<< From the AltMuslimah Archives >>
Growing up in the West, there are few holiday traditions that Muslim kids share with their classmates. They do not participate in the, “Whatcha get from Santa?” discussions or “What did the Easter Bunny bring you?” conversations. After Halloween, though, I remember being in the thick of the candy bartering sessions, and I wanted my children to enjoy the same sense of belonging and participation.
I could hear everything happening downstairs. Mother knocked on my door, grabbed my hand and together we scurried past the tiny corridor in our townhome and into the master bedroom. I walked across the carpet stained with soda marks and over to my siblings who were already cowering in the…
Read More
The fall of my senior year in high school, my mother drove me up and down the state of California for college campus tours with little complaint. It wasn’t until my scheduled tour of UC Berkeley that Mama snapped. We’d made it to Telegraph Avenue. On one corner, dreadlocked men…
Read More
For months, perhaps even for years, I had been composing in my mind the letter I was going to write to my daughter before she left for college. I wanted to fill it with wonderful memories and maternal wisdom, with practical advice and big doses of encouragement. I wanted to…
Read More
I have a seven-year old son with autism, a five-year old with exciting dreams, and a two-year old whose entire world revolves around me. And they’re all really cute, masha’Allah. In fact, they’re gorgeous, insane, challenging, and sweet. My five year old said to me the other day, “Momma, your…
Read More
The hardest part about coming out has got to be coming up with a good opening line. I haven’t got one though. So I’ll give it to you straight. I’m not gay, but I could be dying. As fas I know, not imminently though. I’ve known for years now that…
Read More
altMuslimah editors take a moment to talk about the important father figures in their lives.
What brings comfort to my heart as a mother? I long for the day when my kids want for themselves what I want for them – pure hearts, faith, health, open minds, great character and the drive to succeed. Many of these things come through the guidance and opportunities we give as parents. Unfortunately, often times the inequality of opportunities creates unequal results. One of the reasons I started Connecther is to find like-minded women who share these passions and to support the amazing work they are doing to create opportunities in their communities.
Read More
Giving birth is, in so many ways, an act of faith. It involves a kind of radical trust in our bodies that I equate with tawakkul, trust in Allah, the One who made our bodies. For me, being a doula is also an act of faith. A doula is someone who supports and comforts a mother in childbirth, building a relationship with her over the weeks leading up to the delivery and sometimes continuing to support a new mother in the weeks that follow.
Read More
<< From the Altmuslimah archives >> “Mommy, why are the women in the back?” my daughter asked me when she was just three years old. I wasn’t prepared for this. The truth is I had been hoping that she wouldn’t ask me because I wasn’t convinced that the women should be behind the men during prayer. I also knew that it wasn’t a requirement for congregational prayer. I felt conflicted because I wanted my beautiful, brilliant little girl to come to love prayer and praying in congregation.
Read More