Lifestyle

“Why aren’t we putting our military retirees on that border or in TSA? Get rid of all these hibi-jabis they wear at TSA?” asked an audience member at a Trump rally. Itemad “Angel” Almatar was arrested by Chicago police while trying to catch a train in Chicago. Both stories, among scores of others, highlight the…

Several years ago I decided to travel to Egypt to visit a friend that lived there. She mentioned planning to take me to Dahab, a place in Egypt on the Red Sea. So I decided to buy a Burkini. After a lot of research, I finally purchased one from a company out of Australia. This…

At this point I don’t think there is a person on the planet that has not heard of the “Brexit” palava of June 2016 that got us Brits freaking out about our future. It left a lot of us scratching our heads in disbelief that more than half of our country voted against something that…

Going into my first year of college, away from home, as a first generation, only daughter, and youngest child in a Muslim family — I was in for a big surprise as I began my journey in learning some important life lessons. I had to do some serious convincing in order to attend school away…

For incoming freshmen, college is absolutely terrifying. It’s not an easy adjustment, especially when you’re moving far away from home. You’re thrown into a huge pool with unfamiliar faces and are told to figure it out on your own. It’s easy to be negatively influenced or tempted when you’re in such a new environment. Consider…

At six years old, I used to sit on a stool in Mama’s room while she slowly sectioned off my hair and saturated it with grease. I would wail and try to escape but Mama always managed to wrestle me to the ground so she wouldn’t lose the braid she was working on, all the…

Let me start out with a disclaimer. I love going away with my 4-year-old son. He’s great fun, not much bother, and carries a big chunk of my heart around with him. A few months ago, we went on an awesome family adventure into the Sumatran jungle to see orangutans. Despite having a wonderful time,…

WARNING: This article contains graphic sexual content. Please be advised of its sensitive nature. Incest occurs in all types of families, faiths, and race. No one category is immune to it. If you or someone you know has been subjected to incest or any type of molestation, please seek help. We here at Muslim Girl…

Growing up in a post-Sept. 11 world meant growing up with Brand Hijab™: a multi-purpose device that prevented rape and sexual harassment, cured body-image problems and served as a counter-culture to the capitalist West’s exploitation of the female body. As pundits exalted the virtues of the Hijab™, the larger structures of patriarchy were left largely…

My father keeps the remote in his hand the entire time we watch the news. Every few minutes, he alternates between CNN and MSNBC. After a few of these rotations, he switches to Fox. We quickly shift back. We play this game until it is time for dinner or until one of us grows exhausted…

In many ways, sihr, or black magic, is linked to superstition, yet even some of the most devout Muslims believe in its existence, regardless of whether or not they are educated or uneducated, rich or poor. In the Muslim world, it’s common for men and women to visit healers for all sorts of problems, from…

Growing up and playing with different makeup products was cute and innocent back in my pre-teens. So tell me this: Why is it as we transition into being young women that makeup becomes taboo amongst some Muslims? Many defend their stance with the fact that God ordered us to stay true to ourselves, and not change…

“You met your husband in college when you were 20? That’s so great! What’s it like to be married to your best friend?” I’m not sure why everyone jumps to the conclusion that my husband is my best friend. He’s not. My best friends are my college girlfriends who I’ve shared countless laughs, tears, and…

This is my favorite part of writing about health, because I love food! Besides the wonderful taste, food gives us energy.  But certain foods give us the wrong type of energy. Processed and greasy foods can contribute to a diet high in fats and sugar, and can result in lower energy and physical performance. Plus,…