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CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Hussein Rashid New York, NY
Hussein Rashid is a PhD candidate in Harvard University's Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. His dissertation focuses on racial and ethnic self-identification in South Asian immigrant communities in the US. He has passed qualifying exams in Urdu Language and Literature, Indo-Muslim cultures, Islam in America, and Islamic Civilizations with a focus on Shi'i thought. He completed a Masters in Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School, which focused on comparative Muslim-Hindu theologies in South Asia. He earned is BA from Columbia College of Columbia University with majors in Biology and Middle Eastern and [South] Asian Languages and Cultures.
Hussein has worked in several positions that affect the South Asian and Muslim majority worlds. During 2003 he worked with the Harvard Islamic Legal Studies Program's Afghan Legal History Project to create position papers on the draft Afghan constitution. He also advised a 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate’s foreign policy team on the religious issues in Iraq. He then consulted for a South Asia PAC. In 2006 he was named one of the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow. His current research interests are on the representation of Muslims in graphic novels. He is an occasional speaker for the Interfaith Alliance, Faith in Public Life, and a teacher at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York City. He blogs at Islamicate, The Devil's Advocate and Talk Islam. You can find out more about him at husseinrashid.com. |
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 | | Matrimony A male response to Zeba By Hussein Rashid, April 9, 2009 Zeba asks where all the men have gone. Short answer, it's a patriarchy, we screwed up, but we are in a position of privilege, so we will tell you it is your fault. You now have the opportunity to change us. ( 28 comments) |
 | | Domestic Violence A distressing statement from NOW-NY By Hussein Rashid, March 22, 2009 The comments by the National Organization for Women-New York regarding the Aasiya Zubair case unfortunately perpetuate the erroneous claim that domestic violence is religiously sanctioned by Islam. Thankfully, other womens groups are speaking out about this lapse in judgment. ( 2 comments) |
 | | Interpretation Reading the Qur’an in a Muslim way By Hussein Rashid, March 8, 2009 All religious texts are open to interpretation and new readings. Our understanding of the text is not bound to a moment, nor is it fixed. It is dynamic and not in English. ( 3 comments) |
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Editors' blog
Conceptions of sexuality among American Muslim women - Ten AltMuslimah members/readers gathered on Sunday, February 21, 2010, with the goal of discussing the nature of Muslim women’s sexuality, and how American Muslim women’s social needs may be different. Whether formal or casual, the group agreed in the value of women’s support networks, especially considering the rising prevalence of domestic violence in our communities. A quick brainstorm of ideas brought up the possibility of periodic casual women’s nights, which are actually common in more active American Muslim communities. (March 1, 2010) ( 1 comment) |
News briefs for week of March 1, 2010 - This week Washington, D.C. women storm the men’s section of a local mosque, a women in hijab is fired from her retail position in California, a women’s terrorist group is said to be uncovered in Egypt, Malaysia looks to hold a conference on women’s caning, Pakistani women’s clothing is highlighted, and Iran’s first female Olympic skier is profiled. (March 1, 2010) ( 0 comments) |
News briefs for week of February 22, 2010 - Saudi religious police crackdown on Valentine's Day merchandise, Three Malaysian women are caned for extramarital sex, Saudi to permit female lawyers to argue cases, New Jersey Muslim man throws baby over a bridge, and Baltimore sixth-graders go on a field trip to an Islamic center. (February 22, 2010) ( 0 comments) |
News briefs for week of February 15, 2010 - This week, death threats for dehijabing in Spain, a ballet showcasing Muslim women’s historical accomplishments, France continues the burqa ban debate, a Pakistani woman is recognized in California, Muslim scholars question full-body scanning and Obama names an envoy to the Muslim world. (February 15, 2010) ( 0 comments) |
News briefs for week of February 8, 2010 - This week, a study finds that abstinence-focused sex education in American schools can persuade youth to delay sexual activity, sixteen-year-old Turkish girl buried alive for talking to boys, French authorities deny citizenship to man who forces his wife to wear a full veil, and female government leaders have done little to advance women's rights in Southeast and South Asia. (February 8, 2010) ( 2 comments) |
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Readers' blog
Will you be my (halal) Valentine? - Why does Valentine’s Day spark such contentious debate among American Muslims across blogs and social networking sites? What underlying emotional buttons does this commercialized cultural holiday push among American Muslims? While other holidays, such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, generate a few tired and tepid discussions centered around the idea that “everyday should be Mother’s and Father’s Day,” Valentine’s Day, like the very concept of romantic love it celebrates, generates much more passionate responses. These debates touch on many topics including what love means or should mean to Muslims, the relationship between culture and religion, and the current state of romantic relationships among Muslims. (February 22, 2010) ( 1 comment) |
Living up to the legacy - By historical account, being a Muslim female meant being virtuous, loving, knowledgeable, and empowered by her faith. Well it’s centuries later and although we cite to the legacy of Islam, we fail to live up to it or keep the legacy alive. (February 4, 2010) ( 1 comment) |
Bridging literacy and cultural gaps in Pakistan - In addition to bridging cultural and socioeconomic gaps, the American International School System in Pakistan acts as an experimental model and incubator by incorporating some of the education reform principles advocated by grassroots organizations, education specialists and writers, and governmental agencies like the Ministry of Education. (January 3, 2010) ( 1 comment) |
Islam and manhood - The infamy of Islamist terrorism over the past decade has created an image of the Muslim man as intrinsically prone to violent behavior, even if directed toward the self rather than the other. The image of the angry, flag-burning, chanting Muslim man has come to symbolize male violence. However the photos fail to explain that, firstly, the anger, in many instances, is justified, secondly, that the chants rarely spill over into to physical violence, and thirdly that violence is not exclusive to Muslim men. (December 25, 2009) ( 5 comments) |
It’s not about the niqab, it’s about credibility - The question, which we all should consider now is why Al-Azhar scholars are not obeyed by the public any more? The simple and direct answer to this very complicated question is because Al-Azhar lost its credibility in the eyes of Egyptians. (October 17, 2009) ( 4 comments) |
One woman’s journey toward pleasing Allah - Understanding the purpose and reasoning behind abaya is not something a Muslim girl learns the day she is born. For many, like myself, it was a slow and steady journey; one that required much research and reflection. (September 25, 2009) ( 4 comments) |
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