originally published on patheos.com. by Sameera Qureshi “Raise your hand if you’ve ever faked fasting when you’re on your period.” I posed the question and then looked around the room of 25 seventh grade girls and saw that 80 percent of them had their hands raised. Some were looking directly at me, perhaps hoping that I’d understand why, while others had their gazes directed down towards the floor. I was not shocked by the results of this particular group or... Read more
by Amanda Quraishi In the face of the kind of tragic loss of human life such as the massacre that took place in Orlando last weekend, I am increasingly frustrated by the immediate response by groups to reject, deflect, and remove any and all nuance from the conversation – simply because they don’t want to be implicated as part of the problem. But Omar Mateen didn’t come out of a vacuum. I see people arguing about what his REAL motive... Read more
by Nadiah Mohajir In January 2015, a Stanford undergraduate student sexually assaulted a young woman. The woman, unconscious at the time, was assaulted behind a dumpster. Two graduate students riding past the scene were able to stop the assault and detain the perpetrator – Stanford champion swimmer Brock Turner – until the police came. A little over a year later, the jury found Turner guilty on three counts of sexual assault, with a maximum of 14 years in prison. But... Read more
by Nadiah Mohajir It happens to every parent: yesterday you were holding them in your arms, protecting them and their innocence. Yet, you quickly realize that even as young as 2 or 3, children are curious, intelligent little beings that are looking for answers about the way life works: including, of course, their bodies and how they came into the world. Like many of your peers, you are so. not. ready. The time has come for you to have “the... Read more
by Amber Khan Every woman remembers her first period. It is a fateful moment as it signifies the transition from girl to woman. For some, they are prepared for this moment. They are even looking forward to it. And when that day arrives, they are eager to share the news with their mothers, as they know it will be met with praise and excitement. For others, it may be one of the scariest and most confusing times in their life. ... Read more
by Nadiah Mohajir Last week, The New York Times published a Mona Eltahawy article with a sexy headline: Sex Talk for Muslim Women. The article chronicled the author’s journey to sexual freedom: growing up in a conservative household, Ms. Eltahawy always knew that sex outside of marriage was not an option, but the older she grew, the more of this vow of abstinence began to feel like a burden. After years of struggling with the guilt and shame that accompanies... Read more
by Sahar Pirzada I am sitting on an airport chair at 7:45am in Northern California. This is the 5th time I have had to travel in the span of a month. My heart is filled with all sorts of mixed emotions. I am tired. Actually not tired, but exhausted in every sense of the word, yet there is still a small bulb of energy pulsing in my heart that is keeping me going. I’ve had a knot in my... Read more
By Shannon Staloch I’m always turning off lights at births. Sometimes, it’s comical. I’ll walk in to check on the mom, and the lights will be on, lamps, overhead lights, etc. As I leave, I shut them all off with the exception of a candle or two, or a soft lamp. An hour or so later, I come back to check, once again, lights are blaring. Again, I leave under the cover of night. It might seem a silly thing... Read more
by Henna Khawja, M.S.W. *Trigger warning: Following article includes the topic of sexual abuse and sexual assault I have often found myself wondering, “Why don’t people love their children just the way they are?” Individuals spend a lot of time thinking about conceiving, trying to conceive, getting fertility tests, being pregnant, giving birth, fostering and/or adopting. The baby arrives and they are perfect – healthy and alive, soft and all theirs. At what point does that perfect child become “not... Read more
by Sahar Pirzada *Content Note: Post discusses rape and marital rape It is common practice to ask before touching something that is not yours. The same rule applies to bodies. A husband does not own his wife or her body and must ask before touching it. She is the sole owner of her body and has the right to decide who can touch it, how, when and for how long. This concept seems to have been lost on not only... Read more
Heartfelt
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