Al-Shamikha: Not Your Average Ladymag?

Last updated on: May 11, 2011 at 12:00 am By eren

A new magazine is “making waves” in Europe and North America—or so it would seem from the media coverage. Al-Shamikha, a publication directed to women and published by Al-Fajr Media Centre (Al-Qaeda’s online propaganda distributor), has been defined as “Al-Qaeda’s Cosmopolitan” or “Jihad Cosmo.” The magazine, which is roughly 30 pages long, covers a variety of topics that range from beauty to “proper” wifehood and motherhood. The magazine’s conception of “jihad,” which it defines specifically as violent actions against those... Read more

Do Greens Represent Iran’s Women’s Movement?

Last updated on: May 10, 2011 at 12:00 am By Guest Contributor

This was written by Sevda Zenjanli and originally appeared at insideIRAN.org. While the Iranian authorities have effectively quashed all overt political organization for women’s rights, today women are the most dynamic group in Iranian opposition politics. The feminist critique of the Green Movement is mainly focused on Moussavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, whose name is often mentioned by the international and pro-Moussavi media as representative of Iranian women’s rights movement. Rahnavard shares a similar political background with her husband: she was... Read more

Currents of Change for Women in Saudi Arabia

Last updated on: May 9, 2011 at 12:00 am By Guest Contributor

This was written by Maha Akeel and was originally published in Common Ground News Service. “Saudi Arabia is not yet ready for women to participate in the upcoming municipal elections on 23 April.” The election commissioner made this bold statement late last month, referring to women’s roles as both voters and candidates. Two years earlier, however, the first female deputy minister was appointed, and in 2005 officials from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs promised that women would be able to... Read more

Announcing “The Future of Islam In the Age of New Media”

Last updated on: May 6, 2011 at 12:10 am By fatemeh

Muslimah Media Watch is a proud partner for The Future of Islam In the Age of New Media, featuring 60 speakers in 60 seconds each, for a total of 60 insightful minutes. This is an unprecedented online event and audio seminar happening in May. Billed as “the shortest conference on Islam ever,” it brings together many names and faces you’ll recognize including our very own Editor-in-Chief, Fatemeh and Contributor Sana, along with several prominent female Muslim voices, such as Zeba... Read more

Friday Links | May 6, 2011

Last updated on: May 6, 2011 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

ILLUME discusses sexual harassment. Our lady Yusra writes about her life as a Libyan-American Muslim woman for The Huffington Post. The Sydney Morning Herald profiles Shakira Hussein’s activism. Female health workers in Pakistan have no maternity leave and are facing pay shortages. A man murdered his 20-year-old stepdaughter. May Allah give her peace and justice. The Washington Post and The Daily Beast weigh in on Sila Sahin’s Playboy spread. A 15-year-old girl gets accepted to 13 colleges and decides on... Read more

An Interview with MMW’s Eman Hashim on Egypt

Last updated on: May 5, 2011 at 12:00 am By emanhashim

Muslimah Media Watch contributor Eman Hashim was in the middle of Egypt’s Tahrir Square for the protests against former President Hosni Mubarak. Krista and Azra interviewed her to find out about her experiences. Muslimah Media Watch: At what point did you decide to join the protests happening in Cairo? Why? Eman Hashim: Late January 25th. I wasn’t one of those who started the first spark. When things started to get ugly and I knew that I–not only as a citizen,... Read more

How Pakistan’s Media is Getting Justice for Mukhtaran Mai

Last updated on: May 4, 2011 at 12:00 am By Guest Contributor

Written by Hamza Khan With the news of Mukhtaran Mai’s rapists being acquitted, Pakistan’s burgeoning news media have come down hard on the outrageous Supreme Court decision in what can only be described as the fulfillment of their role as the fourth estate in Pakistan’s political system. Every major news station and periodical dedicated their prime-time show and editorial section last weekend to openly flay the Pakistani justice system, and particularly the Supreme Court, for tossing out the conviction of... Read more

Nothing Says Empowerment Like Sexy Face and an Oil Rubdown

Last updated on: May 3, 2011 at 12:00 am By Sara Yasin

Sila Şahin, a Turkish-German actress, shed her clothes in order to “free” herself from her conservative Muslim background. The Daily Mail says: Ms Sahin’s declared intention was to used the controversial Playboy photoshoot as a call to action for other Turkish girls who suffer the effects of their strict backgrounds, where women’s choices are often limited, husbands are chosen for the girls and chastity closely controlled. I am skeptical that this was actually about social commentary as much as it... Read more

I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim

Last updated on: May 2, 2011 at 12:00 am By diana

“An identity neither begins nor ends on a stretch of land, for identity lives within the heart and consciousness. Land erodes, land evolves; it is plundered, and it is cultivated. It is not the master of its destiny. An identity is elusive; it can be neither contained nor defined by standards other than its own. Encompassing, defiant, and alive, the American Muslim identity is that of the ocean, its waves washing over diverse shores and merging their remnants into one... Read more

Friday Links | April 29, 2011

Last updated on: April 29, 2011 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

A Turkish opinion poll revealed that the overwhelming majority of Turks are in favor of allowing women wearing headscarves to serve as Parliament members. Women in Bangladesh use the W.A.S.H. program to learn how to stay healthy. The Philippine Muslim Women Council has appealed to the public to help protect and preserve Lake Lanao. The Montreal Gazette profiles Lebanese-Canadian activist Elsy Fneiche. MuslimMatters highlights the problem of sexual harassment in Muslim communities. A Brazilian judge says a former police inspector... Read more