By Hanan IssaIt’s tough out there for a Muslim Girl. Islamophobes, anti-hijab feminists, racists, misogynists, and murderous clowns to name a few of the big bad wolves we encounter in our daily lives. Then there’s that puzzling species of men who offer marriage proposals in public places. More often than not, these proposals will come after an…
By Hanan IssaSo, the independent review, commissioned by former British Prime Minister David Cameron and conducted by Dame Louise Casey, dropped yesterday and, like a new DJ Khaled album, it has caused a stir – particularly amongst Muslims. The review has generated discussion and debate on social integration in the U.K. and how significantly isolated some communities…
By Hanan IssaThere are many success stories of people finding their partners via matrimonial websites, social media etc., but with any unexplored territory, there are dangers awaiting. In a world where instant communication, and the sharing of information is easier than it has ever been, there appears to be a sinister development in the ways technology is…
By Hanan IssaI heard about a Kendo class in my area and was really excited to check it out. Kendo is one of the oldest Japanese martial arts and is generally known as “the way of the sword.” As I love all things Japanese, I was intrigued by the thought that someone would willingly allow a Muslim…
By Hanan IssaYou might’ve seen real Muslim women breaking the glass ceiling, notably some of our own in, say, a non-fiction book about growing up in a post-9/11 world. But let’s delve into the realm of fiction for a second for some much needed inspo. Growing up, I was always drawn to stories of strong women battling against…
By Hanan Issa1. Not fully comprehending sexual assault is a universal problem. Trump’s deeply offensive comments that surfaced earlier this week, where he mentions that women should be grabbed by their p*ssies, have caused the uproar many of his previous comments about ethnic minorities, Islam, war veterans etc. should have had. His sorry-not-sorry statement afterwards demonstrates how sexual assault is still…
By Hanan IssaThere’s no other way to say this — Dina Tokio/Torkia is a don. That is, if The Godfather told the story of hijabi fashion, she would be Marlon Brando, sitting and stroking Choji, while hopeful hijabis flock to her, tentatively asking for favors. This, I’m sure, is as far as the similarities go but still, of…
By Hanan IssaIsrael has carried out up to 50 air strikes in retaliation after a rocket was fired from Gaza this week. The rocket, landing in the Israeli town of Sderot, was not reported to have caused any damage or injuries but managed to disrupt a music festival as people ran for shelter. As a result of…
By Hanan IssaAt this point I don’t think there is a person on the planet that has not heard of the “Brexit” palava of June 2016 that got us Brits freaking out about our future. It left a lot of us scratching our heads in disbelief that more than half of our country voted against something that…
By Hanan IssaLet me start out with a disclaimer. I love going away with my 4-year-old son. He’s great fun, not much bother, and carries a big chunk of my heart around with him. A few months ago, we went on an awesome family adventure into the Sumatran jungle to see orangutans. Despite having a wonderful time,…
By Hanan IssaWe live in a world where Muslim women cannot take two steps without being told they are oppressed. Despite the awesome accomplishments of Muslim women across the globe, this stereotype is still pretty mainstream. Cue Ibtihaj Muhammad’s entrance onto the world stage at this year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. As an African-American Muslim woman…
