The Fourth Annual International Congress On Islamic Feminism

Last updated on: November 10, 2010 at 12:00 am By diana

In late October, this year’s Fourth Annual International Congress on Islamic Feminism was held in Madrid, Spain. The conference encompassed Islamic feminism in Palestine, America, Malaysia, Iran, Indonesia and Pakistan, inviting speakers from various backgrounds to explain what it means to be an Islamic feminist and how this role has manifested itself in various cultural and national settings to bring about a positive change for Muslim women. Among the participants were Zahira Kamal, former Minister of Women Affairs in Palestine;... Read more

Note to British Press: Fanning Islamophobic Flames isn’t Journalism

Last updated on: November 9, 2010 at 12:00 am By Lara Alamad

This week, Roshonara Choudhry was convicted of attempted murder for stabbing her local MP twice in the stomach during a constituency surgery. She has received a sentence of life imprisonment, to serve at least 15 years. The judge also informed her that, had her attack proved fatal, she would have received a Whole Life Tariff (the U.K. equivalent of life imprisonment without parole, something only 35 prisoners in the U.K. have been given). Her attack was motivated by Timms’ vote... Read more

Rediscovering “Undercover”: Cassidy Herrington and Hijab Tourism

Last updated on: June 13, 2012 at 12:07 pm By fatemeh

Kentucky Kernel writer Cassidy Herrington wore the hijab for the entire month of October. She wrote about her experience in a column published on October 31, 2010. Many of us have seen the column make it rounds in our Facebook feeds, and so the ladies of MMW sat down to share their thoughts. Azra: Hijabi tourism—it’s the easy, low-cost getaway to appear Muslim and “learn more about your place in the world.” The problem here, though, is that Herrington fails... Read more

Friday Links — November 5, 2010

Last updated on: November 5, 2010 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

A Malaysian court ruled that “Sisters in Islam” could use its name, rejecting a complaint by religious activists that the title was confusing to Muslims. News Blaze profiles Jezima Ismail, a co-founder of Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum in Sri Lanka. More about her from Daily News. Al-Ahram Weekly examines Europe’s problem with the veil. Turkey’s military snubs its first lady. More from the BBC. The Washington Post explains how a foiled bomb plot deeply affected a group of... Read more

The Seventh Annual Brass Crescent Awards

Last updated on: November 4, 2010 at 8:42 am By fatemeh

Salam alaikum, readers! This year’s Brass Crescent Award nominations are out, and MMW is proud to be in the running for Best Female Blog and Best Group Blog! Thank you so much to everyone who nominated us! Voting is open until November 19th. Vote now! Read more

Right Answer, Wrong Reason: Why “Muslim” Is Not A Halloween Costume

Last updated on: November 3, 2010 at 12:00 am By Krista

Just in time for Halloween, the Toronto Star‘s ethics columnist, Ken Gallinger (whose columns I enjoy), received a question from a parent: We are a Christian family. Our daughter, 7, goes to a school where there are many Muslim kids. Some of their moms walk them to school in burqas. My daughter is fascinated by these mysterious “costumes” and says she wants to go out on Halloween as a “Muslim lady.” Do I let her? Gallinger’s first remark (“Absolutely not”) and his... Read more

A Flash of Lightning: “Bijli”

Last updated on: November 2, 2010 at 12:00 am By merium

The film “Bijli” opens with an off-key rendition of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s haunting Sanu Ik Pal Chain Na Aave. The poetry of the song describes a man who cannot find a moment’s peace without his beloved. Some might consider this analogous to Bijli’s predicament as a woman trapped in a man’s body: constantly ill at ease without his other “half.” Bijli is Fayaaz, the drag alter ego of this Pakistani-born dancer, who presently resides in New York City. This... Read more

Combat Garb: Pictures of Muslims Wearing Things

Last updated on: November 1, 2010 at 12:00 am By Sara Yasin

Recently, NPR analyst Juan Williams was quoted as saying, “…when I get on the plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.” on The O’Reilly Factor. As a response, “Pictures of Muslims Wearing Things” was created, shattering the stereotype of what “Muslim garb” looks like. It is a site dedicated to showing the... Read more

Friday Links — October 29, 2010

Last updated on: October 29, 2010 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

Common Ground News runs an interview with Fatema Mernissi. Tony Blair’s sister-in-law converts to Islam. More here. The Atlantic looks at Gaza’s surfer girls. Baroness Warsi was prohibited from attending a conference by her boss. The Asian Human Rights Commission makes a plea for Sri Lankan woman sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia. The Daily Mail explores why “modern British career women” convert to Islam. The Somali militant group Al Shabab executed two teenage girls on suspicion of espionage. May... Read more

Is Muslim Feminism More Than Just a Hijab Defense?

Last updated on: October 28, 2010 at 12:00 am By alicia

There may be 1,001 Muslim feminist critiques on the European burqa ban and its attendant jokes and jibes, insults, and ridiculousness. But what should remain clear is that we Muslim feminists are not just about the hijab. The recent discussion on LGBT acceptance on MMW revealed the cracks in the Muslim “sisterhood” and it began with a post on gay Muslim women in Indonesia. Homosexuality and Islam has always been a divisive topic, a topic that leaves many in breathless... Read more