For most of us, late Autumn means crawling out from under the duvet at silly o’clock and heading out to catch a bus to school, work or uni in the freezing cold. For me, this season also means getting to know a crop of new students as they begin their…
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I know what you all must be thinking. Ew, no, those are so ugly, my mom literally wore those a million years ago and thought they were totally cool. Well, guess what — like most interestingly old “ugly”trends, this one is back and it’s hot! Real talk: I totally understand…
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When I saw her, I averted my gaze and walked toward my locker. I adjusted my backpack on my shoulder and squinted my eyes as if in concentration. I pretended that I had not seen her, that she and I did not know each other outside of school—and that I…
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The government of Turkey lifted its decades-long hijab ban in middle and high schools yesterday, about a year after the nation lifted the hijab ban for women working in state and civil occupations. This loosening of restraints on the hijab ban demonstrates the Turkish government’s shifting attitude towards the hijab…
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As school begins and the weather becomes chilly, I just want to throw on some sweatpants and a comfy tee. But then again I also hate looking a bum. Thanks to fashion, there is a solution: graphic tees! These tees are perfect for fall and can be dressed up or…
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Last year Amal Abuelhija launched Amelena Designs in New Jersey, a store that presents modern fashion trends through modest clothing items. She spoke with M Sadeel Allam about her venture. M. Sadeel Allam: Tell us about yourself and your background. Amal Abuelhija: I am originally from Palestine and I moved…
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Since 2012, I have dedicated my passion and time to a grassroots organization in Calgary, Alberta called the New Muslim Circle which provides support and a sense of community to new Muslims and seekers. Recently, a dear friend joined our weekly gatherings; my happiness to see her interest in our group was blunted by confusion when she approached me one day, worried that her choice of clothing wouldn’t be “appropriate” for a “Muslim” gathering and that she would be judged for her personal style choices.
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Last week, a national religious organization, which focuses on proliferating accurate information about Islam, shared a photo on its Facebook page depicting two lollipops- one bare, with a swarm of flies and one in a wrapper with a solitary fly. Predictably, the photo likened the lollipops to women- those uncovered and those covered. Following a frenzy of angry comments, the photo was promptly removed, but of course once on the Internet, something is never truly erased and so this photo continues to surface on every social media platform imaginable.
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I can’t believe I’m doing this. So early into my blogging career and here I am. Writing about hijab. I said I wouldn’t, because heck there’s so much more to talk about. But, here I am.
Hijab – a piece of fabric that so obsesses the world vis-a-vis Muslim women that we are now facing a full on “World Hijab Day”, which is today, Saturday, February the 1st.
How is it that a piece of fabric can impact the socio-political paradigm of the world? In the last decade, Islam and Muslims have no doubt taken a beating in the court of public opinion and women who don the headscarf, or hijab, have endured the brunt of the abuse. The Western media frames these women as cloaked, both literally and figuratively, in oppression, desperate to liberate themselves from their dictatorial husbands and fathers by removing a cloth which symbolizes 1400 years of injustice.
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