Teenager Rifqa Bary, who converted to Christianity and fled from her Ohio home out of fear that her father will kill her for her conversion, is fighting for her right to stay in Florida – where she fled. The 17-year-old girl has stated that, because her blood is now “halal” she is sure that she will be murdered if she returns back home.

Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission concluded its campaign to compile a Muslim Women Power List for 2009. The Commission reached out to 100,000 Muslim women and in compiling the list received over 250 nominations.

A piece published on Altmuslimah Associate Editor Fatemeh Fakhraie’s site Muslimah Media Watch was featured in a story published by USA Today. The featured piece critiqued journalists’ efforts to understand Muslim women by wearing burqas or hijab.

In France, a 35-year-old Muslim woman was banned from a public swimming pool for wearing the burqini – a swimming outfit that covers all of a woman’s body and hair. Officials defend the decision, saying it was in accordance with France’s strict swimming pool hygiene regulations.

Rabea Chaudhry is Associate Editor of Altmuslimah