By In 2014, we promised to take 2015 by storm… and we did not disappoint. This past year was one of glass-breaking, history-making, narrative-reclaiming badassery. Thank you to all the Muslim girls out there who continue to speak up for our community, who won’t be silenced, who took bigots to the Supreme Court, who challenged presidential candidates, who led activist initiatives, who are working to put cracks in the glass ceiling. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
There’s no doubt 2015 was the year of the Muslim Girl, despite the tragedies that rung through our community and the misplaced bigotry we had to face on so many levels.
So, as we hit the ground running this new year, please join us in reflecting on this past year and the incredible discussions we shared together in some of our favorite highlights below. And, of course, just as we promised to take 2015 by storm a year ago… Here’s to taking on 2016 by hurricane — together.
1. “A Muslim Woman’s First Thoughts After the Paris Attacks”
http://muslimgirl.com/16011/thoughts-after-paris-attack/
The Paris shootings on Nov. 13, 2015 had the whole world shaking. In this piece, MuslimGirl’s writer Hasnaa Mokhtar eloquently described what many Muslims were thinking and feeling following this horrifying tragedy. Her words resonated with thousands and this article was eventually featured in Fortune Magazine.
2. “Non Muslim Porn Star Mia Khalifa and Sexual Fetish of Hijab”
http://muslimgirl.com/9218/porn-star-mia-khalifa-sexual-fetish-hijab/
Mira Abouelezz’s article on fetishization of the hijab in the porn industry was in fact MG’s most visited article of 2015. The controversial depiction of a non-Muslim porn star wearing nothing but a headscarf sparked outrage all over the internet. MuslimGirl’s take on it also attracted thousands of readers.
3. “This Arab Girl Just Remixed Adele’s ‘Hello’ With Fairouz”
http://muslimgirl.com/15886/arab-girl-just-remixed-adeles-hello-fairouz/
Everyone loved this one, and why wouldn’t they?
4. “Since When is the Hijab a Pillar of Islam?”
http://muslimgirl.com/13716/since-hijab-pillar-islam-2/
The Muslim community is undoubtedly obsessed with the hijab. Unfortunately, many people think this piece of cloth is what makes or breaks a Muslim woman’s dedication to her faith. This thought piece challenged this notion and reminded us that the Hijab is not one of the five pillars of Islam.
5. “Stop Using #MuslimLivesMatter”
http://muslimgirl.com/10302/solidarity-mean-appropriation/
Written in response to the emerging #MuslimLivesMatter hashtag which was created following the Chapel Hill Shootings, this MuslimGirl article discussed the harms of addressing Muslim issues through (ab)using a variation of the very popular hashtag created by Black folk for Black issues (#BlackLivesMatter)
6. “Why Are Muslim Guys Responding to That ‘Short Shorts’ Article?”
http://muslimgirl.com/10835/muslim-guys-responding-short-shorts-article/
A Muslim girl wrote an article called “Practicing Islam in Short Shorts” about her experiences as a young Muslim female in the West and it attracted a variety of different responses. She was admired by some and criticized by others. One Muslim guy wrote a full article in response to her piece. This MG article was written in response to that guy’s piece. It’s a complicated circle of responses but they were all widely read, shared and commented on.
7. “A Bleeding Battle: The Syrian Refugee Women’s Issue No One is Talking About”
http://muslimgirl.com/15018/a-bleeding-battle-syrian-refugee-women-issue-menstruation/
Refugees have been dealing with more challenges than we can even begin to conceive. One that particularly pertains to refugee women is that of menstruation and the lack of hygienic sanitary products. This issue was thoroughly discussed in this MuslimGirl article.
8. “Pam Geller Wanted Us to Draw Muhammad. So We Did. [VIDEO]”
http://muslimgirl.com/12016/dm2015/
A few months after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Pamela Geller, an American activist and commentator known for her Islamophobic rhetoric, hosted a competition to draw more cartoons of the Prophet (PBUH) which Muslims generally find to be offensive. Now the thing is that Muhammad is the most common name in the world so it is highly likely that most of us know a person by that name. So instead of giving Geller exactly what she wanted and reacting with anger and hate, MuslimGirl asked its readers to draw a Muhammad in their life and post it online with the hashtag #DM2015. Turned out that “Muhammads” of the world aren’t as scary as everyone thought!
9. “#ToTheMuslimGirls: 15 Things You Need To Hear Right Now”
http://muslimgirl.com/12601/tothemuslimgirls/
These 15 amazing messages were things Muslim girls all over the world needed to hear. They made us laugh, gave us a sense of sisterhood and made us real proud that we’re fabulous Muslim girls who don’t need no one but Allah!
10. “H&M Wins Over Muslim Girls Everywhere with New Model”
http://muslimgirl.com/13848/hm-feature-hijabi-model/
This was the time when Mariah Idrissi modeled for H&M. The best part? She’s a hijabi. Her photo took the internet, especially Muslim twitter, by storm. Idrissi broke barriers for Muslim women in the fashion industry and everyone loved it!
11. “Dina Torkia and the Subgrouping of ‘Hijabi Bloggers’”
http://muslimgirl.com/11547/hijabi-fashhion-bloggers-considered-sub-fashion-bloggers/
Muslim hijabi bloggers have really grown in numbers over the past few years. Although these young entrepreneurs, fashion designers and stay-at-home moms are doing exceptional work and have humungous following and support, they are unfairly sub-grouped within their line of work due to their Muslim identities and obvious donning of the hijab. This MG article thoroughly discussed the problem.
12. “This Is What It’s Like to Be #BlackInMSA”
http://muslimgirl.com/16761/like-blackinmsa/#comments
When activist Tariq Touré tweeted “What has Black Muslims experiences been like in MSAs? #BlackInMSA,” thousands of Black Muslims started using the hashtag to share stories about the treatment they received in Muslim Student Associations specifically because of their blackness. A lot of unfortunate truth about Black Muslim experiences was revealed through this hashtag, a compilation of which can be found in this MG article.
13. “Exam Day: Duaa to Perfect Your Memory and Increase Your Knowledge”
http://muslimgirl.com/9100/exam-day-duaa-perfect-memory-increase-knowledge/
Muslim students flocked to our website to get their hands on these incredibly beneficial duaas Marwa shared with everyone during exam season. And then they shared them with their friends and family. Everyone supporting everyone! Thanks Marwa!
14. “10 Ways to Wear a Scarf”
http://muslimgirl.com/5397/10-ways-to-wear-a-scarf/
In this article, Sania shared ten creative ways to wear a scarf (not specifically the headscarf, although that was one of the styles suggested). MuslimGirl readers loved her stylish ideas!
15. “A Timeline Of What’s Gone Down at Mizzou So Far”
http://muslimgirl.com/15968/timeline-of-whats-gone-down-at-mizzou-so-far/
This comprehensive timeline outlined what was really going on at the University of Missouri and helped a lot of us understand the details of a story that was all over the news. 2015 was a big year for the Black Lives Matter movement and the situation at Mizzou was one that could not be overlooked.