My grandmother’s name is Raj Kumari, which means “princess” in English. She has always been in my life and is part of my earliest memories. As a child, I had a habit of stealing butter and ghee from the kitchen, hiding under the table and eating it. My grandmother would walk in; see me eating butter out of the container, smile and say: “You look like Lord Krishna!” Hands down, she’s the best cook in my entire family, and because of her... Read more
Order Irene’s new collection, the galaxy of origins. Scroll down for audio. what’s your name the heavy chimes clot the hours in the air and my blood asks, do bones carry future memories in their marrows? waiting for a face that is a mirror, I turn the page of a tome that lists only my name my name my name. tonight each cicada sings its name, the only one it knows, and when I stepped out the door this morning... Read more
What would happen if you said “I love you” to your parents? These people did and the reactions are beautiful and heartwarming. Filmmaker Steven Lim is calling for you to video your parents reacting to hearing the words come from you. Post your videos using the hashtag #iloveyouchallenge. Read more
I grew up in Chicago, the daughter of a conservative Pakistani Pathan Muslim and a small-town American Mormon. Theirs was a marriage founded on somewhat foolish optimism. Both of my parents assumed they would have the other converted to their own faith within months. My childhood memories of mom’s Christmases, our Eids, mom’s Easters and our Ramadans, serve as a testament to the contrary. This recollection comes from the strange serendipitous period where two of those major religious events –... Read more
fr mariam , khadijah, fatima, hajar, alla , yall, fr our communities that hold us, recite algebraic formulas against evil eye 2 × al fatiha plus 3 astaghfirallahs = your eyelashes wont fall out written with such love and concern fr when we struggle w them against islamophobia , racism , the revolution do our dawah n make dua fr you, me, the deen thinkin abt the dirty linen we spent all night folding with our teeth clenched… Read... Read more
Watch the PBS documentary on Noor Inayat Khan – Indian, Muslim, author, musician & WWII spy & heroine, available here until 9/30. Read more
‘Breaking Silence’ is the first documentary highlighting American Muslim women’s experiences with sexual assault. Support this important film at Kickstarter today! Read more
What was it like in your household? “You want to kill us? No? Then don’t do the secks!” Read more
You were different. I don’t know if I ever told you that, but there it is. For you, I broke every self-imposed rule I’d ever created. They say the best kind of love is the one you never see coming, the kind that sneaks up on you so slowly that by the time you feel its presence, it has already burrowed deep inside the caverns of your heart that you didn’t even know existed. You were a surprise, a calamity... Read more
This is a fictional interview with a real Muslim about an incident that actually happened. Announcer: Muslims across the United States are receiving notices of account closures from their banks. Today, we are speaking with writer Deonna Kelli Sayed, whose account at a North Carolina bank was closed without explanation in 2011. Ms. Sayed, thank you for joining us today. Tell us what happened. Deonna Kelli Sayed (DKS): My debit card stopped working on a Wednesday. The first rejection arrived... Read more
Love, InshAllah
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