By Rokia Hassanein“Feminism is not a Western invention. Feminism is not invented by American women, as many people think. No, feminism is embedded in culture and in the struggle of all women all over the world.” This quote pops into my head every time someone tries to discredit and shame Arab and Muslim women’s feminist activism as…
By Rokia HassaneinA week ago, Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che drew controversy when he used a portion of the show’s satirical news section to say that Israel vaccinated most of its population from COVID-19, adding “I’m guessing it’s the Jewish half.” The joke didn’t tell the whole story, but it’s something we need to discuss since we…
By Rokia HassaneinThis week brought a huge win against religious discrimination in Tanzin v. Tanvir. The 8-0 U.S. Supreme Court ruling said that the Muslim men could sue the FBI over the FBI’s retaliation of placing them on the no-fly list after they refused to spy on their communities. In individual situations, the FBI asked Muhammad Tanvir,…
By Rokia HassaneinDiana Spencer, the Princess of Wales, was known as “the people’s princess” for a good reason. She was compassionate, relatable, and exemplified humanity that will keep her legacy alive forever. In this season of “The Crown,” a young Princess Diana, played by Emma Corrin, makes her debut. I was delighted to see more people, especially…
By Rokia HassaneinA few weeks ago, officials from the Israeli and Saudi Arabian government – notably Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu – met with U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, in Neom. Out of those talks, rumors arose that the Trump administration told the Israeli government to prepare for attacks on Iran. This…
By Rokia HassaneinJoe Biden is now the U.S. president-elect. What does this mean for Muslim Americans? Will it change anything? The answer is: it’s complicated. Yes, nationally, the Democratic Party has been much kinder vocally than the Republican Party in calling out Islamophobia, giving Muslims a platform by inviting some to speak at rallies and conventions, and…
By Rokia HassaneinAs I continue building on my activism, I’ve had to defend several ways I advocate for equality and how I identify. Perhaps none of them get more raised eyebrows than when I say I’m a socialist. Yes, the favorite villain of America politics, and perhaps the most misunderstood political concept. But socialism isn’t just misunderstood…
By Rokia HassaneinThe U.S. Senate just wrapped up its confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court, and it was the circus you might have expected. Throughout the hearings, Barrett didn’t alleviate any anxieties we had about her record of extremist stances on women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQ…
By Rokia HassaneinYesterday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee started confirmation hearings in a rushed effort to appoint Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat left vacant by late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This reckless effort is happening despite continuing speculation about Barrett’s nomination announcement event being a coronavirus superspreader that…
By Rokia HassaneinExactly one day before my 11th birthday, I got my period. Here’s what I found out when I learned what a period was, and what it meant for me as a Muslim girl, other than its monthly occurrence. I couldn’t pray when I had my period. I couldn’t fast when I had my period, but…
By Rokia HassaneinMUSLIM GIRLS ARE GETTING A MUSLIM GIRL SUPERHERO ON THEIR SCREENS. Now that I have your attention, Disney has cast Iman Vellani to play Ms. Marvel (not to be confused with Captain Marvel) in an upcoming series that will be streaming on Disney’s service. Ms. Marvel tells the adventures of Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American…
By Rokia HassaneinWe lost a giant when U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away Friday, but her legacy will keep her memory alive in our quest to ensure the laws in America truly reinforce or are changed, to allow justice for all. Ginsburg accomplished a lot for American women, but the obstacles she experienced with…
By Rokia HassaneinFinding books with a decent representation of Muslim women without a biased lens is hard in the Western literature sphere. Thankfully, more and more Muslim authors this generation are writing beautiful novels with nuanced portrayals of what it means to be a Muslim woman, and the Muslim experience. Whether you want a book to read…
By Rokia HassaneinU.S. Congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a now removed Facebook image posing with a gun alongside images of U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib saying that she’s the “squad’s worst nightmare.” You may have heard of Greene by now. She’s proudly Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, and racist. She also embraces the QAnon conspiracy theories. …
By Rokia HassaneinEarlier this week, MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid made some blatantly Islamophobic remarks when she compared white supremacists to Muslims who get radicalized in war-torn Muslim-majority countries. “When leaders, let’s say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence including on their own bodies in…
