islam

Culture

Islam and women’s sports

<< From the Altmuslimah Archives >> Islamic women in sports appears to be a contradiction in terms – at least this is what many people in the West believe. The conviction that women in Islamic countries either cannot, will not, or may not take part in sports (or at least in competitive sports) is partly borne out of the fact that Muslim immigrants, especially women, scarcely take any active part in sports. However, we should be aware that interest and the engagement of Muslim women in sports are increasing.

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Books, Culture

When Wings Expand

Mehded Maryam Sinclair’s YA novel When Wings Expand is a beautiful account of a young girl’s process of coming to terms with her mother’s death. After her mother’s passing, Nur struggles to adjust to life without her mother and subsequently becomes a source of strength for Taqwa, a young girl battling cancer.

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Culture

My Islam: An interview with activist blogger Amir Ahmad Nasr

Social Media Activist-Blogger Amir Ahmad Nasr, a digital revolutionist, recently spoke to Associate Editor Shazia Kamal Farook about his new book “My Isl@m: How Fundamentalism Stole My Mind—and Doubt Freed My Soul”—a work that chronicles his path to finding himself through cyberactivism.

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Books, Culture

Tripping with Allah: Islam, Drugs, and Writing by Michael Muhammad Knight

Michael Muhammad Knight’s books bend things. His writings stretch across literary genres, blurring the neat demarcations between identity and faith, and interrogating the boundaries of what is accepted as truth. Knight is an acquired taste, to be sure. Yet, he never fails as a writer to explore the outer margins of American Islamic identity and creative expression. Tripping With Allah: Islam, Drugs, and Writing (Soft Skull Press, March 2012) is his latest piece of work that keeps on bending.

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Family

Developing Muslim gentlemen of quality

More often than not, when we hear lectures around gender roles and responsibilities in Islam, these pertain to women. In the very few instances that we hear a lecture dealing with men or male responsibility, it’s done in a way where there is criticism, but no discussion of solution. We’re really good at pointing out the problem, but not so good at dealing with it.

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Relationships

Part 1 of the debate: Muslims, don’t support same-sex marriage

On 4th August 2010, Proposition 8, a ballot initiative whereby the California Constitution would only recognize marriage between a man and a woman, was overturned. It was a triumph for those who…well, support same-sex marriage – i.e., those on the political left. I agree with many other leftist issues, such as environmentalism. But as a Muslim, I cannot support same-sex marriage.

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Books, Culture

“In silence, there was peace”

Screenwriter and author Kamran Pasha, whose work includes screenwriting credits for “24” and the novel “Mother of the Believers”, has released a new book, “Shadow of the Swords: A Novel of the Crusades”. An epic saga of love and war, “Shadow” tells the story of the Crusades from a Muslim perspective. Here is an excerpt from the new novel.

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Relationships

Pro-choice and Pro-life redefined

Since the beginning of time, women have been unequivocally blessed with the ability to share in the creation of the human race, and have been revered for the tremendous responsibility of carrying life within their wombs. In tandem, some women have pondered on the undisputable weight of this responsibility, and instead have chosen “the road less traveled,” deliberately shying away from motherhood and foregoing its glory altogether. For women, witnessing how life grows within and nurturing that life from the time of conception can be the ultimate spiritual experience. It not only intrinsically ties women to the Divine, but indeed makes paradise itself lie at her feet.

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Community

Honor killings and Islam: Is there a link?

While Muslims in the West are slowly coming to realize that honor killings are not just a geographical issue for our brothers and sisters in South Asia and the Middle East, anti-Islam pundits, bloggers and intellectuals are using this recent rash of honor killings to link the religion of Islam to the murders.

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