Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attack — the overarching catastrophe that has turned upside down the shared reality of our Muslim communities in the U.S. and across the globe. Unforeseen back in 2001, September 11 quickly became a stain projected onto our Muslim communities by our neighbors, classmates, teachers, and mass media….
Tag Muslim representation
Is Dr. Oz a ‘Pick Me’ Muslim?
Dr. Oz, known for his popular television show, recently ran as a Republican in the U.S. Senate. (Spoiler alert: He lost.) His campaign received much attention from the Muslim and non-Muslim communities, with some excited about his nomination, and others wary of his intentions. What made Dr. Oz’s campaign so important was that if he…
It’s all about authenticity.
Mo Amer Talks Muslim Taboos on His New Netflix Show
Stand-up comedian Mo Amer recently debuted his new and instantly-trending Netflix show, Mo. Set in Alief, Houston, the show is heavily inspired by Amer’s background as a Palestinian refugee finding home in his diverse Texan hometown. Mo touches on themes of family responsibility, the refugee legal process in America, and the displacement that often features…
S.K. Ali Set Out to Get 100 Rejections. Now She’s a BestSelling Author
As a very avid reader growing up, I was always on the lookout for a book with a Muslim protagonist. It would be my day’s mission to scour my school or local library in search of a book with a Muslim character or written by a Muslim author. And it was seldom that I ever…
Yasmina El-Abd on Her New Role and Female Representation
Netflix’s Egyptian/Swiss/American hit star Yasmina El-Abd has made a major comeback with her new role as Princess Safiya in the newly-aired HBO Max series Theodosia. El-Abd has been in the entertainment industry since the age of nine; she’s appeared in commercials, music videos, and musicals. She was also a TV presenter for National Geographic Kids…
Is Euphoria’s Ali the Muslim Representation We Need?
The second season of Euphoria came to an explosive end, leaving viewers with a mixed bag of emotions. While we were introduced to a variety of new characters this season, we also got to see the return of some of our favorites. Among them, we saw the return of Ali, Rue’s sponsor and mentor in rehab. Ali…
This Woman Is NYC’s 1st Muslim Woman Councilmember
Despite being one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, New York City has never had a Muslim woman serve on City Council until now. We at Muslim Girl are proud to say that on November 2nd, from Brooklyn’s 39th district, Shahana Hanif has made history in NYC by becoming the first Muslim woman…
“DUNE”: Will We Ever Get The Representation We Deserve In Film?
“DUNE” is a highly anticipated film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel of the same name. It is set to release on October 22, 2021. And anyone who is a fan of Timothee Chalamet is probably going to see it — whether or not they like Sci-Fi/Fantasy in the first place. Recently, the official YouTube…
There’s Now An Eid Outfit For American Girl Dolls
Growing up, I saved every single penny I got for chores or good grades, which was about $2 a week, to buy American Girl dolls. They each come with a cultural story, and of course, I identified with none of them. But, as many brown girls know, you kind of go with the one that…
Watch: Dismantling the Mainstream Media’s Image of the Muslim Woman
In this talk, Nastesho Ulow takes on the image of the so-called “oppressed Muslim woman that is so prevalent in the media. She talks about how this misrepresentation, especially of Muslim women, leads to prejudice and provides solutions to utilize in our daily lives so we aren’t influenced by fake news. Watch above.
Why Halima Aden’s Story Highlights the Importance of Representation for Muslim Women
In December 2017, while scrolling through social media, I came across a picture of a young woman wearing the Nigerian attire for lawyers: a black robe, and a blonde wig. Beneath the wig, she had on a light black hijab that was carefully tucked into her collars. It neither disfigured her robe nor hid any…
Poem: Not What I Meant
In this poem, the author explores media representations in which women take off their hijab for one reason or the other, often to satisfy Western standards or the male gaze. As the girl on the TV takes off her hijab, I watch in awe, I thought people would accuse her of breaking the law, I…
Here’s Why “9-1-1: Lone Star” Needs to Do Better
It’s 2020, and Muslim women can be found representing states at the federal level, serving as CEOs of major companies, and taking the art world by storm. One would think that such public prominence would improve how Muslim women are perceived and represented. Sadly, that has not been the case. It would seem that certain…
Ramy on “Ramy”: Leaning Into the Discomfort
This profile piece is part of Ramy’s extended interview for Say Wallah!, the first podcast from the editors of MuslimGirl.com, where we bring our group chat to life! Catch the full new episode featuring Ramy now on Spotify, iTunes, and SoundCloud. NOTE: Spoilers ahead — you have been warned. “I wanted a show that would be real….
Dear Spider-Man: Using the Hijab as a Prop Does Not Equal Representation
Dear Spidey, Just in case nobody informed you, using the hijab as a prop in your movie does not count as representation. Yours Truly, A Real Life Hijabi Okay, I know the intro sounds a bit salty, so let’s preface this with the fact that I obsessively love the Marvel films, and thoroughly enjoyed “Spider-Man:…