“It was with much sadness that I witnessed your gleeful reaction when police named Syed Farooq, a devout Muslim, as one of the suspects. You seem to be under the impression that a Muslim shooter absolves the United States of brutality, forgetting that Farooq is…
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Six years ago I was compliant. I would quietly use the side entrance reserved for women to walk into the mosque. I would find an inconspicuous seat in the back row and dutifully listen to the Imam’s sermon, which usually advised that when problems arise in our home or community,…
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Sabina Khan-Ibarra is a Muslim “Feminist” (she is still working on a definition of Feminist that fits her ideology) who advocates and demands equal rights and space for Muslim women in all scopes- leadership roles, on the stage, in the masjids, etc. The lack of Muslim women visible was why she…
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Dear M, I am 41-year-old, twice divorced Muslim woman. I met a man online who is a kind, successful and intelligent practicing Muslim. He has proposed, and I have no reason to decline except that he happens to be married. His wife has serious medical problems which prevent them from…
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Asma T. Uddin is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of altmuslimah.com, and Co-founder of altFem Magazine and altVentures Media, Inc. She is also a lawyer and scholar specializing in American and international religious liberty. Asma Uddin has traveled across the United States to speak on myriad topics, including Islam, religious liberty, women in Islam. She…
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You don’t celebrate Halloween? That’s okay. I know people who go all out with the decorations and costumes, I know people who won’t participate by dressing up but enjoy passing out candy and seeing all the children and I know people who turn off the lights and go to the…
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I came to Islam in 1993, influenced by social consciousness in Hip Hop. Artists like Rakim, Sista Souljah, and Public Enemy, all of whom who were popularizing Islam, nudged me closer to the faith through their lyrics. I watched Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992) one year before my conversion, and soon after…
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My father grew up in India. He was raised in a conservative family and lived in a patriarchal culture. His sisters and mother lived lives that revolved around the home– raising children, preparing meals and hosting guests. However, more was expected of my father. He was, after all, the eldest…
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I listened to a woman recite Quran recently. I did a show at an all-girls college over the weekend, and like at many Islamic events, someone got up to recite Quran to start the event on a blessed note. But this time it was a girl (gasp! dun dun dunnnnnnnn!)…
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When I am in Washington, DC my favorite thing to do is sit with my grandparents and listen to them talk. Their favorite topics are childrearing, gardening, black America, geo-politics and “al-Islam.” When they discuss the religion, the conversation always comes back to a refrain of thanksgiving to Imam Warith…
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