Friday Links — December 19, 2008

• The Mirwais Meena girls’ school in Kandahar is still empty after the acid attacks on students.

• Meribeth Deen profiles a Saudi designer who specializes in women’s clothes.

• Indian Muslims takes a look at reactions to the Kerala Muslim Marriage Bill.

• Yasmeen Khan explores British desis in comedy.

• A photograph exhibit on hejab is in the U.A.E.

• Sheikh Hasina’s election promises.

• This is just fucked up.

• The New Nation covers Begum Rokeya’s role in pioneering women’s rights in Bangladesh.

• Muslim women in Victoria, Australia report rising rates of racism, particularly against women African Muslims and women who wear headscarves.

• The Daily Star profiles artist Tamara al-Samerraei’s artwork.

• A Muslim woman in the U.K. claims that she was fired because she would not wear revealing clothes. More from Al Arabiya.

• On one Bahraini girl’s experience in a U.S. high school.

• The National speaks with internationally acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid.

• Lebanon is looking for domestic workers to import, despite the notorious rate of abuse. More on the subject here, here and here.

• Musafira interviews Omaima Abou-Bakr about science, history, and Islamic feminism.

• Forward Magazine profiles Asmahan.

• The continuing ordeal of an Algerian family forcefully deported from Britain.

• The Yemen Times writes about piece about a woman’s dowry.

• Today’s Zaman discusses the problems for Iraqi women and how they mustn’t be ignored by Turkey.

• Women in Lebanon can’t pass their citizenship to their children, and they’re sick and tired of it.

• Belgian police have arrested a woman they call an “al-Qaeda living legend.” More from Islam in Europe.
  

• The Boston Globe reports on how simply gathering firewood puts many women at risk for sexual assault.

• Morocco has removed its reservations regarding CEDAW.

• Several Muslim women have been barred from Georgia courtrooms in the U.S. because of their headscarves, and one was even arrested, but has been released. CAIR’s on it. More from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Post, IslamOnline, Jezebel, MuslimMatters, Feministing, Just Another Angry Black Muslim Woman?, and more from the AJC.

• CNews profiles Benazir Bawal, an Afghan Canadian policewoman.

• A new Lebanese magazine intends to be frankly and openly sexual.

• Tariq Ali ponders honor killing. Via Progressive Muslima News.

• On the progress of Bahraini women during Bahraini W0men’s Day. More here.

• Egyptian survivors of sexual harassment are speaking out. More from Gulfnews.

• The L.A. Times highlights the struggles of a lesbian Muslim. Via ProgressiveIslam.

• The Dubai film festival features several films by Palestinian women.

• Izzy Mo looks at the “Muslim Marriage Crisis” through a man’s eyes.

• The Daily News examines the Heba & Nadine murders.

• The Christian Science Monitor highlights an Iraqi theater group led by Ghada Hussein Al Almy.

• Remember Girls of Riyadh? It’s going to be a movie soon. And the author, Rajaa al Sanea, is shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award.

• Pakistani filmmaker Ruhi Hamed’s film about forced marriage highlights the damage the practice does to women and their families.

• Aziz Poonawalla writes about the bikini and the burka.

• CNBC Arabiya will feature a new program that highlights businesswomen from the Arab world.

• Payvand News interviews artist Shahrzad Salehipour.

• Egypt’s The Daily News covers the blogosphere buzz created by the Birell “beer” ad. Unfortunately, it’s incomplete: it doesn’t feature the awesome post Ethar did.

• On how Bangladesh’s female former prime ministers are injecting Islam into their campaigns. Via ProgressiveIslam.

• The 15-year-old Iraqi girl who was arrested before she carried out a suicide bombing speaks.

• I can’t believe I didn’t include this in an earlier link list, because I really loved this article. Mona El Tahawy writes about racism in the Arab world.

• More news coverage about women-only banks in the Arabian peninsula.

• Egypt Today documents Aziza Nofal’s amazing volunteer work.

• A sweet story about finding someone to share a life with.

• Namira Saim may possibly be Dubai’s first female space tourist.

• On husband-hunting in Lebanon.

• Iranian women will be able to inherit their husband’s land following a decree by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

• Yasmin Fostok speaks out about the rumors that she is or ever was a “pole dancer.”

• Does Queen Rania invite stereotypes? Via TalkIslam.

• Domestic maids without proper paperwork or authorization are on the rise in the Arabian Peninsula.

• American womens college Bryn Mawr may open a campus in the Abu Dhabi.

• On how Pakistan’s recent cabinet appointments are dangerous for women. Via ProgressiveIslam.

• The Times Online gushes over Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad.

• This is stupid.

• Al-Ahram Weekly interviews Samiha Ayoub.

• The Saudi Gazette looks at the supposed increase in divorces among Saudis as a result of studying abroad.

• Haneen Ajarneh is one of the finalists in the U.A.E.’s show Millions Poet.

• Lawyers and judges in Denmark are against a headscarf ban.

• Nadia Hijab writes about Arab feminism.

• The Campaign to End Fistula received an award of excellence from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

• Sufiah Yusof has reportedly given up sex work and is interested in social work.

• The Washington Post has more on the Iranian woman who has condemned her attacker to blinding by acid. Via Jezebel. More from Feministe.

• SaudiAmber gives her two cents on the Rahma campaign.

• On Iktimal Hage-Ali’s rocky road.

• Payvan News interivews Maral Farokhi.

• The BBC’s take on Syrian lingerie.

• Inside Islam talks women and shari’a.

• Iraqi police say that the Nahla Hussein al-Shaly, the leader of the women’s league of the Kurdish Communist Party, has been murdered. May Allah give her peace and justice.

• The story of Leena, a Saudi girl with ADHD.

• The New York Times profiles Miss Pakistan. Via DeenPort.

• The U.S.’s first lady has a video conference with Afghan women in Kabul.

• MidEast Youth interviews Rana Kamil.

• Turkish Bulent Ersoy is cleared of all charges against her.

• The One Million Signatures campaign gets a new website.

• Why Afghan women are so nervous about negotiating with the Taleban.

MMW would like to give a special thanks to Hijab Style for providing us with a massive amount of links for this week and many others!

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