By hinataiAlmost 100,000 people are rallying across France after a terrorist attack against a French publication. Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine in Paris that is known for publishing mocking cartoons of Prophet Muhammad as well as other notable political and religious figures, was the target of these attacks. As a Muslim and budding journalist, I feel…
By Dear President Erdogan, Have you ever heard the story of Shajar al-Durr? The “gentle lady” widow declared Sultana of Egypt in the 13th century. The “fragile” woman who, almost single-handedly, terminated the Seventh Crusade. The “dainty” leader who orchestrated the capture of King Louis IX of France. The “delicate” politician who fiercely negotiated with the French, regained…
By hinataiThree months ago, Fouzia travelled seven hours from Girdi Jungal, Pakistan to the Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, running away from her abusive husband and his two murderous wives to live with her mother. Under the guise of worry for her son’s mental and physical health, she told her husband that her mother had connections to…
By Sajida HydoubI don’t know about you, but being someone who’s in a constant state of anger against injustices around the world, I could use a little heart-warming sometimes. Oftentimes when I scroll down my Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr feeds, all I see are stories of horrors around the world. “Black teenager shot dead.” “Death toll in…
By AmaniTwo beautiful sisters wrote a letter to the Arab world. In it, they captured the essence of the region today and the trembling thoughts of Arabs across the world. Rihan Younan is a poet. With her power of poeticism, she wrote earth-shattering prose about the current state of the Middle East, touching upon Syria, Iraq,…
By hinataiEver since three Israeli teens went missing, in early June, Israeli forces have launched an offensive, collective punishment campaign. They have killed, injured and arrested hundreds of Palestinians. One particular occurrence has garnered mass media attention this past week: the death of Palestinian teenager, Muhammed Abu Khdeir, and the beating of his cousin, Tariq Abu…
By SaraEvery so often, Western feminists are struck with the need to “liberate” Muslim women from our religion and hijab. FEMEN is a Ukrainian feminist group that recently launched an “International Topless Jihad Day,” a series of demonstrations throughout Europe, in protest of Islam’s “oppression” of women. First, why is there a prevalent belief that women…
By JannaThe Arabic word for revolution, thawra, which is in the form of the feminine tense, undoubtedly reflects the nature of the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring has given rise to activists such as Egypt’s Asmaa Mahfouz and Yemen’s Noble Peace Prize Winner Tawakkul Karman, who were vital players in the toppling of regimes. It is…
By AmaniAs the champions of the World Cup will suspensively by decided over the next two days, prominent international figures, including world leaders, performers, and the players themselves, are trying to remind us of the one goal that matters: education for all. Spearheaded by Queen Rania of Jordan, the 1GOAL campaign is aimed at seizing “the…
By samanthaUpon its creation, Twitter became a fascination for some and the butt of jokes for many. The social networking site allows users to “micro-blog,” describing their current mood or thoughts in 140 characters or less — a constraint that, in a swirl of other similar sites, made it seem like a waste of time. Politicians eager…
