Hena Khan is the author of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns and Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story, two children’s books geared toward American Muslim children. Altmuslimah’s Asma Uddin speaks with Khan about Khan’s books, writing, parenthood, and growing up Muslim in America. Tell us your story –…
Read MoreReports of sexual harassment in Egypt have risen drastically in the past few months. The problem, while not new to Egypt, has become an epidemic seriously affecting the lives of millions of women in the country. Whether incidents of sexual harassment have risen or whether more women are choosing to report the incidents after the revolution is hard to verify. Nonetheless, there has been a noticeable increase in discussions about sexual harassment in the media, within academic circles and among Egyptians of varying socio-economic backgrounds.
Read MoreEver since I was a child growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970s, the predominant image of Islam I have seen in the media has been that of a religion steeped in violence and misogyny. It is an image that is utterly alien to the Islam of love and gentleness I have experienced and lived my whole life. Watching the news is like peering into a bizarro world, where another Islam exists that seems to be the polar opposite of the one that flows in my heart and blood.
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Habib Ali passionately talks about the compulsion placed on Muslims in ensuring that the treatment of women within the community is done in a just manner. He outlines the Prophetic tradition on how the measure of goodness is tied to the goodness to women.
Read MoreSome women have dreams about their weddings.
Some men dream about finding “the one.”
I’ve dreamed about having a kid…ever since I was 12.
A few years later, we became pregnant, and added a baby girl to our family. The birth of my daughter, Roya, stands out as the single most powerful and most beautiful day of my life.
Yup, it’s kind of freaky, but I have always wanted to be a dad.
Summertime and the living is easy—for those lucky enough to be sitting on a sun drenched beach while gentle ocean breezes waft serenely by and a handsome cabana boy brings a never ending supply of frozen drinks. For those of us cloistered at home with fasting children, not so much.
Read MoreI never imagined that I would one day be discussing a childfree life, let alone my childfree life. I had never been taught to think of this as an option. We’re a family-centered lot, you see. So family-centered that any display of individual separateness is rarely encouraged. You belong to us and we belong to you. And in continuing this cycle of our us-ness, we must have children of our own, for our own.
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I have been blessed. The women in my life have been strong, nurturing and supportive. Not only will they never tell where the bodies are buried, but they will bring the GPS and the shovels in case I ever need to move those bodies. But this past Father’s Day, I began to think about how the men in my life have shaped the person I have become.
Read MoreThis past Father’s Day I had a new appreciation for what it means to be a dad. Last July, I was blessed with a child who changed my perspective on life. There is something spiritual about seeing a baby who looks like you, has your smile, shares your mannerisms and calls you ‘Baba.’ Eleven months later, the miracle only gets clearer and more divine.
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I put Lil D on the bus this morning, like I do most school-day mornings. We walk out to the bus, often in semi-darkness before the day has broken, and I escort him to the steps of the bus. The bus matron takes over from there, guiding him to his seat and attaching his harness to the seat. Sometimes he is agitated, upset and crying. Other times he is calm and eager to go. As I silently pray Aytul Kursi (a verse from the Qur’an), I wave goodbye, tell him I love him, and wish him a good day at school. He jerkily waves back. And then he’s gone.
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