by Layla Abdullah-Poulos When I read the Facebook status of Muslim marriage counselors Naaila and Hassan Clay asking Muslim brothers to give relationship advice to Muslim women, I grabbed my coffee and began scrolling. Sure, there are plenty of times that men will freely tell women what they should do and be to “make a man happy.” Typically, such internet advice is grating and really does not shine a positive light on the men giving it, but it still piqued... Read more
Another day, and yet another Muslim conference ripe with anti-Black tone deafness and erasure. Last weekend the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) hosted its 42nd convention. The convention is one of a number of large-scale Muslim convenings in the United States with a voluminous attendance of people from multiple backgrounds. Unfortunately, like so many Muslim conventions, conferences, seminars, etc., this year’s ICNA convention revealed the consistent erasure of Black Muslims and a general lack of cultural proficiency by nBPoC... Read more
By Layla Abdullah-Poulos Black Muslims encounter layers of aggression that assail their ability to traverse through society unharassed and with dignity. I was in dire need of safety pins. Although it may seem incredible that a person can be desperate about something like safety pins, I am confident that my Muslim sisters understand the urgency at which I traveled to the store. The parking lot was full of cars, and I scanned up and down its aisles searching for a... Read more
Vantablack Muslim activist Asha Noor posed a question on her Facebook timeline that drew a firestorm of attention and dialogue. Noor’s post garnered comments well into the night. People were still liking and commenting when I woke up for Fajr! There were major themes in the comments that demonstrate not only a problem with racial and intracultural bias in Muslim courtship and matrimonial spheres, ignorance and defense of it seems to be pervasive. The comments also revealed some problematic notions... Read more
By Sahar Abdulaziz The Pus**y Grabbing Commander-In-Chief has officially proclaimed April as National Sexual Assault and Prevention Month: “At the heart of our country is the emphatic belief that every person has unique and infinite value. We dedicate each April to raising awareness about sexual abuse and recommitting ourselves to fighting it. Women, children, and men have inherent dignity that should never be violated.” Donald Trump How’s it working for ya America?! – that one of the biggest and least... Read more
By Layla Abdullah-Poulos White Muslim women are a growing demographic in American Muslim culture. They come from a variety of backgrounds and encounter issues specific to intersections of religion, race and gender. White American Muslim women frequently marry within their faith but outside of their race, which necessitates the need to develop cultural competency about their marginalized coreligionists. White American Muslim women also find it necessary to hone a keen awareness of how their socio-political placement as privileged Whites in... Read more
American Muslims comprise a spectrum of people from numerous races, ethnicities, nationalities, etc. Also, there are contentious issues involving gender. Consequently, the American Ummah is constantly in a state of socio-cultural transformations that include people willing to push against the status quo and highlight issues, and the people affected by them, many may consider uncomfortable. The vantablack Muslimaat featured like to shake things up and get people thinking. Amina Wadud Amina Wadud has a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies and Arabic and is a... Read more
NEW YORK – The European Court of Justice ruling, allowing employers to ban hijab, has been casting shadows on Muslims worldwide. Critics of the ban consider it part of multiple legislation in Europe targeting Muslim women’s outfit, as part of a broad campaign of discrimination against Muslims globally. Many Muslim racial justice, social justice, and human rights activists in the United States consider the recent ban another example of increasing xenophobic and extremist anti-Muslim bias. “I’m not surprised. Various European... Read more
The pen is a powerful tool for social advancement and change. Written works by conscientious authors and writers can be enriching, empowering, and inspiring. These Vantablack Muslim women use their skills as wordsmiths to contribute a breadth of prose that highlights the histories and experiences of African American and African Diaspora Muslims, address American Muslim cultural issues and contribute significant works to the American Muslim literary canon. Jamillah Kareem Jamillah Karim is an award-winning author, lecturer, and blogger. Karim specializes in... Read more
By Layla Abdullah-Poulos One of the cool things about being a Black Muslim woman is that as soon as one month dedicated to understanding a cultural intersection (race) I embody concludes, it is time for another. Just when Black History Month ends, we begin to recognize the myriad of accomplishments made by women. As we usher in Women’s History Month, I would like to highlight Black Muslim women who impact and influence the way many of us navigate through Muslim... Read more
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