Society

All Photos By Clos Productions   I blog from the heart. I don’t have 10 blog posts in the queue or any idea of what I’ll say prior to writing. I basically blog about anything that pops into my head at the moment: an idea, a pattern, controversy, or clichés. A very disorganized blogger to say…

Our mothers are superheroes. They were our teachers long before we were old enough to learn; our doctors whenever we fell ill; and our friends when we needed someone to lend an ear with no judgment. Our mothers put up with us through our rebellious phases and remained patient during the trials we put them…

When people hear the words “interfaith dialogue,” they often have thoughts of singing “kumbaya” around a campfire and fluffy conversations with people you don’t even agree with. But in reality, it is so much more. With Islamophobia casting its ever-luring shadow into almost every part of Muslim lives today, interfaith understanding could not be more…

There’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…

Written by Hina Latif History demonstrates the extreme forms of cruelty and exploitation that women and girls have been subjected to, solely because of their gender. In ancient Arabia, women were treated as property, and female offspring were buried alive. This practice was common, and accompanied by the unequal treatment of women and girls embedded within Arabia’s…

Written by Hinna Sheikh   Nearing the end of an undergraduate degree for a South Asian Muslim female can only mean one thing — and no, it is not that exciting-yet-daunting projection into the career world. Marriage. As I enter into my final year at university, the interest in me has peaked among family members, not…

Written by Mashal Anjum   Bismillah. (In the name of God) Strange how we buy things to wear months from now, and we have no idea if we will be around to wear them. When you have severe health problems and chronic pain, you can’t help but think about imminent death. Death is obviously a…

The doorbell rings. It’s late in the afternoon and my mother is washing the dishes while the rhythmic sound of our doorbell echoes. She tenses a bit. I ask her, “Mami, why don’t you see who it is?” I’m confused. Why won’t she get the door? “Don’t open it. It’s a Black man. He looks scary.” She…

To qualify as “marriage-friendly” material, a Muslim woman is expected to be: Martha Stewart in the kitchen. A combination of Hoover feather duster and mop in cleanness. Scarlett Johansson in sex appeal. Virgin Mary in modesty. Mother Teresa in devotion. Malala Yousafzai in activism and literacy — only for bragging purposes. Octomom in making an…

Written by Areej Khan   In the sixth grade, when asked to share what our favorite book was in order to give the rest of the class reading suggestions, I proudly announced to the whole class the title: “Does My Head Look Big In This?” by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Our school librarian just stood there and…

Written by Yasmine Rachidi   I feel like a lot of people think that just because Muslim girls cover up, we don’t have to face some real life problems like body image issues; and that — trust me — is absolutely not true. — I love body positivity and its concept — but it’s hard to practice…

Racism and victimization of Black women by police is often overlooked and glossed over — despite the harsh reality that a great number of Black women experience racism and bias no less than that of Black men. With the recent warranted media coverage and publicity surrounding the killings of young Black men by police, it is easy to overlook the…

I am 10 years old. It has been almost two weeks since my family and I moved back home to Palestine from America. My cousins, numerous and grouped within generations, come to visit us again for the nth time since we’ve arrived. I am elated, finally reunited with my relatives for the first time since birth….

So you wake up nice and early, and surprisingly refreshed considering the busy family-involved weekend you just had. You feel ready for the start of the week — well, as ready as you are going to be. After all, it is a Monday. You grab a breakfast bar and your water bottle, thinking “I really…

Adolescence and young adulthood have always been difficult times to navigate in a person’s life. Many of these difficulties are universal and timeless. However, today’s Muslim youth are also facing a unique and unprecedented set of influences and challenges; these factors greatly impact the way their religious identity is developed. Here are some of the…