By nihalmubarakWith only a week left before the new semester starts, you may be wondering what to do before getting back to the grind of papers, exams and all night study sessions. But it’s winter!!! Where can you go during this frozen time of the year? You won’t have to worry about ever being overdressed, and there’s…
By nihalmubarakWhat does it mean, really, when we say: We are Palestine When we change our Facebook profiles for a week or two When we post dark images on Instagram and write moving paragraphs as captions, trying to make a point What does it mean when we wear a keffiyeh and march in streets that look…
By nihalmubarakI will tell you what it means To be a woman The world is a scale And you will always be Too heavy You will never measure up To their expectations There is not enough kale on earth To cleanse what they have made you Become Listen Those stretch marks Running zig zags…
By nihalmubarakI have fantasies of being a mother to a beautiful baby boy He has big brown eyes that look like honey And soft, black curls that make me love him even more In my mind my little boy is a little boy forever He has a toothless smile and can’t pronounce his r’s And his first…
By nihalmubarakIf you haven’t heard Luis Fonti’s Despacito by now, where have you been? The catchy tune is the perfect summer jam, especially the original Spanish version. It seems that the song pairs well with any language; Justin Bieber heard it and insisted on making a remix, and now YouTuber Noel Kharman — who regularly mashes American…
By nihalmubarakNow that the last 10 nights of Ramadan are upon us, we should take every opportunity to complete any acts of worship we have perhaps fallen short of since the beginning of the month. We should make dua and remember Allah (SWT) as often as possible. As one of the most blessed nights, Laylat-ul-Qadr falls on one…
By nihalmubarakWe all know that Ramadan is a time for spiritual reawakening, but that doesn’t mean that we should neglect our bodies and their needs. It’s possible for both your skin and spirit to glow this month — and what better way to maintain healthy, radiant skin (and hair) than by formulating a customized, organic beauty…
By nihalmubarakYet another hate crime has been carried out against Muslim women by a white male —this time in Columbus, Ohio. The suspect, who is still unnamed, severely beat Somali-American Rahma Warsame after she came to the defense of another Muslim woman. Warsame, who is a single mother, sustained horrific injuries after she was beaten unconscious by…
By nihalmubarakWatch this video, which breaks down some of the physical changes —both positive and negative—that happen to our bodies when we undergo fasting.
By nihalmubarakOn Thursday, May 4, PEN America hosted a live Twitter chat with three Muslim-American women writers—most notably Marvel comics editor and Ms. Marvel co-creator Sana Amanat and Dr. Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, activist and author of the book “Muslim Cool: Race, Religion and Hip Hop in the United States.” Using the hashtag #MuslimWomenWrite, the discussion touched on many…
By nihalmubarakThe beautiful month of Ramadan is right around the corner, and every year, it seems I end up repeating some of the same mistakes and bad habits that I promise myself I won’t fall into come next year. Culturally, for many of us Ramadan has become a time to gather with family and friends, to…
By nihalmubarakWhen I was in the fifth grade, My mama used to tell me I had Beautiful skin— I didn’t believe her. My skin was awkward and heavy, As though it belonged to someone else. I had skin that stretched and wrapped itself around me Too many times over I had skin that was jiggly and…
By nihalmubarakMinnesota House Minority Leader Melissa Hortman has had enough of her White male colleagues’ bad habit of ignoring women of color (WOC.) She said as much during a meeting in which House members were debating legislation that would increase penalties for protesters who block major roads. While several WOC were giving powerful speeches regarding the bill, members…
By nihalmubarakIf I were a painting, I could maybe understand Your desire to stand before me and strip Me down until you are satisfied with the Judgments you have made about me, as though You are an expert on what it means to be A woman. But I am not a painting, and I am not…
By nihalmubarakEgyptian-American writer and journalist Mona Eltahawy is used to people disagreeing with her. On March 5, she tweeted out her frustration, half in jest, after receiving an email from a stranger who took the time to tell the journalist that he didn’t agree with her views. Using the hashtag #DearSister, Eltahawy made it clear that as…
