Columns

Columns

Shaima Alawadi: Beyond ‘Hoodies and Hijabs’

The perplexing circumstances surrounding the brutal murder of a young mother, Shaima Alawadi, has had the Muslim American community abuzz recently. As her daughter purportedly found Alawadi’s body with a note stating, “go back to your country, you terrorist,” many rushed to label the incident as a ‘hate crime,’ even attempting to demonstrate a link between her death and that of Trayvon Martin, the 17 year old shot by neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman.

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altMen, Relationships

A male response to Zeba

<< From the AltMuslimah Archives >> Zeba Iqbal wrote a series of articles concerning the state of gender relations in the Muslim-American community. Although she focused on matrimony for over-30 women, I think she highlights a much larger issue of what expectations are for and from men and women. Zeba asks where all the men have gone. Short answer, it’s a patriarchy, we screwed up, but we are in a position of privilege, so we will tell you it is your fault. You now have the opportunity to change us.

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altMen, Politics

Selective outrage: Fans, athletes and adultery

An even more popular topic on the campaign trail than his incessant fear mongering, Newt Gingrich’s multiple affairs have been a steady drain on his poll numbers. Meanwhile, rumors of infidelity undid Herman Cain’s bid for presidency altogether. While politicians’ sexual follies often open them up to ridicule and disdain for the rest of their lives, the public has shown itself to be far more forgiving towards philandering athletes. Politics does, after all, lend itself to hypocritical public posturing, whereas athletes tend not to put on masks of piety.

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Columns

NYPD: Spies, lies and propaganda films

New York City area community activists will be rallying this afternoon demanding the resignation of Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and NYPD spokesperson, Paul Browne. They are also demanding independent community oversight of the NYPD as a series of Associated Press and New York Times reports have alleged that under Kelly the department not only overstepped legal and ethical boundaries by spying on its citizens, it may have done so without federal approval and its actions were based on institutionalized religious and racial discrimination. Amongst the evidence provided is Kelly’s participation in an anti-Muslim propaganda film train police officers and leaked documents indicating covert operations to spy on area Muslims.

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altMen, Family

Challenging the performance of masculinity

<< From the AltMuslimah Archives >>
I always find it disturbing nowadays when I hear someone, female or male, say, “Be a man.” It is an expression that is not only commonly used in our language, but also rarely confronted.
“Women are dumb,” Bryan* said, “they already have a thousand things going on in their mind about you, so when you ask her out, set a specific date and time; don’t leave it open-ended.” I think I almost choked on my dinner as I heard him advise my friend, Dave.*

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altMen, Family

“Manhood” and the mosque

<< From the AltMuslimah Archives >>
It is jummah and I’m right on time, ready to listen to the entire khutbah. Today I’ve chosen to sit in the middle, closer to the back, hoping to remain inconspicuous. I’ll soon regret this decision. The khutbah begins, and ten minutes later, Abdullah saunters in. As luck would have it Abdullah plants himself right in front of me, obstructing my view of the imam and leaving me to crane my neck if I want a peek at our speaker.

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altMen, Family, Marriage, Relationships

Dude, where’s my masculinity?

<< From the AltMuslimah Archives >>
There is an unprecedented global shift in gender relations taking place. Until our communities recognize and respond to this shift, the critical task of deconstructing the accepted rules of masculinity will remain undone, and the difficulty of finding suitable marriage partners will continue to frustrate us all.

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altMen, Family

Masculinity in the Muslim world

<< From the AltMuslimah Archives >>
There is obviously no single definition of masculinity in Islam, due to the diversity of cultures and contexts in which the religion is practiced and interpreted. It remains nebulous which precise aspects of the Muslim world’s image of masculinity come from Islam and which are rooted in culture. What counts is what constructions of the Muslim male people perceive to be Islamic.

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Columns, Interfaith

Muslims and Catholics vs. Banzhaf

There are those who would learn that Catholic University of America, a private, Catholic institution, has doubled its Muslim student enrollment in just four years, and think happy thoughts about interfaith cooperation and growing religious harmony. Then there are those who see potential lawsuits, dollar signs, and fame.

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