By Zarina ImanOn Friday, Jan. 5 in New York Grand Central Station, a protest of about 70 was held and organized by NYC Students for Justice in Palestine. A small group of counter-protestors were also present, holding signs that read “Thank God for Trump.” These protests come following the arrest of 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi, who was arrested for assaulting…
By Zarina ImanIn this video, author, poet and motivational speaker Najwa Zebian discusses her own experiences with abuse, self-love and self-esteem. She talks about everything from conversations with her father to her own relationships. This talk given at the 2017 Summit of Greatness unpacks the realizations Zebian had when writing her two books, “Mind Platter” and “Nectar of Pain” and ends…
By Zarina Iman(Saul Loeb/Getty) It has been one year since the 2016 presidential election, a day when millions of Americans threw their support behind intolerance and pure hate. We need to take time to reflect. This has been a year packed with Russian conspiracies, climate change denial, blows to Planned Parenthood and healthcare, the rise of white supremacy and…
By Zarina ImanAiring right before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, The Secret Life of Muslims became a viral sensation. The series of videos shared the stories of about a dozen Muslims across America, including MuslimGirl founder, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh. With a Goldziher Award and a Peabody Award nomination already in tow, the series now has an Emmy nomination for outstanding short documentary and…
By Zarina ImanAt age 25, Esma Voloder, a Muslim, has won the Miss Australia beauty pageant and will now be going on to compete for the title of Miss World. Voloder, a criminal profiler by trade, was born in a refugee camp after her parents had escaped the Bosnian War. Remembering her parents’ struggle in the face…
By Zarina ImanWhile Jahed Choudhury is not the first gay Muslim man to get married, his widely shared experience speaks to the adversity LGBTQ+ Muslims continue to face. Choudhury, the 24-year-old son of Bangladeshi immigrants, says he has been harassed by Muslims and non-Muslims alike for his sexual orientation. “Some people would spit on me, empty rubbish bins…
By Zarina ImanBoth Muslims and non-Muslims joined in a march against terrorism in Cologne, Germany on Saturday under the slogan “Not With Us.” While 10,000 people signed up to attend the march, the crowd grew to only about 1,000 people, disappointing many. “Muslim civil society should not let extremists speak [for them].” However, the rally’s organizers Lamya…
By Zarina ImanMuslim Women’s Day happened, and it was amazing!!! But, like always, a dedicated group of trolls tried and failed to overshadow all the fabulous Muslim women highlighted. So, we at Muslim Girl thought it was appropriate (entertaining?) to show you some of the most embarrassing troll posts made — with commentary, of course. Lynda is absolutely…
By Zarina ImanAs Muslim women, inequality isn’t a foreign concept. Whether we actively experience it in our daily lives or hear about it on the news, discrimination is something that our Muslim identity faces on a daily – and it’s exhausting. Here’s the deal though – in order for us to challenge the hateful rhetoric and face the…
By Zarina ImanOnly weeks after the shooting of two Indian men in Kansas, Deep Rai, a Sikh man, was shot in the driveway of his home in the Seattle area. Rai, 39, was working on his car around 8 P.M. this past Friday, when a six-foot-tall white man wearing a mask approached him. According to Jasmit Singh,…
By Zarina ImanMotivating millions to march across America and the world, the Women’s March was, no doubt, a success. While the solidarity shown by those attending the march was encouraging, the question must be asked: would as many people, specifically white women, who attended the march by the thousands, show up — had it been connected to any other…
By Zarina ImanThe Eiffel Tower, a cornerstone of French culture, went dark on Wednesday to display solidarity for the people of Aleppo in the wake of the Syrian government’s capture of the rebel held city. “At the request of Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, the Eiffel Tower will be symbolically dark this evening, Wednesday, Dec. 14, to demonstrate…
By Zarina ImanAt 15 years old, Amaiya Zafar, a Muslim girl from Minnesota, fell in love with amateur boxing. Now, a year later, she is fighting to box, while observing her faith. With so few women boxers, Zafar has always struggled to find opponents. Standing at about 5 feet tall with a weight of less than 120 pounds,…
By Zarina ImanNo one was born knowing they were Muslim. Our Muslim identity is something we’ve created throughout our lives that keeps evolving and changing with us. At some point or another, we experienced something that caused us to realize our Muslim identity, whether it was not being able to eat pepperoni as a child — or celebrating Eid…
By Zarina ImanThe man responsible for stabbing eight people in a Minnesota mall on Saturday is now being deemed “a soldier of the Islamic State,” by ISIS linked news agencies. The attacked happened around 8:15 p.m. in the Crossroads Mall of St. Cloud, Minnesota. The suspect was dressed as a security guard managed to stab eight people before he…
