On our Friday links, we try to bring you news stories about Muslim women from all over the globe. Unfortunately, sometimes those news stories include tragic events, including women actively involved in the deaths of others by means of bombing public places. When men do this, it is termed suicide bombing, freedom fighting, terrorism, and/or jihad. Thus, it is the same when women do it, no matter what Al-Qaeda thinks. Time recently published an article, “The Mind of a Female... Read more
Shabana Mir discusses the lack of eligible Muslim men for Religion Dispatches. Note to self: learn how to say “confirmed bachelor(ette)” in all major languages… Remember that huge deal in France about the husband divorcing his wife because she wasn’t a virgin? Well, the French courts say that virginity isn’t an issue for annulment. Via Progressive Muslima News. Palestinian journalist Naela Khalil wins Samir Kassir press freedom award! Barikallah! AKI looks at some of the conditions that “breed” female and... Read more
Muslimah Media Watch is finally on del.icio.us. I know. Took us long enough, yeah? Anyway, we really appreciate it when you send links for the Friday Links. If you’re comfortable with just emailing them to [email protected], that’s cool. But since we’re on del.icio.us now, you can send us links there, too! If you already have a del.icio.us account (or have been meaning to sign up for one), you can just tag a story to submit to us by typing for:FatemehMMW... Read more
Earlier this month Mississauga, Ontario hosted the 6th annual Miss Pakistan World Pageant. I wasn’t there; however, this will not hinder me from critiquing the concept. Creator Sonia Ahmed (pictured here on the far right) started the pageant to “create a pool of talented Pakistanis all around the world.” She felt that “Pakistani girls had a lot of talent, some could dance, some could sing, most of them wanted to become models, but all this was not possible since there... Read more
The three-hour public radio show Forum devoted one of its hours two weeks ago to discussing Muslim women in Northern California. Host Michael Krasny talked to four women — Amra Tareen, Dian Alyan, Farhana Khera, and Shaherose Charania — and emphasized their positions as successful career women, “practicing Muslims,” and of Asian heritage. All of the women made it far in their careers as businesswomen, lawyers, and entrepreneurs. Their heritage includes Pakistani, Indian, and Indonesian, with some growing up in... Read more
Jennifer Heath published The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam in 2004. And I loved it. It profiled strong, intelligent women in Islam’s history, including the women of the Prophet’s life, but also Hadith scholars, poets, warriors, etc. It was a quick read despite the thickness of the book because Heath made these women into great stories without stripping them of their humanity. So when I read that Heath edited and wrote for The Veil: Women Writers on... Read more
This post was written by Rawi and originally published at Anthology. A friend shared this BBC news clip reporting on a hijab fashion contest being sponsored by Danmarks Radio, the Danish national broadcaster. The purpose, they state, is to show “cool Muslim women who often make up a very fashion-conscious and style-confident part of the Danish street scene.” Browsing through the pictures on the official website, one cannot help but note the remarkable diversity of the headscarf donning contestants, which... Read more
A four-year old girl finds a pig’s head with an Islamophobic slur on her doorstep. Via KABOBfest. A woman speaks out on her experiences with sexism and racism in the British Army. Via Feministing. More women blowing themselves up in Iraq. A woman, her daughter, and several members of their family were killed in an automobile accident. May Allah grant them peace. Arab News examines exam-related depression for Saudi school girls. Students at Zanjan University in Iran protest to demand... Read more
Reading through this report entitled Meet Your Average British Muslim Woman… from Asian Image on the preferences of the average Muslim woman in the UK reveals some interesting points about the ways in which Muslim women are viewed within the South Asian community. The reporter appeared “surprised” by some things and found other things “interesting” revealing that Muslim women in the UK are not well known. For instance, the reporter found that “[o]ne of the most surprising findings was that... Read more
This was written by Faith and originally published at Muslimnista. The NY Times published an article today titled “In Europe, Debate Over Islam and Virginity”. The article discusses how some Muslim women are surgically reconstructing their hymens before marriage to give the illusion that they’re virgins. The reason why their virginity is connected to their honor has nothing to do with Islam, however, but rather with culture (even in various Muslim cultures, the degree to which this is the case... Read more
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