I remember the day that I first fell in love. I was thirteen, and the film Grease was playing on TV. And there he was. Cool, trendy, good looking and ready to do anything for his girl. He was of course John Travolta, and I had no doubt that he would turn up on my doorstep and ask me to marry him. Things didn’t quite work out like that – he went on to become a scientologist, and I set off on my own quest for love.
Read MoreI spoke to some of the women and their enthusiasm for journalism was inspiring. They shared that it was difficult for them to break into it because it tends to be a boy’s club. But they continue writing because they are “passionate” about it.
Read MoreAfter my INTACH meeting, we met up with the founder of the HELP foundation, the luminous, Nighat Shafi. She gave us an overview of all of her work, creating a home for mentally disabled children, widows, and schools. Her team also talked about their work in villages, providing grants for job training and scholarship.
Read MoreThis month, the Claremont School of Theology launched the University Project, which will include a graduate program for Muslim American clergy, to be added to existing Jewish and Christian divinity degree programs.
Read MoreThis week, more of Pakistan’s richest women are attending religious schools, burqa bans continue to grow in popularity, Aquila Magazine is featured, and 10 Malaysian men compete to become Malaysia’s next great imam.
Read MoreAyaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born former Dutch parliamentarian and fellow at the American Enterprise Institute is clear about one thing: There is no hope for Muslim women who do not renounce their faith. According to Hirsi Ali, Muslim women–constricted by Islam–cannot be feminists, live independently, enjoy their sexuality or escape the mental shackles that bind their intellect. She elucidates on this theme in her latest book, Nomad: From Islam to America, through letters written to family members with whom she has been estranged, owing to her own renunciation and public criticism of Islam.
Read MoreAlvi’s audition video is among 5,000 other online videos. In addition to these videos, there were in-person casting calls that took place last weekend, resulting in an added number of people competing for a place as the top ten finalists who will appear on, “Your OWN Show.”
Read More
The phenomenon of Twilight is more than just a guilty pleasure. It could be a response to fill a void in the hearts of many women. As Eclipse, part 3 in the Twilight movie series approaches, women are ready to become infatuated again with the male characters of the movie. From tweens to grandmothers, it gets the heart pumping; it gives the young hope for what to look for in a man, and for the old, it reminds them of their first loves and of their youth. Aside from the obvious craziness of vampires and werewolves, Author Stephanie Meyers reintroduces the ideas of chivalry and chastity to mainstream America.
Read MoreHuman rights group urges Kurdistan to ban female circumcisions, D.C. police department decides to no longer intervene in area mosque pray-ins, Ahmadinejad says women should not be harassed for improper hijab, Abu Dhabi woman who reported she was gang-raped receives a one year prison sentence, and slain Ontario girl’s father and brother receive life sentences for what some describe as an honor killing.
Read MoreIn the past decade, American sisters have established a new trend of weekend get-a-ways, to create a time to reconnect with each other, nature, and their deen. Whether in a campground, the mountains, or at sea, sisters are taking charge of their spiritual needs by organizing retreats away from family, work, and their chaotic and demanding routines, to nourish their soul and body, and strengthen the bonds of sisterhood.
Read More