By Guest BloggerThis article was originally published by feminism and pop culture nonprofit Bitch Media. The moment I made the decision to write about my political communities back home during the first semester of my MFA program, I knew I would hit some walls. “It’s ill-advised to write about politics this way,” my instructor said. “Traditionally speaking,…
By Guest BloggerAs a religion blogger, dealing with Islamophobes is part of my job description. Nearly every article I write is attacked by people claiming to know more about my religion than I do. In fact, it was Islamophobes who first introduced me to “controversial/violent” Quranic verses, the misconstrued concept of “taqqiya,” and the allegedly nefarious Shariah…
By Guest BloggerA recent Buzzfeed video captured four brave and unstoppable non-Muslim women who went out in the world to do the unthinkable. Their task: to change the world’s perception of Muslim women by loosely wrapping a scarf around their heads and necks. Because rather than asking actual headscarf-wearing Muslim women about their experiences, we need non-Muslim women to speak for…
By Guest BloggerIn a discussion I had with a young woman who was at-risk of being recruited by a sex trafficking ring in the United States, she stated: “I was not successfully recruited, but I was around it long enough to see how it works. I’m currently worried for my safety because it’s been made clear there’s…
By Guest BloggerI don’t know if this is the right time to publish such a post, or if there’ll ever be a right time, but my thoughts have become too big and too muddled for my head, especially after Saturday’s events, and they’re screaming to get out. If you’re not sure what I am talking about, let…
By Guest BloggerTW: Physical abuse, sexual assault. I remember the first time I met him. I was so impressed with his confidence, his talent, his tiny fancy sports car. He walked around like he just didn’t care about anything, but was extremely shy and reserved. Our first dates were amazing. I remember feeling butterflies in my stomach…
By Guest BloggerMuslim girls took over 2014 with landmark moments, appearing on television commercials, news panels, and one even receiving a Nobel Peace Prize. Also relevant to Muslim girls, 2014 unleashed a character classified as the “Wallah Bro.” Though this wasn’t the year that conceived the actual Wallah Bro himself, it was the year that women’s discussions…
By Guest BloggerIntroduction She harassed my visual senses by dressing ‘provocatively.’ She started it. She flaunted all her body parts so I couldn’t control myself. She started it. Since she is dressed that way, she must want to be objectified. She started it. If she acts like that then she must want it, so I’m going…
By Guest BloggerI made the first compromise of my marriage before I was even married. Had you asked me four years ago where I thought I would be in my life right now, I would have given you an answer that in no way would have reflected my current situation. I had big plans to move to New York by…
By Guest BloggerI remember my first time being intimate. I was so scared and anxious about losing my virginity, spending countless hours researching what my first time should be like, but I never quite felt prepared. Truthfully, looking back now, not even 400 years of research could have prepared me for what was to come. Everybody wants…
By Guest Bloggera minute i learned to make chai before i learned to make sentences thats why i write in poetry so i don’t have to write in sentences eyes shy check scarf on check but hands still shake as i hand over the rickety tea cup to the mustached man, gaps in between his teeth pouring…
By Guest BloggerTrigger warning: abuse. This is a poem I wrote about a year ago about my observations in my own South Asian/Mauritian Muslim community, about how domestic violence remains a taboo subject — something people and even (or maybe especially) religious leaders remain uneducated about and quick to think can be solved by mere patience/sabr/prayers from…
By Guest BloggerIf home were a Twitter hashtag, I found mine this week at #lifeofamuslimfeminist. This hashtag that started on Friday by @YxxngHippie unintentionally picked up momentum by gathering voices of Muslim Women from around the world. The tweets intersected a variety issues that reflect the diversity of the Muslim women identity. I found solace in the…
By Guest BloggerThere is an unfair gender distribution within the American Muslim community. The burden of representing the entire American Muslim community has been hoisted on hijabis, or women who chose to wear hijab, the Islamic head covering. While we as covered Muslim women fight to convince the American public that the hijab is our choice, the…
By Guest BloggerAs a survivor of violence and in the process of healing, I wrote this poem in a form that it tells my story of resilience and to encourage many others that in difficulty that there comes an ease. I hope to those who read this story understands that each of us were given us a…
