sense indicates that these children did not choose for themselves.” Just like little girls like to dress up in mommie’s lipstick and jewelry, they also like to wear hijab “just like mommy.” My common brain has seen this firsthand amongst several friends…my two year old even does it!
Duniya & coolred38–thank you for practically writing my critique for me! Hahahaha!My biggest problem is that she’s touting these roles as the MOST important roles for Muslim women, as if no other important roles are worth having or sanctioned by Islam. Now, all I need to do is cut, paste, and slap a picture on this for Monday!
Salaam Alaikum,There has to be a way of stressing the importance of a strong family unit, because it is undeniably important, without it going into “women know your place” rhetoric.I’m sick of the ‘Ideal Muslimah lectures’, and juding by the low attendence mentioned in the article, so are most people. Men and women have to work together and that’s what should be addressed.
Haven’t read all the articles yet, but a couple I would like to comment on…The article about niqab in Yemen was very interesting… I think scholars who suggest niqab is mandatory would do well to well to read it and reflect on the aspect of anonimity.I understand the point of helping the landmine victims feel better about their appearance, but seriously, is elevating them to the status of “good enough to be objectified” really what they should be aiming for? That’s how I see it…Personally, I don’t see what is offensive about anyone, including a female speaker or teacher, saying that it is a good thing for women to be at home. I am currently a single working mother, and have just gotten remarried, and am sooooooo thankful that I will be able to be at home with my child again. I have already missed so much! I didn’t see anything that suggested it is completely wrong for a woman to work. I think this an age old debate… Our modern society assumes a lot when it assumes it has all the answers. The deep connection between a mother and child is something many children of my generation have had weakened, and I don’t see it leading us anywhere good. Of course, stay at home mothers can do things out of the home, and mothers can work in necessity. What is so offensive about suggesting that the other situation is ideal in our religion? Can’t wait to read the rest of the links… looks like a lot of good articles this week. Just couldn’t resist jumping in. No offense intended!
Re: The Saudi student/Indonesian maid.”They searched for a means to bring him down and tried many ways until they found the weapon that they could use against him, which was the Indonesian maid.”Ridiculous! “They used the fact that I was committing numerous crimes and oppressing another human being as an excuse to charge me with a crime!”Maids are employees, not slaves. What a retard. I thank him for helping “spread Islam” by giving Muslims such a good reputation. Thanks a lot for your help.
safiya bint world:You said:”Personally, I don’t see what is offensive about anyone, including a female speaker or teacher, saying that it is a good thing for women to be at home.”I think it is inappropriate for women to be told that to be good women we should be staying at home and that if we do not we are somehow not being good Muslim women. Especially considering Muslim women like Khadijah and Ayesha were working women.I have seen many working mothers spending more time and doing more for their children than many stay at home mothers. A mother can be stay at home yet still ignore her children while a mother can work and still give her children ample attention. I have seen mothers home school their children and spend all their time with their children, resulting in socially inept and awkward little people. In my opinion too much attention is not good for the child. The child needs to learn independence from his/her parents.It is not whether or not she works but how she spends her time with her children. AND whether or not the father does his job as a father and helps in raising his children – not just leaving it up to the mother of his children.
Salaam,Ahhh this why I look forward to Fridays…these links…….drinking my tea and reading……..keep up the good work……..
Duniya, I agree with everything you said, basically, I just want to add two things. First of all, I seriously doubt that Khadija was working 40 hour work weeks, but it is impossible, I think, to conclude the answer to that so it is not worth talking about. And Ayesha did not have any children, so it is a little different for her. I don’t know what it’s like to be a married, working, mother, I’ve never done it. But being a single, working, mother does not give me enough for my child, I know that for a certainty. Certainly, the choice is for the individuals, and I think it can be argued and arguments can be given for both sides, but it all comes down to personal opinion. So, her opinion is that a mother at home is a more ideal situation (and as the child of a working mother, I can attest to my strong desire and longing to have had my mother around more often). If you don’t agree that that is ideal, that’s fine. I just don’t think it should offend you. It is not an affront to your belief system for someone to disagree with you.
It is more than her opinion. She is saying that it is better in Islam. However, regardless she is being a hypocrite by herself lecturing and working. Her hypocrisy is very troublesome.