Editor’s note: Malala Yousafzai has been extensively covered in media lately, and several MMW writers wanted to weigh in on the way she is being portrayed. Today’s post is by Amina; stay tuned for reflections from Nicole and Eren later this week. Just a couple of months ago, Lady Gaga wore a ridiculous, sheer pink burqa. While I didn’t buy her reasons for it, she allegedly did it as some vague, old attempt at empowering Muslim women by trashing a form... Read more
Last week Muslims worldwide celebrated the Feast of Sacrifice, or Eid-ul-Adha, which also is the last day of the annual Muslim pilgrimage or hajj to various sites in and surrounding Mekka and Medina, Saudi Arabia. In Himachal Pradesh, India, Muslim women were allowed to travel for free within the state on state buses for the holiday. Many Bangladeshi women turned to the internet to buy their Eid goods, which includes cattle for sacrifice as well. In an excerpt of her book Veiling in Africa, author Peri M.... Read more
My cousin’s daughter is smart. She recently summed a deeply rooted societal problem in few words. The little girl is relatively chubby and her mom, my cousin, keeps giving her remarks on her weight and looks. At one point, she responded: “Don’t you see that you are fat too! Plus, you are the one who keep feeding me all the time!” Hypocrisy is the first word that came to my mind when I first saw this headline: “Morocco teens held... Read more
All of us at Muslimah Media Watch send our best wishes to all of our readers this Eid-ul-adha (whichever day/s you are celebrating it!) Have a happy and blessed holiday! Read more
After reading the synopsis of Torn , a film written by Michael Richter and directed by Jeremiah Birnbaum, I thought: Oooh, this might be yet another film on the post 9/11 era, blaming the Muslim community for all evil things that happened, and echoing all sorts of stereotypes that have defined America’s perceptions of Muslims around the world. But Richter and Birnbaum proved me wrong. After watching Torn, I believe cinema can still surprise us with bold ideas and out-of-the-box... Read more
One year ago, Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head for speaking up for the education of girls and this week she received the prestigious Sakharov human rights prize, which is award by the EU, for her work. A spokesman from the Taliban stated that she has done “nothing” to deserve this prize, and once again they vowed to kill her, where ever she might be. She is also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced on... Read more
Editor’s note: I would like to welcome Nicole Hunter Mostafa, a past MMW guest contributor, on board as our newest regular writer! Currently in Saudi Arabia, sisters are attempting to do things for themselves. There is a movement afoot. Saudi women are being encouraged to drive on October 26, in defiance of the de facto ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia.* Last week, as the movement ramped up, a Saudi sheikh, Saleh bin Saad al-Luhaydan, told the Saudi online... Read more
Terrified screams rip through a dark forest. Ghostly eyes leer and skeletal branches attack an innocent girl as she runs from a close encounter with death — and she soon falls to the ground sobbing. Later, when several strange “little men” offer her refuge in exchange for cooking and cleaning services, a twisted old woman tricks her into eating poison and she enters a death-like state. In revenge, the men chase the old woman off a cliff and hold a wake... Read more
Recently, a series of online shopping sites were brought to my attention: at first glance, they seemed to be the garden-variety online hijab shops. Some even had blanked-out faces – again, nothing that I hadn’t seen before. However upon a closer inspection, I noticed that the hijabi models on the website were smaller than usual – they were little girls. My immediate reaction was that of uneasiness. Even though in Singapore where I grew up, it is common for parents... Read more
Women battalions are fighting on both sides in the Syrian conflict and despite the fact that their numbers are relatively small, they serve an important purpose for both the opposition and the Assad regime. Sudanese police have fired teargas at hundreds of protesting female students at Ahfad university in Omdurman last Monday. On Tuesday, the students continued their protests, but their numbers had dwindled. The protests are part of a series of demonstrations against the recent hike of fuel prices in the country.... Read more
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