By Zoha QamarA series of allegations regarding inappropriate conduct by popular speaker Nouman Ali Khan hit a tipping point earlier this week. A number of prominent Muslim-American community leaders have released statements through social media, with a substantial fraction of them asserting the claims of his gender-based and sexual misconduct to be true. Inappropriate messages with a number of…
By Zoha QamarRizwan Ahmed, also known as Riz MC, made history Sunday night as the first South Asian man as well first Muslim to take home an Emmy. Ahmed was nominated twice – once for his role in “The Night Of” and then for a guest appearance in “Girls.” He went home with “Outstanding Lead Actor in…
By Zoha Qamar2017 has not been the easiest year. We’ve seen bans specifically targeting Muslims, America officially inaugurating a sexist as the president, and xenophobes everywhere bolstering discrimination. But don’t let that fool anyone – the #MuslimGirlArmy doesn’t let even the most heated hate get in the way of Muslim women’s history. We teamed up with our allies to…
By Zoha QamarNearing the one month anniversary of Trump’s election affords us a minuscule amount of time before his January inauguration and takeover and the Affordable Care Act—Obamacare—is in jeopardy, as are women’s health resources in general. Trump’s aggressive pro-life attitude publicized in his campaign promises to defund the nonprofit Planned Parenthood (PP), the largest player in…
By Zoha QamarThis fall, the Smithsonian is slated to debut its first ever exhibit featuring the Qur’an. The four month display, “The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts,” will spotlight pieces lent by the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul. After a trip to Istanbul in 2010, chief…
By Zoha QamarThere is a stand. Maybe it’s marked by a booming black mic, a large maple podium, some tape on the carpet, an etch in the dirt. Perhaps it’s nestled under chandelier tears, framed Arabic verse, low sullen ceilings, or brisk open breeze. There is a voice. Maybe it’s English, Arabic, a combination, or none of…
By Zoha QamarHistorically, mainstream media has never fostered a home or haven for Muslim women. Our relationship with the entire media industry–from pop culture to breaking news–began as a one-way street of observance: A chance for Muslim women to glimpse into a spanning world where we thought we belonged, yet a world we learned did not bother with…
