Earlier this week, news broke of the latest celebrity engagement: Hollywood actor and self-proclaimed perpetual bachelor, George Clooney, proposed to Amal Alamuddin. Frantic Google searches began as everyone wanted to know who this “exotic beauty” was.
Read More
Ever since American singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams released his song “Happy,” the Internet has been flooded with homemade videos from around the globe showcasing people dancing and singing along to the catchy song, every one of them sporting a contagious smile. Among these videos was a “Happy British Muslims!” video, released by the Honesty Policy which quickly made waves through the cyber world. Soon, a group of D.C. area Muslims got together to film their own version of this song.
Read More
The tweet is mightier than the sword.
Social media campaigns by members of minority communities are responding to racism and stereotyping in the media, and getting results.
For instance, last week, Asian American activists launched #CancelColbert in response to an offensive tweet posted by The Colbert Report’s Twitter account. They were hoping to achieve a similar outcome as American Muslims had with Alice in Arabia, an ABC pilot television programme that was cancelled following a Twitter offensive that highlighted the show’s stereotypes of Muslims.
Read More
I have a somewhat unusual background—my father is a conservative Indian immigrant and my mother is from Kentucky. It’s also worth noting that my mother is very country and very white. As for myself, I was raised on red meat, potatoes and classic rock in Columbus, Ohio. I recall my childhood being quintessentially American, but with something of a twist.
Read More
History is witness to a time past when the Islamic civilization produced globally unparallelled architecture, literature, science, philosophy, theological discourse, and cultural influences – influences so strong it made European nobles want to dress like Muslims. Critics of Islam and Muslims scoff at this romanticism, asserting that Muslims have not produced anything great since the Middle Ages and most likely will never again.
Read More
Many of you may have read this incendiary piece by Arab-American writer Randa Jarrar that appeared on Salon this week, condemning white women who belly dance. It’s part of a series of essays by feminists of color curated by Twitterati darling Roxane Gay—and if you’re not following her, remedy that, because her reputation for 140-character wit is well earned.
Read More
On the occasion of altMuslimah’s fifth birthday and International Women’s Day 2014, Editor-in-Chief Asma Uddin reflects on altMuslimah’s past and future.
Read More
We- and by “we” I am referring to relatively privileged and educated Muslims who utilize social media- love to criticize Mona Eltahawy just as much as we love to praise her Head to Head host, Mehdi Hassan. The latter received critical acclaim for his refutation of Ann Marie Waters, et al at the Oxford forum debate.
Read More
I can’t believe I’m doing this. So early into my blogging career and here I am. Writing about hijab. I said I wouldn’t, because heck there’s so much more to talk about. But, here I am.
Hijab – a piece of fabric that so obsesses the world vis-a-vis Muslim women that we are now facing a full on “World Hijab Day”, which is today, Saturday, February the 1st.
How is it that a piece of fabric can impact the socio-political paradigm of the world? In the last decade, Islam and Muslims have no doubt taken a beating in the court of public opinion and women who don the headscarf, or hijab, have endured the brunt of the abuse. The Western media frames these women as cloaked, both literally and figuratively, in oppression, desperate to liberate themselves from their dictatorial husbands and fathers by removing a cloth which symbolizes 1400 years of injustice.
Read More