Friday Links | October 31, 2014

October 31, 2014 By anneke

Despite international condemnation and protest, last weekend Reyhaneh Jabbari was hanged in Iran for killing her rapist. Later this week an opposition groups shared her powerful last message. French (visible) Muslim women are facing increasingly violent harassment, often connected to the country’s attitude towards religious garb, and Muslim head coverings in particular. Palestinian women have taken it upon themselves to prevent Jewish worship in the Al Aqsa compound simply by being physically present throughout the day, by organizing a variety of... Read more

No Culture for Niqabis

October 29, 2014 By nicole

The French “niqab” ban (burqa ban, whatever ban…call it what you will) of October 2010 has not faded away from the public consciousness in France at all. What I had originally hoped was just right-wing propaganda has turned out to be, since its entry into force in April 2011, part and parcel of a unique French interpretation of democracy and a revisionist version of French secularism, or laïcité. What started as laïcité was a series of what were originally anti-Catholic... Read more

5 Reasons Why Media Coverage of ‘Latina’ Converts Does Not Represent Me

October 28, 2014 By eren

This is not the first time I have discussed media coverage of ‘Latin’ Converts to Islam. In fact, I have written about how they are depicted in terms of their relationships, the ways in which Indigenous converts from Latin America puzzle the media, and how ‘Latina’ women are said to be the new face of Islam. The issue continues to be relevant today as coverage of ‘Latin’ converts is still prevalent. Now, let’s be honest. Articles written about ‘Latin,’ ‘Hispanic’ or... Read more

Friday Links | October 24, 2014

October 24, 2014 By anneke

Iran has arrested four men in connection to the acid attacks on women in the Iranian city of Esfahan. Large numbers of Iranians have demonstrated against the attacks, allegedly aimed at women that were not properly veiled, in the cities of Esfahan and Tehran. Last week, Nigeria’s government announced a truce with Boko Haram, which was broken by the militant group soon after. While negotiations were on the way to return the hundreds of school girls to their families, on Thursday it was said... Read more

Malalagate, Patriotism, and Disingenuous Agendas

October 23, 2014 By shireen

Last week, Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai was declared a co-winner of the coveted Nobel Peace Prize, along with activist Kailash Satyarthi. Since then there have been numerous articles, support pieces and critiques addressing her win, and the expected conspiracy theories. The announcement even reheated a discussion on the validity and relevance of the Nobel Peace Prize itself. We have covered Malala a few times on MMW. Merium has written of the media frenzies that have engulfed Malala. And Nicole Mostafa... Read more

Friday Links | October 17, 2014

October 17, 2014 By anneke

Last week the intense battle against ISIS in the Syrian town of Kobane made headlines everywhere. Mayssa Abdo, a female Kurdish fighter, is said to lead the battle of the Kurdish troops against the Islamic State. Another Kurdish fighter, Rehana, is said to have killed over a hundred ISIS fighters single handedly in Kobane. Kurdish Shirine had never imagined she would join the Kurdish troops, but the war changed everything for her and now she vows to either be victorious or... Read more

South Africa’s Open Mosque : Media, Feminist Critiques and “Unopen” Mosques.

October 15, 2014 By safiyyah

The past month has been controversy ridden for the South African Muslim community, as news of the inauguration of the ‘Open Mosque’ in Cape Town has forced Muslims to tackle issues of gender equality, sexual orientation and religious freedom. Community radio stations, national broadcasters, newspapers and social media have been abuzz with news of the Open Mosque, covering everything from the protests and backlash against such an idea and death threats against the founder, to the alleged closure of the... Read more

A Muslim Thanksgiving?

October 13, 2014 By eren

In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated the second Monday of October. Coming from Mexico, Thanksgiving has never meant very much to me. In fact, it tends to be a reminder of how complex and honestly messed up settler-Indigenous-immigrant relationships are in Canada. Whereas some Canadians have tried to differentiate themselves from Americans by tracking the history of the holiday to the pre-contact harvest season, the so-called “discovery of America,” or the successful completion of settler-explorer missions in the Artic (you can... Read more

Friday Links | October 10, 2014

October 10, 2014 By anneke

Last weekend marked one of the major holidays on the Islamic calendar, Eid ul-Adha. The Egyptian women’s council offered a hotline for females to report sexual assault during the four days of the holiday, during which harassment usually is more prevalent. One teenager was killed defending women from sexual harassment in Egypt last Sunday. Over 200 incidents were reported. One woman tells CNN why she joined ISIS in Syria and why she defected. Meanwhile, Malaysian authorities have confirmed that a female... Read more