By Laila AlawaThe undercurrents of this issue have been rumbling throughout the community this past year, and it’s time someone got up and spoke up about it. Granted, don’t read this if you’re looking for something sugary sweet and devoid of reality. I don’t have time to waste when it comes to an issue as tangible, problematic…
By Laila AlawaIf you’re a part of the Muslim American community, you have likely heard of the cause heard ‘round the world: a petition, put together by three homeschooled Muslim middle school students in Virginia, asking the White House to have public schools recognize Muslim holidays. This is actually the second such petition to appear in the…
By Laila AlawaShe has all the general trappings of your typical superhero: standing up for the weak and defenseless, she’s always there to save the day. She’s always there when you most need her, and she has some awesome swordsmanship skills. She’s your typical badass crime-fighter. But wait. Qahera’s not like everyone else. Something makes Qahera different:…
By Laila AlawaI remember when I first wanted to be a boy. I was eight years old — and back then, my father would take me with him to attend Jummah at our small mosque. My brothers weren’t yet old enough to pay attention to the khutbah, so I relished the role of being the “chosen one,”…
By Laila AlawaI always felt as though my life, my being, my very self were forevermore saddled with the very expectations of generations before me, dusty individuals, their fervent whispers carrying, moving, traveling, across centuries of near-still air, air rippled only with the occasional revolution, scented softly with rosewater and hot Arabic coffee, that their unfulfilled wishes,…
By Laila AlawaLet’s take a moment and talk about how ludicrous the recent Jihawg Ammo pork-laced bullets sound to anyone, regardless of background. As both a devout Muslim and freedom-loving American, I find myself at a weird crossroads. A short introduction to the bullets, if you happened to miss out on the juicy, cholesterol-filled bit of news…
