It’s that time of year again! As in previous years (see 2013 and 2012), we’ll be taking a break from the usual media analysis that you see at MMW, and instead we’ll be sharing more personal experiences and reflections on Ramadan from the various perspectives represented among MMW writers, as well as some guest contributors. We look forward to sharing the posts and to hearing from our readers about what Ramadan is like for you. As the month goes on,... Read more
The crisis in Iraq continues and worsens; last week a female (Sunni) politician was killed while fighting ISIS. It has been reported that ISIS fighters meanwhile are looking for wives among the women that have stayed behind. A women’s organization is trying to provide shelter to women who have been harmed and/or driven out of their homes. Last week a 20-year-old woman was gang-raped, killed and hanged from a tree in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Since she is close to Boko Haram, lawyer Aisha Wakil, better known as “Mama... Read more
The guest post was lovingly created by a think tank of trying-to-be Ideal Muslimahs with an eye for issues of concern to Muslim women, such as sexuality, polygamy, reality, and other such dangerous ideas. Muslim Village offers (somewhat bewildering) advice about what Muslim men won’t tell their wives, and a brother (erroneously) speaking on behalf of sisters over at Muslim Marriage Guide has explained what Muslim wives won’t tell their husbands. While attempting to memorize by heart this advice, it... Read more
For those of us Muslimahs engaged on any social media platform, we’re constantly inundated with beautiful pictures or videos of the latest in modest fashion. Flowy skirts or beautifully brightly coloured short dresses paired with tights; terrific footwear and fabulous headcoverings or styled tresses. All accompanied by fabulous vintage accessories, statement necklaces and designer sunglasses. Most of the time I am awed by the creativity and the effort of what is Modest Fashion. My own small commitment to fashion is... Read more
Originally published at Aquila Style. Qatar has revived a modesty campaign dating from 2012, when it was known as “One of us” and originally started by a group of Qatari women.[i] Due to be relaunched on 20 June 2014 – just in time for Ramadan – as “Reflect your respect”, the campaign is targeting public spaces with flyers and a social media poster showing various dress choices.[ii] Four stick bodies represent clothing choices that are deemed unacceptably immodest for revealing shoulders, arms,... Read more
A few years ago I wrote a piece on the media coverage of domestic violence issues in Spain and Latin America, and how Islam and the “other’s” culture are depicted as “worse.” The issue continues to be relevant today. A recent article in Reforma, a Mexican newspaper, reports on the incidence of “international romances” between Mexican women and Middle Eastern men. The story results from concerns arising from the Ministry of International Relations (Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores), which has made a... Read more
One Muslim women’s group in India has drafted a set recommendations to codify Muslim Personal Laws, calling for the abolishment of oral divorce and polygamy. In a Senegalese fishing town, mothers and wives of illegal migrants who died on their way to Europe have started an association, which creates financial opportunities for these “sea widows” and speaks out against illegal migration. A young Afghan couple has been released from custody by the police; the couple was facing death threats from... Read more
In her recent book, Sandcastles and Snowmen, Egyptian writer Sahar El-Nadidelivers what she calls “a personal search for spirituality.” By combining her personal stories and experience with the main pillars and teachings of Islam, El-Nadi tries to give her readers a glimpse of her perspective on what Islam is. Sahar El-Nadi is a writer and an international speaker who focuses on advocating tolerance, integration, inclusion, and respect of diversity. She is the person behind the initiative “Don’t Hate, Educate,” launched... Read more
While mommy blogging is rampant in the blogosphere, Muslim mommy bloggers are rare but on the rise. Being a new mother and a Muslim, I had unique queries about taking care of an infant, like when can I start praying on the floor after a C-section, or whether a baby’s poo or pee cancels out one’s wodhu. While on the lookout to check if there are any specific Muslim mommy blogs, I chanced upon the website Muslim Mummy. I contacted... Read more
This post was originally published at Aquila Style. Stories of gender-based violence, especially in times of conflict, is nothing new. But what pulled me towards this book was the geopolitical situation and demographic of conflict: the Khmer Rouge regime (also known as Democratic Kampuchea) of 1975-1979, and women of the targeted minority group of Cham Muslims. The sober dark purple and black cover foretells the sinister atrocities that I am set to read about; stories told by Cham Muslim women... Read more
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