By lailakhanNoor Kids, an Islamic Children book series, was created by Amin Aaser, a Muslim American worried about the future of his niece. Today, Noor Kids has sold more than 25,000 books across 25 countries. The stories feature adorable characters that address Islamic concepts such as honesty and gratitude. Noor Kids is also a forerunner in…
By lailakhanFor all the busy girls wishing there were more than 24 hours in a day, this one’s for you. This list also features shops by Muslim women! 1. This Mug! You need this mug by MadebyUmmi, which will satisfy both your caffeine craving and your love of puns. Buy it Here. 2. This trench coat This one’s from MK…
By lailakhanMost of us have felt some kind of anxiety in our lives—prior to a test, standing before a crowd, going to a place where you don’t know anyone. But for others, anxiety may feel like an overwhelming presence, and there is no shame in getting help with that. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association…
By lailakhanOn Friday, Nov. 18, Vice President-Elect, Mike Pence went to see Hamilton on Broadway. Upon entering the show, the crowd was a mix of boos and cheers for the VP and after the show finished on behalf of the cast, actor Brandon Victor Dixon had a special message for Pence. The transcript is below: The…
By lailakhanIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put into motion yet another oppressive tactic against the Palestinian people, this time trying to silence the holy call to prayer. A proposal has been sent to the Israeli Parliament, backed by Netanyahu, to ban loudspeakers in places of worship to cut down on “noise pollution” across all of “Israel.” This ban…
By lailakhan#NotMyPresident-Elect Donald Trump You climbed on our backs to make yourself great (again). You had nothing to turn to but to make everyone hate (again). You did not win, Bigotry, Racism, and Hate won (again). We moved 10 steps forward, and you moved us 20 steps back (again). It is like my history book came…
By lailakhanShaytan, Satan, Iblees, the Devil, Lucifer—these are all synonymous for the one ultimate enemy. The tempter, the doomed one, the damned one—the one that can take you to hell. A while back, the image below was circulating, suggesting that Shaytan missed one sajda (prostration), which got him kicked out of heaven. The message was: do not miss your prayers…
By lailakhanThe United Arab Emirates, better known as Dubai, is a rapidly growing country. Dubai is like the America of the Middle East. There are people here from more than 75 different countries, so moving here wasn’t such a culture shock. English can get you by pretty much anywhere, plus they had all my favorite restaurants and…
By lailakhanItalian Muslims held Friday prayers near the Colosseum in Rome, Italy to protest the shut downs of several mosques in the country. This comes from a line of discrimination in Italy, starting with not recognizing Islam as an official religion. According to Al Jazeera, there are more than 800,000 Muslims in Italy, which make up about…
By lailakhan“I am my own guardian” reads the above captions. Borrowed from a Saudi artist who goes by the name Ms. Saffaa, this slogan has become the highlight of the latest campaign by Saudi women. In this past year, Saudi women have shown to be the majority of students in university, are rising to senior positions…
By lailakhanAn Emirati man has taken a brave first step this week and has applied to the courts for a sex reassignment surgery. He is the first to do so in the country, soon after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) passed a bill allowing the surgical procedure in their country. This bill recognizes gender dysphoria as…
By lailakhanStarting a family is a beautiful thing if it is something you want. For me, I’ve always known that I wanted a baby, but the idea of getting married and moving away to a new country was too much to handle — so I decided to wait. And now I’ve been married for two years. I…
By lailakhanThe tragic death of valedictorian, Raheel Siddiqui, a 20 year old Pakistani-American, uncovered horrifying details of his treatment at the Parris Island, South Carolina Marine boot camp. Siddiqui joined the camp early March 2016 with a medical clearance and no previous history of suicidal thoughts. A week into training, recruits are picked up by drill…
By lailakhanSolmaz Sharif’s first book of poems, “LOOK,” is hauntingly beautiful. I couldn’t put it down and when I did I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Each time I’ve read it, (so far, three times) it has evoked a different meaning and a different feeling from me. Born in Istanbul to Iranian parents, Sharif later migrated…
By lailakhanRemember all those times people would comment about the burqa ban in France saying how telling women they can’t cover up is the same thing as telling women to cover up? And that patrolling women’s bodies whether its telling them to cover up or not is still wrong? This comes after several high ranking Daesh…
