A New Bang for your Buck: Fake Hymens for Sale

Last updated on: September 29, 2009 at 12:00 am By emanhashim

Last month, Soad Abdel Rassoul from Radio Netherlands published an Arabic translation for a Chinese advertisement targeting Middle East countries. The product? Artificial Virginity Hymen. The majority of comments on this product have been from men. Interestingly, the only woman to speak out on this issue so far is Abdel Rassoul. Abdel Rassoul said: China is a coutnry that has really understood us and revealed our truth, our diseases, and our obsession with image but not content. We are a... Read more

MMW’s Newest Contributor!

Last updated on: September 28, 2009 at 12:00 am By Azra

Greetings fellow MMW Readers! I’m a new contributor to MMW. I’ve admired MMW’s focus on analyzing the portrayal of Muslim women in the media from a Feminist Muslim Woman Perspective and am excited for the opportunity to contribute to the site. Please feel free to give me feedback through your comments–I will do my best to respond to them. You can learn more about me at the MMW Contributor Page. Take care, Raaz Read more

Friday Links — September 25, 2009

Last updated on: September 25, 2009 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

A British Muslim Women’s Group hosted a training seminar for women at the Deeplish Community Center. According to a study by the World Bank and Turkey’s State Planning Organization, Turkey needs to increase the proportion of women in the workforce in order to accelerate economic growth. A Malaysian Islamic court has sentenced a young unmarried Muslim couple to lashes after they were caught trying to have sex in a car. The “Welcome to School” initiative will encourage girls to attend... Read more

Your Joke is Not My Joke: Racism and Sexism in Jokes and Satire

Last updated on: September 24, 2009 at 12:00 am By princesse

Have you ever noticed how minorities—and oppressed people in general—lack a sense of humor? Lately, there have been plenty of jokes about Arabs and Muslims. So why aren’t we laughing? French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux recently felt his joke fall flat after this year’s summer congress. One of his traditional supporters, Amin Benalia, asked if he could take a picture with the minister. A woman in the crowd jokingly introduced Benalia to the team as someone different because he “eats... Read more

Kathy Zeitoun and Muslim Women as Change Agents

Last updated on: September 23, 2009 at 12:00 am By Guest Contributor

This was written by Jordan Robinson and originally published at AltMuslimah. Much has been written about Abdalrahman Zeitoun (known to everyone by his last name), the protagonist of Dave Eggers’ new non-fiction book Zeitoun. The story recounts Zeitoun’s efforts to save his neighbors after Hurricane Katrina pummels New Orleans and subsequent flooding devastates the city. It also describes how the Bush administration’s botched response to America’s largest disaster imperiled the lives and livelihoods of thousands of residents. Most importantly, though,... Read more

Veiled Voices: Inspiring Everyday Role Models

Last updated on: September 22, 2009 at 12:00 am By safiyyah

Veiled Voices is a documentary that profiles three influential women who are religious leaders, their families, and the communities they serve: Ghina Hammoud in Lebanon, Dr. Su’ad Saleh in Egypt, and Huda al-Habash in Syria. The film is produced and directed by Brigid Maher, who is an assistant professor and head of the New Media concentration in the Film and Media Arts Division of the School of Communication at American University. When I first heard about the documentary, I thought,... Read more

Bendib’s “Hate the Muslim Woman” Contest

Last updated on: September 21, 2009 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

This is a comic by StudioBendib. What are your thoughts on it, readers? Read more

Eid mobarak!

Last updated on: September 20, 2009 at 7:29 pm By fatemeh

Muslimah Media Watch would like to wish you and your family a happy and blessed Eid Al Fitr! Read more

Friday Links — September 18, 2009

Last updated on: September 18, 2009 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

A Beirut forum on women’s rights in the Arab world to address everything from politics to sexuality. Dubai’s Sheikha Fatima should be there, given her views. A 12-year-old girl died in childbirth. May Allah give her peace. UNICEF responds with a call for more protections for women and girls. A 107-year-old Malaysian woman is looking for a husband. More here. Sudan’s slanderous court ruling on Lubna Hussein. The National Post reviews Marnia Lazreg’s book Questioning the Veil: Open Letters to... Read more

The Woman who Wasn’t There: Aisha Gaddafi in the Press

Last updated on: September 17, 2009 at 12:00 am By yusra

With the recent release of the suspected Pan Am 103 bomber, the 40th anniversary of Gaddafi’s coup, and improving relations with the west, Libya’s been in the news a lot lately. Next week, Colonel Muammar al Gaddafi (Libya’s quirky dictator, known as much for his peculiar fashion sense as his outrageous statements) will make his first-ever trip to the U.S. to address the U.N. General Assembly. The media’s attention will undoubtedly be fixated on Gaddafi, who always travels with a... Read more