Is it Fair to Scrutinize Arab First Ladies?

Last updated on: February 23, 2011 at 12:00 am By Sara Yasin

In a recent article, Nesrine Malik discusses the scrutiny placed upon the wives of Arab leaders in relation to revolution in the Arab world. Designer-clad extensions of their husbands’ regimes, Malik points out the focus placed upon their lifestyles. Mostly, she draws upon the example of Tunisia’s Leila Ben Ali, Egypt’s Suzanne Mubarak, and Jordan’s Queen Rania. Critiqued as symbols of the greedy and corrupt antics of their husbands, they also represent some of the confusion about what a progressive... Read more

Rukhsana Khan: A Wonderful Children’s Author

Last updated on: February 22, 2011 at 12:00 am By Lara Alamad

Recently, I was in a bookshop with my daughter. We were in the children’s section, enjoying the vast array of colorful books. Lift-the-flap books, tactile books, storybooks, craft books, there is a great selection available. However, this diversity only goes so far. While books now will make a small effort to have characters that aren’t white, this tends to be one black or generically Asian child. Definitely no Muslims, not one. Sadly, it would appear Muslims are considered too “controversial”... Read more

Women’s Voices in the Revolutions Sweeping the Middle East

Last updated on: February 21, 2011 at 12:00 am By tasnim

Google executive Wael Ghonim became one of the faces of the Egyptian revolution through the Facebook page “We are all Khalid Said,” which was a vital spark to the revolution. But another important spark was a video posted by 26-year-old Asmaa Mahfouz from the April 6 Youth Movement, where she declared that she was going out to Tahrir Square and urged people to join her in saving Egypt. The spirit of freedom Mahfouz spoke about was symbolized in Tahrir Square,... Read more

Muslim Dating Sites and the Technology of Marriage, Part IV

Last updated on: February 18, 2011 at 12:00 am By eren

Monday and Tuesday, we examined some Muslim matrimonial sites. Yesterday, we conducted an experiment looking at how these sites functioned and how our subjects fared. Today, I’ll digest all this information and figure out what it means for Muslim women. Something to keep in mind when joining this websites is the fact that men tend to be, in general, older. Furthermore, many of the men on these sites would like to engage in polygamy at some point in their lives,... Read more

Muslim Dating Sites and the Technology of Marriage, Part III

Last updated on: February 17, 2011 at 12:00 am By eren

Yesterday we finished introducing you to a few Muslim dating (or “matrimonial”) sites. Today, we introduce you to our “experiment:” I set up profiles and recorded the experiences of my different “subjects.” These websites and the expectations of the participants tell us something about the conceptions of femininity and masculinity that surround marriage. Some people, or more specifically some women, are more desirable than others for different reasons. In order to find out why, three female subjects were created (this... Read more

Muslim Dating Sites and the Technology of Marriage, Part II

Last updated on: February 16, 2011 at 12:00 am By eren

Yesterday we introduced you to online Muslim matchmaking world and a few popular websites. Today we look at one more. Halfourdeen.com Halfourdeen.com is a site created by Baba Ali, founder of Ummah Films and a number of different resources and products for Muslims. Halfourdeen.com is new to the Muslim matchmaking scene, but it prides itself on helping around 12 couples that got married in the last seven months, as reported in their Facebook page. Unlike the rest of the sites,... Read more

Muslim Matchmaking Sites and the Technology of Marriage, Part I

Last updated on: February 15, 2011 at 12:00 am By eren

Muslimah Media Watch thanks Saad Mubarak Almutairi for his contributions to this research. As marriage remains a powerful institution in Islam, it is only normal to see marriage “technologies” advance. As traditional matchmakers become non-existent in some places in the world, the internet represents a new alternative for those Muslims who want to marry the “halal” way. Whether online dating is really halal or not is a matter of opinion, but a number of Muslims have chosen to participate in... Read more

Friday Links | February 11, 2011

Last updated on: February 11, 2011 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

A Muslim woman in Canada alleges that she was fired because of her headscarf. “It’s stopping anybody perving on anybody in there really.” My favorite quote from The Sydney Morning Herald’s story on a local pool putting up privacy curtains for Muslim women’s swimming hours. Meanwhile, here’s another story about ladies-only times at public Australian swimming pools. This year, the Organization of the Islamic Conference has prepared an action plan to advance the status and rights of women among its... Read more

On Mannequins and Messaging in the New York Times

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

This article was written for Muslimah Media Watch by Anny Gaul. Yesterday, The New York Times ran an article about what Iraqi women are wearing these days. It paints a picture of a once-secular society’s pluralism run amok: “Vendors around the Kadhimiya mosque in northern Baghdad sell all manner of women’s clothing, from drape-like black abayas to racy evening wear. But on a recent afternoon, Hameed Ibrahim ushered his family toward a different kind of fashion display.” The piece goes... Read more

Sabah: Not My Big Fat Muslim Wedding

Last updated on: February 9, 2011 at 12:00 am By fatemeh

Netflix offered Sabah: A Love Story, a story about a devout Muslim Canadian woman who falls in love and has to deal with the subsequent culture clashes that result. Arsinée Khanjian stars as Sabah, a Muslim woman in her forties who has never been married and dutifully takes care of her mother, while her controlling brother keeps everyone under his thumb. The movie is billed as a cross-cultural romantic comedy, featuring serious cultural clash moments while attempting the comedy and... Read more