By Guest BloggerWritten by Anonymous. — It is Tuesday, November 22nd. Today is November 22nd. 266 days before your 20th birthday 24 weeks until you move back home for the summer 3 years, 3 months and 3 days since you told your mom And she hands you the house phone To speak to your grandfather 3 years, 3 months and…
By Guest BloggerThere is nothing I believe in more than my default conviction in The Almighty and this perfected religion. However, I am disgraced by my inability to declare my faith under scrutiny of those prying, disdainful eyes. I am too comfortable with the usual presumption that I am a hybrid American, typically Central and South, and…
By Guest BloggerFor many of us, it seems like the image presented by the media of the “ideal” body type is extremely thin. I agree with this perception, although I am an adult woman who has yet to see a triple-digit number on the scale. Because I recognize that all women do not look like me, and…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Reema Jallaq. — Dear Community, I’m sorry to say this, but we have a huge problem. Well not just here–everywhere in our culture. I know the world seems a bit upside-down right now as we focus on Trump and the status of Muslims, civil rights, and so much more that is important to…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Lexi Alexander. — BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS The FBI reports that anti-Muslim hate crimes rose 67 percent within the last year. Based on my communication with a lot of young Muslim girls, who have reached out to me confidentially to share their own run-ins with hate, I am concerned that the real number…
By Guest BloggerEveryone reading this has probably come across at least one time when a man was comparing women to inanimate objects (usually when talking about why they should cover their body and wear a headscarf). But one of the things I can’t stand, even more than that, is women sharing and promoting those kinds of messages. When I…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Anonymous. — My mom was a minivan mom. She had five kids back-to-back. Imagine: a dirty minivan, with crumbs and Hot Cheetos bags scattered everywhere. Packing five lunches, dropping off five kids, making breakfast, lunch, dinner, doing dishes, laundry, getting groceries and driving a minivan. Of course, taking a shower, eating and resting…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Lexi Alexander. — Shortly after the the U.K. voted for Brexit and hate crimes rose to unprecedented numbers, I began receiving messages from hijabis (Muslim women who choose to wear the traditional veil “hijab”) asking me if I could post some self-defense videos. I had previously posted videos based on requests from women…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Shaykh Hasib Noor Fear is natural. Anxiety of the unknown is human. We are here to not disregard your natural fears & your questions about maintaining your hijab. But this fear should not translate to feeling helpless & hopeless. You have many examples in your struggle, you are not alone. Sumayyah, who stood…
By Guest BloggerFrom time to time, a non-Muslim will ask me if I have been wearing the hijab for most of my life. When I answer that I started wearing it at the age of 20 without telling my parents, and that my mother does not wear the hijab, I see their eyes widen in surprise. My…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Danah Kowdan. — I am power I am melanin bones and skin Bonds made That are not to be broken Always meant to be mended Fed through blood lines and sweat Of women Who told me selflessness is the way of being Give more To be more But I’m left with less How…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Lubabah Chowdhury Dear Asra Nomani, You will not remember this, but you and I have actually met before. You came to speak at my alma mater when I was a junior at college, just beginning to develop a political understanding that moved beyond well-intentioned but misguided liberalism and strengthening my connection to a faith…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Shereen Malherbe. What is your favorite book? You might be like me and have too many to mention. Of those books, which characters are your favorite? Do they represent you? The answer to this, in the majority of western published literature is probably no. If you are represented, have another look at the…
By Guest BloggerBeing a girl definitely comes with its set of challenges, and being a Muslim girl comes with a few more. Add to that being a Desi (South Asian, from the Indian Subcontinent) in the West, and you’ve likely had some unique struggles at times. 1. Cultural Confusion — Desi Enough? Juggling multiple identities is not easy. Desi…
By Guest BloggerWritten by Anonymous. Trigger Warning: Depression, Anxiety, PTSD. — This is an open letter to all my friends. I want to start off by telling you, if you don’t already know, that I’m in an abusive relationship with my mind. Some odd weeks ago, I met Depression in the same way you meet any person…
