Identity

Here are eight things, represented by — of course — memes, on what not to say to Muslim converts. 1. “But Janet Jackson doesn’t always wear hijab.” 2. “Does your baby fast too?” 3. “Do the Benazir Bhutto with your scarf. Benazir.” ? Really?  4. “Do you pray five times a day?” 5. “Is that henna…

My second favorite holiday that I don’t celebrate is Halloween. I love how people get into costume and character. Plus, the candy is sweeter right around that time. It is also that time of year when I have to school you on what lines you have to be careful not to cross. This year, you…

Janet Jackson and hubby Wissam Al Manna were spotted walking through London streets for the first time since announcing that they’re expecting a little bundle of joy. This is all exciting news, and we’re happy for them.  It wasn’t Janet’s pregnancy, however, that drew people’s attention. It was her clothing, and what she chose to wear….

The Illinois Tactical Officers Association (ITOA) held a 5-day long SWAT training and weapons expo in Hoffman Estates, Ill., from Oct. 9-13. They have a long-time affiliation with the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM). ITOA invited extreme-right conservative Dr. Sebastian Gorka to speak at the…

Warning: The following message might be too real to handle for some Muslims living in a colorblind, fictional, utopian society. Dear Muslims, Black Muslims exist in Islam too! No, we do not all need to be of Middle Eastern descent or be native Arabic speaking hijabis to be considered legitimate Muslims. Whether a Black Muslim…

It was my mom’s week to carpool. In the back seat, my friend told me that her sister was visiting from college and gave her tampons to use. Naturally inquisitive, I asked a few questions about the difference between tampons and pads before confidently announcing to my mother that, I too, would start using tampons….

The petty fashion police in Nice, France were out in full force on Tuesday, slapping Muslim women wearing Muslim-esque clothes with fines and even forcing one woman to remove her garments in public to show more skin. Four Nice policemen forced a Muslim woman in Nice wearing something akin to a burkini to remove it,…

The image that has taken the Internet by storm in the last 24 hours is one that embodies the Syrian Civil War in its entirety. It is the image of a young boy, seated in an ambulance, looking out at the world with eyes that have already seen too much. In the haunting photo, the…

It had to be me. Of course I was randomly selected. I mean, it’s not like I’m a brown, Muslim girl wearing a headscarf or have a second nationality which happens to be Afghan (insert sarcasm here.) Please don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m not used to this — trust me, I’ve been…

The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball. It’s also an organization whose regulations ban athletes who wear religious headgear, including hijab, from playing basketball professionally. In response to many’s discomfort with the rule, FIBA established a two-year preliminary trial allowing religious…

Islamophobia is undoubtedly on the rise, and the stories of of Khairuldeen Mahkzoomi and the Shebley family demonstrate just how rampant it has become, particularly in U.S. airports. In both cases, the people targeted were asked to leave the plane for “security reasons,” which just might have something to do with Islamophobic notions of speaking…

To beard or not to beard? That was apparently not the question for one Muslim police officer in Manhattan. 32-year-old Pakistani American Masood Syed was recently suspended without pay after refusing to trim his beard shorter. A written notice was presented to Syed by his supervisor the day before the suspension demanding his beard, the…

Recently, a Swedish Newspaper reported that a student in Sweden was denied a summer job because she wears hijab. The girl was going to work at a factory that said covering hair with a veil was against their hair covering policy. This particular company had a hygiene policy that included hair being covered–but with a hairnet, not…

Now that we’re well into Ramadan, chances are we’ve all been relentlessly hit with the same tireless questions and comments that we’re just tired of hearing. In no particular order, here’s a quick list of things Muslims get tired of hearing during Ramadan, strictly for bants.  🙂 “….not even water?”   “….so, like, you don’t…

Written and reported by Caitlin Salovich and Azmia  A horrific mass shooting at a LGBT Florida nightclub early Sunday morning has left 50 people dead and 53 critically injured. Witnesses recalled shots being fired inside Pulse nightclub around 2am. Moments after the first shots rang out, the nightclub issued a warning via its Facebook page,…