|
Readers blog
Love Will you be my (halal) Valentine?  By Sarah Rashid, February 22, 2010 |
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. ( 1 comment) |
Women in Mosques Living up to the legacy By Zehra Naqvi, February 4, 2010 |
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. ( 1 comment) |
Lahore's American International School Bridging literacy and cultural gaps in Pakistan By Saadia Chaudhry, January 3, 2010 |
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. ( 1 comment) |
Masculinity Islam and manhood By Siad Darwish, December 25, 2009 |
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. ( 5 comments) |
Al-azhar It’s not about the niqab, it’s about credibility By Dalia Ziada, October 17, 2009 |
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. ( 4 comments) |
CLOTHING One woman’s journey toward pleasing Allah By Mariam Khan, September 25, 2009 |
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. ( 4 comments) |
GENDER SEGREGATION Separation not segregation: a Muslim woman writes By Shelina Zahra Janmohamed, September 24, 2009 |
By instituting a physical separation as the vessel for modesty-management the responsibility for modesty is devolved to the physical partition rather than necessarily imbuing the men and women with the social graces of modesty and respect in the way that they interact with each other. ( 7 comments) |
From the Altmuslimah Readers' Blog Kathy Zeitoun and Muslim women as change agents By Jordan Robinson, September 21, 2009 |
While author Dave Eggers gives readers a lot of insight into what Kathy Zeitoun faces and her incredible character and spirit, there really has been little attention given to her following the book Zeitoun's release. This lack of interest is a part of a larger problematic trend when it comes to highlighting the power of Muslim women in effecting change and being change agents in their respective societies. ( 6 comments) |
WESTERN FEMINISM Don’t be outraged for Muslim women By Nesrine Malik , September 18, 2009 |
Western feminists should not assume everyone's struggle mirrors their own – their obsession with the burqa has a patronising whiff. ( Zero comments) |
eid prayer Thoughts on women and the Eid prayer By Safiyyah Surtee, September 15, 2009 |
It makes me really sad, that we fast the entire month, strive for excellence in behavior and worship, but come the day of Eid, we miss out on one of the most significant aspects of our religion. ( Zero comments) |
poetry I am Iraq By Freda Stauffer, August 24, 2009 |
even though I was not;
born there and my ancestors;
are not from Iraq;
I am walking to Karbala;
every day of my life ( Zero comments) |
German courts An unexpected site of violence for Muslim women By Sara Ludin, August 19, 2009 |
Several significant cases in the past five years, though substantively unrelated, have nonetheless sent a unified, clear signal to Muslim women who would consider seeking justice through the German legal system: you will find no support or safety here. ( Zero comments) |
DIVORCE Divorce among American Muslims: Statistics, challenges & solutions By Samana Siddiqui, August 7, 2009 |
“Divorce is on the rise in the Muslim community,” said Imam Mohamed Magid. “We have seen an increase in divorce from people married for a while and those married for a short time,” he said, adding that Muslims across the board are getting divorced in higher numbers. ( 7 comments) |
WISE Conference Heroes: Fearless and Inspiring By Mona Eltahawy, August 4, 2009 |
As a special gift for my 42nd birthday I met two awe-inspiring women in Kuala Lumpur. We were in the Malaysian capital to attend the second gathering of WISE – Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality, a program aimed at improving the status of Muslim women around the world. ( Zero comments) |
Marriage Asra Nomani’s big fat Muslim wedding By Faith Barrow-Waheed, August 3, 2009 |
Whenever I encounter Asra Nomani’s works or see her in an interview, I usually wonder,“What is her point?” I don’t say this derisively. Is she trying to speak about gender inequality among the ummah? Is she trying to deal with gender norms in her own South Asian community? ( 2 comments) |
Iranian women's movement Free Shadi Sadr, uphold women’s rights By Rochelle Terman, July 23, 2009 |
Shadi Sadr's arrest represents a severe blow to the Iranian women’s movement, an important element of the pro-democracy cause in Iran and one of the leading tides in the overall reformist movement. ( Zero comments) |
Social Pressure Generational silence - Women continue the cycle By Farrah Hossain, July 13, 2009 |
The same ideas of putting marriage before career are honed into the heads of each new generation of women by women of earlier generations. As long as women don’t speak out, the problem will not stop, and women will continue to follow the path defined for them by society. ( Zero comments) |
CLOTHING Muslim Chic By Gioia Diliberto, June 29, 2009 |
High Fashion, Oscar Wilde once said, "is a form of ugliness so unbearable that we are compelled to alter it every six months." Western women are slaves of fashion. Muslims, meanwhile, answer first to God. ( 6 comments) |
Family Law Shari’ah and the Family Law Conference By Liaquat Ali, June 23, 2009 |
We are citizens of this land and as a religious minority we need to figure out how the secular law accommodates our needs. If secular law fails to our religious requirements, then the effort should be focused towards modifying secular law to accommodate our needs and the needs of other religious minorities we are ethically, morally and socially aligned with. ( 1 comment) |
Movie "The Mosque in Morgantown" The price of social change By Aminah Carroll, June 15, 2009 |
Life lessons can be richly taken from the verite style documentary, The Mosque in Morgantown, but they go way beyond the subject matter of Muslim identity. ( Zero comments) |
Marriage The Doha Debates: An insider’s perspective By Yasir Qadhi, June 8, 2009 |
The Doha Debate on Muslim women's marriage rights succeeded in illustrating that marriage and female rights are complex issues that involve many aspects of culture, religion, social status, and society. ( 2 comments) |
First ladies Is “Michelle Obama” a new brand? By Shahrzad Shahriari, May 25, 2009 |
Is Michelle Obama a new brand marking every well-spoken woman in the world? Maybe those who are creating this brand assume Obama is an original Adidas, and these other women her Chinese copies. ( 2 comments) |
Culture A Muslimah prom By Jacqueline Freeman-Ennaffah, May 25, 2009 |
An annual graduation reception in Arizona honoring sisters graduating high school level or above gives Muslimahs a prom-like outlet and inspires younger generations to reach for the educational stars. ( 4 comments) |
Identity The Guardian’s First Lady faux pas By Faith Barrow-Waheed, May 7, 2009 |
A recently published article in The Guardian (UK) focuses on the achievements of Zahra Rahnavard, who happens to be the wife of a political opponent of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmedinijad. Once again, an extraordinary woman is defined only by her connection to her husband. ( 3 comments) |
Female sexuality A thin line between adoration and abomination? By Abdul Arif, May 5, 2009 |
Far too many of the hateful and misogynistic references in religious texts center around sex and its guilty attraction. Unsurprisingly, these appear to be reflective of a male-centric world view. ( 2 comments) |
Journalism The “Limit of Tolerance” of a white, privileged, non-Muslim man By Faith Barrow-Waheed, April 23, 2009 |
If Americans–and by extension, people in Western societies–can see gender equality as a fundamental value, but never have that principle conflict with tolerance for other cultures and religions, why is it different when discussing Muslim societies? ( 1 comment) |
From the Altmuslimah Readers' Blog Are non-hijabis “scantily clad”? By Sobia Ali, March 30, 2009 |
Some social scientific studies, such as a recent study by well-known Princeton psychologist, Dr. Susan Fiske, have been misleadingly used to promote the use of the hijab. Misrepresenting these studies - acknowledged by their authors to require further investigation - does little to serve such a cause, nor does it fairly portray the reality of Muslims (and non-Muslims) who choose to dress without it. ( 3 comments) |
|
|
|
|
|
Produced in
partnership with
| 
|
|
|
|
|
Search altmuslimah
|
|
Subscribe to newsletter and feeds
|
Multimedia 
|
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) |
|
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) |
|
|
