“How is your situation with attending the mosque?” begins a video by Kuwaiti preacher Mishary Al-Kharaz, before he introduces us to his “friend in Yemen”. The video shows Kamal, a young man with a “handicap”, as he enters a mosque, prays sitting on a chair and then goes up to the second floor after the maghrib prayer to attend a Qur’an memorisation class. All this despite the fact that he walks with difficulty on level flooring, has to crawl up... Read more
Much of the news involving Muslim women last week was focused on the female involvement in the current wars in Iraq and Syria. The Guardian featured an item on ISIS targeting the predominantly Somali community in the US heartland for female recruitment. Another article focuses on the social media presence of female ISIS supporters. Meanwhile, it has been reported that one of the two Austrian girls, who left to Syria to join the rebels, has been killed. One French Algerian family shares the story of... Read more
News that Scottish student Aqsa Mahmood has joined ISIS in Syria shocked many, but she isn’t the only woman to do so. The Guardian features an article on the reasons why young women choose to go to Syria and what kind of life they are living there. Human Rights Watch reports that African Union peacekeepers in Somalia have sexually abused and exploited vulnerable Somali women and girls on two bases in the capital Mogadishu. Somalia has said that it will investigate the charges. Sare... Read more
I’ve always been fascinated by how certain symbols function as gender markers in the societies I’ve known. Little hijabs for little girls is one example, while a non-Muslim friend of mine dresses her also sparsely coiffed infant in frilly pink dresses because people keep thinking she’s a little boy. It can be so uncomfortable for parents to see their little girl babies be still bald for years that a little hijab or flower headpiece seems truly essential. I’m not too... Read more
This piece was compiled by Altmuslim editors and originally posted at Altmuslim. The Muslim American and larger American community lost a beloved soul last week — Tayyibah Taylor, founder and editor-in-chief of Azizah Magazine passed away. The outpouring of love and grief was immediate, as news spread quickly. Tributes came pouring in on Facebook, Twitter and in letters sent to Azizah Magazine. Ms. Taylor touched the lives of countless many and was a tireless advocate for Muslim women and interfaith dialogue,... Read more
Every year, the holy month of Ramadan brings lots of spiritual moments, as well as hours of continuous entertainment in the form of shows and soap operas. Every Ramadan, I pick a number of soap operas to watch and write about. This year, there was a large number of television series that discussed issues faced by women in Arab societies. Some issues included women in prisons, such as Egyptian series Sijn Al Nesa, and women in wars and revolution, such... Read more
Responding to a question on the potential of art to transform at Jewish Book Week last year, Palestinian-Israeli writer Sayed Kashua commented: “Sometime people talk about culture and literature and art as something that can connect people together…to bridge between cultures. I hate bridging between cultures. It should be tunnels.” I was reminded of Kashua’s undercutting of too-easy attempts to celebrate the transformative potential of art by the recent revelation of a 3D cartoon which hopes to ease ethnic tensions... Read more
All the best Eid wishes to you and your loved ones from the MMW team! If you missed any of our Ramadan posts, you can find them all here. Muslimah Media Watch will be going on hiatus for the month of August, as several of our writers are traveling or otherwise in need of a break. We may post occasionally during the month, but for the most part this blog will be pretty quiet for August, and we look forward... Read more
The attack on Gaza continues; among the hundreds of victims and wounded are many women and children. Asmaa el-Helou initially survived the attack on her home, but succumbed to her severe injuries later this week. Her father, mother, brothers and sisters had already died from the attack. One reporter shares her experience being around women in Gaza, and seems surprised that they are “so kind.” Domestic violence remains a widespread problem in Turkey, but the conservative, patriarchal government has not... Read more
Dreaming of the ultimate spirituality and serenity this Ramadan, my plan was to quit my 9-5 job a couple of days before Ramadan started. I’ve always had this fantasy that taking a vacation for the whole Ramadan gives you more space for spirituality and religious rituals. Think of days full of Quran recitation, Zikr, Terawih prayers and even Qeyam! It would be definitely the Ramadan of all Ramadans! I couldn’t have been more naïve. To be honest, I have accomplished... Read more
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