Modern Muslim life beyond the headlines.
By Sahara AhmedI learned I was undocumented very early on in life. When I moved to Brooklyn from Egypt at the age of three, I was filled with hope and excitement. I heard stories about how safe America was, how the promise of jobs and opportunity was everywhere. My education would be free, accessible and unparalleled. I…
By Nena BeechamYou did it! You found your best friend. Within the first few moments of getting to know each other, you knew your friendship was going to last forever. You connect with each other and resonate on a frequency that only a few may ever reach. You know what makes them laugh. They know what makes…
By Guest BloggerThis is difficult to write and a sensitive topic to write about, but I do so to connect with any reader who has been through something similar, and for the brokenhearted who choose to sit with their pain sober to get through it (honestly, you’re strong as ever if you choose to confront the pain)….
By Anonymous“If people realize that dating is simply a normal thing that has been around for centuries everywhere, that you don’t need to learn it from movies, then people start to see it as something independent of physical [acts]. Physical relations are simply a choice.” -Taimur Ali, senior at Georgetown University’s Qatar campus I would have to agree with…
By Maz HalimaTo My Hijab — I adored you, but I had to let you go. Once upon a time, you made me feel like a better woman. I’d wrap you around me and feel safer, more confident, purposeful… holy. Without you I’m vulnerable to prying eyes; I feel open to judgement, up for debate, here for…
By Anum AhmedThe discourse across my Twitter timeline these days has been centered around mental health resources – a slew of hotline numbers, critiques over lack of funding for important organizations, and the sharing of quotes and details in memory of those who’ve passed. We see this behavior in the wake of any tragedy; a world-wide wake…
By MG StaffWe are constantly told, by way of culture or Bollywood, that we need to get good grades so we can go to college, graduate and get a good job and somehow also find a husband who we will spend the rest of our lives with, and create a family. We have to be cut-throat careerists,…
By Guest BloggerDating as a Muslim? Can Muslims date? What even is dating nowadays!? These questions are sadly often neglected and shoved under rug in the name of religion. Yet, in the safety of their rooms and under their soft blanket, Muslim women of all ages are turning to one another for the answers. I recall many…
By nadiadreidPrenups usually rear their head in modern American culture when a wealthy man wants to make sure his wife-to-be doesn’t run off with his fortune, and are generally viewed as an unromantic sign that modern couples don’t take marriage as seriously as their parents did. But prenuptial agreements aren’t a new invention for a…
By Ayah Rashid“Hey, aren’t you hot in that?” This is the question just about every hijabi athlete is asked whenever she participates in a sport. Muslim women who wear hijab have recently become hyper-visible in mainstream media as they participate in sports on global platforms like the Olympics. Muslim women like US fencer Ibtihaj Mohammad, Egyptian volleyball…
By vanessa el shamyI was in college when Trump was elected president. I remember going to sleep in utter shock after he had won the election, and waking up the next morning to go to class in a daze. There was a stillness in the air — like even the Trump supporters knew something was wrong with this…
By MG StaffA few days ago, we heard about Kate Spade’s death, and then Anthony Bourdain’s suicide took over the news today. The most common line all over social media is a shocked, “But they seemed so happy?” Kate Spade was a fashion icon who launched an empire built on whimsical bags and accessories. The world was…
By Tayyaba AhmedI was visiting my grandparents abroad in Pakistan, when my khala (aunt) who lived in Pakistan approached me in private. She asked me what I knew about periods. My khala is ten years younger then my mom and has always been considered my “cool” aunt; the one who would take me to get my second…
By Marwa DiafIn a world full of dreamers of wedding bells and perfect wedding dresses, there seems to be an overall consensus about which months are perfect for weddings. Within my clique, that month did not coincide with the proximity of Ramadan. In fact, I heard, “Don’t get married right before or during Ramadan,” more times than…
By Nada MousaIt’s hard to believe, but Ramadan is almost halfway over. This holy time of the year brings with it an experience unlike no other. For Muslims all over the world, this month marks a moment where worldly pleasures are subtracted, and spirituality multiplied. You can feel this purity as family members, friends, and loved ones share well wishes…
