Since my conversion to Islam, I have spent every Ramadan in Canada. My Ramadans are often filled with the fasting experience and sumptuous iftars in my local mosque, as well as visiting fellow converts, for whom Ramadan can be a very lonely experience. This year was different. My life is currently in flux, first because I am moving from one city to another to pursue a Masters Degree and will be leaving behind the part of my family that lives... Read more
Turkish Sufi scholar and lawyer Ömer Tuğrul İnançer has said during an interview that the presence of visibly pregnant women in public is disgraceful. This has sparked an outcry in Turkey, and many (very pregnant) women took to the streets in some of Turkey’s major cities. The lack of refugee camps in Lebanon for Syrian refugees leaves many refugees, predominantly women and children, scattered throughout the country in makeshift shelters, abandoned buildings, and so forth. Sexual harassment and demands for sex by landlords, aid... Read more
As you may know, nominations for the Brass Crescent Awards are currently open. According to their website, “The Brass Crescent Awards is an annual awards ceremony that honors the best writers and thinkers of the emerging Muslim blogosphere (aka the Islamsphere).” If you enjoy the work that Muslimah Media Watch does, we would be honoured to be nominated. Nominations are open until Thursday, August 8, and can be done through the Brass Crescent Awards website. Read more
I started fasting when I was 13 years old. My first Ramadan I was so excited and so proud of myself for being able to do so. I would go to school (where I may have been the only Muslim), even go to gym class, all while fasting. Year after year, I fasted religiously (pun intended), making sure never to miss any days (except those from which I was exempt). Growing up Ramadan was always an important part of life... Read more
Having spent two Ramadans in the Netherlands now, I still can’t get used to the lonely and isolating experience of fasting without an extended network of family and friends. But I must count my blessings. I have a wonderful husband who doesn’t think twice about helping to cook sahur and iftar, and I have amazing friends sparsely distributed in several towns around my own. When we manage to get together once in a few months for a meal (and one... Read more
This year marks the second or third time I’ve observed Ramadan as an adult in Nigeria. I have always been aware of how ethnic and religious lines are drawn in Nigeria but each time I am in the country, it always strikes me again like a slap in the face. In a context where hyper-religiosity is the norm, where on every street corner there is at least one or two churches plus an equal number of mosques, and lines are... Read more
It has been difficult to engage with other Muslims in my area for Ramadan (this wasn’t a problem for me last year). It’s a challenge to get to the masjid in the evening for the month’s special tarawih prayers, a soothing time to listen to the entire Quran over (approximately) 30 days. Where I live, fasts are 17 hours long. With full-time work occupying my weekdays, non-fasting hours are mostly spent trying to catch up on sleep and rehydrate. When... Read more
This post was written by guest contributor Hafsa. Last summer, I was on a journey spanning the northern, eastern and the south-western parts of Sri Lanka. On the first day of Ramadan, I found myself in the heart of the country: Kandy, the site of the middle Kingdom. Tamil and Muslim Minorities make up almost 20% of Kandy City. Most of the former are hill-country Tamils who have endured a history of discrimination. The British initially brought Tamils from India... Read more
Last Friday French police just outside of Paris clashed with hundreds of demonstrators, after police had asked a woman to remove her face veil to check her identity. The demonstrators claim that the police provoked them, and by Saturday night the riots were spreading to surrounding areas. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls has said that the government stands by the ban on face veils, and that the police did their job perfectly. A fatwa that prohibits the participation of Muslim women in beauty pageants has led to... Read more
This post was written by guest contributor Nicole Hunter Mostafa. My non-Muslim friends and family may have a hard time understanding why, but Ramadan is a wonderful time of year for me. Of course, it’s difficult to fast, especially during the summer months, but regardless of the time of year, it’s always lovely when Ramadan rolls around again, not least of all because it’s a time when I get to eat food that’s reserved for this month. The first time... Read more
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