It may come as a shock to many people but I didn’t get married just to have kids. Sure, I want to build a family with my husband, but I would like to do that at a time that suits him and I, not when all the people around us keep interfering and inquiring about…
Tag life
COVID-19: Is Social Distancing a Joke to You?
Editor’s note: In this emotional op-ed, one mother delves into the toll COVID-19 has taken on her world, and why we need to take this seriously and come together as a community. To our readers: if you’re looking for a moment of relatability or a reality check, this is it. I remember it so clearly:…
POEM: Wear Me Down
When I left him, when I finally left that life, That was when I stopped wearing my watch, My rings, My diamonds. I’d taken nothing, I’d left it all behind. I felt bare without it all Until I realised they’d been shackles. Someday, I might still wear a watch. Rings. Diamonds. But I’ll never let…
This Is What It Means to Follow Your Dreams Despite Societal Pressures
Bismillah. I’m 29 years old. Shocking, I know. How dare a woman share her age on a public platform? I’ve been through some ups and downs in life. I was a pretty shy and awkward kid. I had a few friends, but for the most part, I kept to myself. I watched X-Men, and listened…
How Can I Live the Life of My Dreams?
A Muslim female artist is a rarity in and out of her community, let alone one with performance art experience in school for film. As odd as I am as a performance artist, I am even more of a walking contradiction outside of my community. I have always been a proud Lebanese, part Sierra Leonean immigrant. Born…
How Can a Terrible Ramadan Translate Into a Fruitful One?
I had a terrible Ramadan, and that’s okay. People say that there’s no such thing as a terrible Ramadan, but when it passes without you even realizing it came, then it most likely was not the best. I had easily one of the hardest years of my entire life. From an academic, mental, and social…
Is There Any Way to Protect Ourselves From Evil Eye?
It was a lavish dinner party that we attended with our little family. The baby was just getting to a sociable stage so naturally, he was the life of the party! Popular with all the kids and adults, being handed off from one person to another, and smiling for all the cameras; he was such…
Meet Najwa Zebian: Activist, Educator, Best-Selling Poet, and Your Newest Literary Obsession
In March 2019, I had the honor of attending a poetry reading by Najwa Zebian, a woman I have greatly admired for a while. As Najwa spoke, her soft, yet firm, dulcet tones compelling us to join her on a journey through heartbreak and betrayal, ultimately ending in glorious triumph over that heartbreak, it struck me…
This Book Reminds Us of the Struggle to Define “Home”
“Home:” 1) the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household; 2) relating to the place where one lives; 3) everywhere and nowhere. Out of all the definitions and words for “home,” we struggle to pinpoint where home is. We, the wandering souls of immigrants, were forced to leave “home” in…
Do You Even Know What You’re Passionate About?
In this final article of her 4-part miniseries with Muslim Girl, the straight-shooting Nida Siddiq talks passion, and the pursuit of figuring out what truly brings you joy in life. *** What are you passionate about? Recently, I was asked this question during a collaboration and it really got me thinking. I remember taking those ridiculous online…
“High” Daddy: How I Found Family Where I Least Expected It
Drugs do not discriminate. They accept all race, religions, and ethnicities. A drug does not take responsibility for what occurs after it has been used. It blames the user and the user alone. My father was a drug user. He abused drugs for his own pleasure. He neglected his responsibilities as a father and gave…
Sudan’s Revolution: Here’s Why the Fight Isn’t Over
On December 19, 2018, demonstrations broke out all over Sudan. Initially, people were protesting the rising price of bread, an essential food item to many Sudanese, and astronomical increases in living costs. Living under al-Bashir’s rule for nearly three decades, the Sudanese people have been caught between two difficult choices: rise up and fight the…
What’s the Deal with Climate Change, Sunnah, and Eating Less Meat?
Everyone you talk to in the Muslim community is concerned about climate change, and rightfully so. Climate change has been identified by many as the biggest challenge facing our world right now, and the biggest danger to the survival of humanity. Islam teaches abundantly about the importance of valuing the natural world. At least 750…
#MGAnon: How Can I Convince My Dad That I Need Independence?
Welcome to #MuslimGirlAnon, your one-stop spot for all the advice you could need! Every week, we crowd-source the very best advice our #MGClique has to offer about issues plaguing our girl gang. Need some advice? Write to editorial@muslim-girl-2021-production.mystagingwebsite.com, and we may just feature you! Q: I’m a first generation college student and have big dreams of…
How Hard Did Age Hit You?
We live in a youth-obsessed culture. Advertisers bombard us with products claiming to hold the key to eternal youth–buy this and you will look and feel younger. As if our value slowly diminishes with age. Society plants the seed that these are the best years of our lives. Websites provide endless lists of things we…