During a period of time right after my conversion to Islam, I contemplated the idea of wearing hijab. I rushed off to several stores and bought a giant scarf collection that now sits in my dresser. I experimented with the veil, and I was basically a weekend hijabi (I wore it to go to the mosque and to hang out with my Muslim friends). I even tried out niqab after a friend convinced me of wearing it to go shopping.... Read more
The recent arrest warrant issued by Interpol for Samantha Lewthwaite has fuelled media fuel speculation that she was involved in the attack that killed more than 60 people in Nairobi’s Westgate mall. Since speculation always makes a good story, there has been an overwhelming amount of coverage on the woman dubbed “The White Widow.” The stories seem eerily familiar. Perhaps because, like Colleen LaRose (aka Jihad Jane), Lewthwaite has her own alliterative alias. Or because like Katherine Russell (widow of... Read more
I grew up with a mother always insisting that I be an educated, professional woman. Her reasons were many, including that being a professional would help me retain a certain amount of flexibility and independence should crap hit the fan of life. I share the experience, not because it’s the exception, but because it’s common to the lives of many Muslimahs. I’ve lamented to friends that female Muslim physicians don’t have the space to talk about issues that are specific... Read more
Early this week, Samantha Lewthwaite was linked to the Kenyan mall massacre, but a post on Twitter by the organization behind the attack, Al Shabaab, which said that no women were involved in the attack. On Thursday, however, Interpol issued an arrest warrant for the “white widow.” According to Interpol, the warrant has been issued in connection with terrorist offences in 2011, and had nothing to do with her alleged connection to the massacre last weekend, which left at least 67 people dead... Read more
This piece was originally published at PolicyMic. By now you have probably already heard of the harem of Tunisian sex-warrior slaves heading to Syria in order to give up their young bodies to the appetites of deprived rebels to fulfill ‘jihad al-Nikkah’ — “Sexual Jihad” — and are coming back to the country with bellies full of Jihadi babies. Unfortunately for what seems to be that blind spot people have when it comes to stories on Muslims and sex, there... Read more
A couple of years ago I attended a lecture delivered by Dr. Natasha Bakht at the University of Alberta, who had come to advocate for women’s right to religious accommodation in the courtroom, a subject which proved to be quite divisive. I wrote a post about it on my personal blog, as I personally felt that her views on the issue were refreshing after all the anti-niqab brouhaha that was around back then. Dr. Bakht’s speech focused on the now... Read more
This post was written by guest contributor Nicole Hunter Mostafa (@nicolejhm). When I think about topics that are directly relevant to the lives of Muslim women, one that would probably be pretty low on my list is beauty pageants. Sure, in terms of feminist discourse, it’s not that hard to make the connection—beauty pageants’ primary goal is to make judgments about women based primarily on how they look, while media coverage of Muslim women, even when ostensibly regarding other subjects,... Read more
Last week, much of the news items dealing with Muslim women was related to Britain and the debate and issues surrounding the (face) veil. First of all, a judge ruled that a Muslim woman wearing a face veil was allowed to wear her veil in court, but must remove it when testifying, though she would be shielded from the public when doing so. Another Muslim woman also chose to wear the niqab in court, though she doesn’t wear niqab on... Read more
During Ramadan, a great uproar took place in Nigeria over actions by the government that were interpreted as trying to legalise child marriage. During a constitutional review, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima argued that a subsection of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution should not be removed as it affects the rights of Muslim women. Section 29 of the Nigerian constitution allows Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above to give up their citizenship. Section 29, 4(b) goes on further to elaborate that any married... Read more
*WARNING: POSSIBLE CAVITY-INDUCING PIECE* I have a tale to tell. It’s a story about a youngish Muslimah woman of colour who happens to be a football fanatic. Synopsis: She comes across #hijabdesk-worthy Kickstarter initiative and critiques the project of two, privileged, white women working in Africa. Sounds familiar, right? You may think you know what happens next: said woman was ignored, as were her comments, questions and suggestions – as many of the voices of WoC are, until a nifty... Read more
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