It seems that lately there is a lot of focus on hijab fashion. Not too long ago, I wrote an entry for MMW about this issue. Everywoman, a program produced by Al Jazeera English, did a piece on hijabi fashion. The program looked at the fashion choices of a group of hijabis in England in one of their episodes. The piece seemed rather odd, since it came right after a segment that focused on a Buddhist woman trying to gain... Read more
How excited was I when our editor, Fatemeh, emailed out a link to a new online magazine called Bekhsoos!? Of course, I jumped at the chance to cover the first issue of the mag, which is called Bekhsoos il Homophobia (Concerning Homophobia) and is chock-full of editorials, personal stories, health articles, media analyses and more, all concerning homophobia. The best part? The magazine is based in Lebanon, where being gay is against the law, so it’s existence alone is ultra-radical.... Read more
They’re popping up everywhere in harmless-looking packaging: shame cartoons. A quick search online will turn up a multitude of articles, op-eds and full-on rants appealing to women’s sense of shame (One particularly delightful article was titled “I appeal to your sense of shame my Muslim sister.”) And then we have cartoons. The first kind are pretty straightforward: they want you to get veiled. But rather than engage you in discussions about interpretation of hadith or Qur’an, they try and shame... Read more
More shameless self-promotion time! Here’s my interview with Kawthar from MidEast Youth. It was originally published there. Reporting on Muslim women has become the craze of the day. While in many cases journalists are well-intentioned and honestly seek to report objectively on aspects relating to Muslim women, a large number of the resulting articles is riddled with stereotypes and falsities and lack any depth. In the face of the media misrepresentations, one woman took the initiative and created an online... Read more
There is a whole lotta ugly going on out there in the election coverage these days. (I’m thinking Canada, but this is true in the U.S. as well, and, come to think of it, likely anywhere else that might be having an election. But that’s a different story.) Montréal-Bourassa NDP candidate Samira Laouni (pictured below right) is bearing the brunt of some of the most Islamophobic news coverage out there (even worse than what we usually cover on MMW.) Ms.... Read more
In this month’s issue of bitch magazine, I interviewed author Jennifer Heath about her book The Veil: Women Writers on its History, Lore, and Politics. I did a review of the book for MMW here. Heath is also the author of The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam, which I really enjoyed. This is what bitch’s newest cover looks like: it’s available in more bookstores than you think. You can also order it online at their site. You... Read more
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui’s 12-year-old son has been handed over to Pakistani authorities. More from MuslimMatters. A Muslim convert was refused burial in a Tunisian Muslim cemetery because she did not have an Arab surname. An Algerian woman and her daughter were murdered by her son. A female suicide bomber kills 22 in Diyala, Iraq. The hopes of Afghan school girls (and boys). Soraya Tehrani writes about drugs and Iranian women. A Moroccan theologian who has been sued for claiming that... Read more
Guess what? Hollywood is making a film with a female Muslim protagonist! Yes, that’s right. A female Muslim protagonist. The main character in the film is a Muslim woman. For the first time. And what is the name of the film, you may ask? Guess. Just take a quick guess. What’s that? Did you say the word ‘veil’? Very close! It’s called Unveiled. Is that a surprise? Well, the fact that the film’s main character is a Muslim woman may... Read more
At 13% of the population, Muslims are a significant demographic in India. However, relations between Muslims and other populations in India, most notably the Hindu population, have not always gone smoothly. Shabana Azmi is an Indian actor, social activist and ex-MP who spoken extensively on various issues impacting Indian Muslims. Some of her views have caused controversy. For instance, after September 11th, she criticized a religious leader who advocated that Indians join Afghans in their fight by asking the leader... Read more
So this is old. 2005 old. But I just saw it so I’m writing. I’m not the biggest fan of animated cartoon series like South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and American Dad. Mainly because I believe that there are so many underlying messages that you don’t notice you’re exposed to because they’re packaged in this cutesy way that makes you let down your guard and get sucked in. They perpetuate ideologies and modes of thinking according to the whims... Read more
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