By Amani Marie HamedAn Open Letter to Leslie Jones I am going to keep this short, because if I don’t I will start frothing at the mouth and using ALL CAPS over the long and storied history of people mistreating women, women of color, and women of color in Hollywood. A friend and Muslim Girl teammate brought to…
By Amani Marie HamedThere are many great poets in Iran’s history, and sadly, it’s time we say goodbye to one of the best, Iranian filmmaker and poet Abbas Kiarostami. Kiarostami began his work in 1970, when revolutionary sentiment in Iran pushed the nation towards theocracy, and further away from the liberal-thinking cinematic revolution that had gripped Kiarostami and much…
By Amani Marie HamedDalia Mogahed is the director of the Research Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, and the #WCW of Muslim Girls worldwide. Renowned for her eloquence and tenacity, Mogahed consistently champions interfaith efforts and the education of the non-Muslim American public about who Muslims truly are. In a recent CBS special on Religion and Democracy, Mogahed…
By Amani Marie HamedThe Muslim Girl Clique goes ALL OUT for Eid, representing countries and cultures from all over the globe, colors from all over the spectrum, and styles from all over fashion history and fashion future. Kick back and click through MuslimGirl’s Eid looks of 2016.
By Amani Marie HamedThat’s right, Ramadan is over. It’s time to feel that special mix of sadness and joy at Eid time. It’s also time for samosas, kanafeh, and hilarious Eid memes. 1. THE EID HUGS ARE COMING. Because we’ve all been locked in awkward auntie embraces with people we don’t know but have to hug, because it’s…
By Amani Marie HamedI’m standing in front of the induction range at work, a pancake slowly sizzling in the pan, a bag of crushed walnuts and nutmeg open and waiting to my left. There are still four and a half hours until sunset, and the heat and the smell of fresh qatayef rising from the stove make me…
By Amani Marie HamedRamadan, the holy month during which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is for Muslims a month of fasting, prayer, and meditation. The rituals of fasting and long night-vigil Tarawih prayers are meant to teach us self discipline, as we deny our bodies food in order to strengthen and feed our…
By Amani Marie HamedFor two years I have been a nanny for a couple of tech executives in one of the wealthiest areas of San Jose. I won’t tell you which tech company they work for, I’ll just tell you it rhymes with “Snapple.” The couple have three young girls, all under age 10, who can sometimes be…
By Amani Marie HamedI adopted the hijab on August 15, 2001, less than thirty days before 9/11. I was only twelve and in the seventh grade, and before I adopted the hijab no one knew I was Arab or Muslim. In adopting the hijab so close to 9/11, I was basically putting on a bull’s-eye every morning. Kids…
By Amani Marie HamedAs Ted Cruz finally dropped out of the race last week, and Trump seemed to solidify his position as the Republican candidate, I heard a lot of people asking this question: “Know any nice places in Canada?” Any time anyone asks me if I am moving to Canada if Trump becomes President, or hints that…
By Amani Marie HamedA woman inhales sharply through her teeth and heaves forth a guttural cry. A child screams, filling its lungs with its first breaths as a child of Earth. The woman sobs, in pain, but relieved. She is a mother now. “Hand me my baby,” the mother says, but the faces of the women around her are…
