Dear Aisha, I’m a mother of identical twin boys. They’re eligible young bachelors – tall, athletic, and finishing up medical school. I have heard of a great girl from a woman in my community. She is young, educated, religious, though she does not wear hijab. Her aunt says she is…
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As I sit down to write my thoughts and reflections, I pause to think, where should this story begin and how should it be told. It is an accumulation of nine years of emotions and confusion, experiences and reflection, and acceptance with perspective. It’s a simple story of this chapter…
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Mike Brown’s life will not be in vain: A lesson in telling my children the truth Last night a grand jury did not bring back an indictment against Officer Darren Wilson in the homicide of 18-year-old Mike Brown. Unlike many Americans, I didn’t find out about the decision on…
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<< From the AltMuslimah Archives >>Our culture is one of procreation; children are regarded as blessings from God, and we are told our progeny will spread Islam. Delaying marriage, waiting to begin a family, or experiencing infertility each amount to disregarding this sacred duty.
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Lately, the media seems to work overtime to plant anxieties and insecurities in moms across America. Are teachers making it harder on working parents by giving out too much homework? How much is too much iPad time? Should the terms ‘Mommy Lawyer’, ‘Mommy Blogger’, and ‘Mommy Supreme Court Justice’ go the way of Akkadian…
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I knew in the very first moment of my interview with Sandra El-Amin that I had happened upon a treasure. Delightful was the anticipation of presenting her voice to the world. “A woman can pursue any career she likes,” Sandra told me. “She can be a Supreme Court justice….
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I love Halloween. I mean I really love Halloween. I grew up on a steady diet of ‘80’s detective shows: Murder She Wrote, Remington Steele, and Hart to Hart. I shunned those coveted books with scandalous “ABC Afterschool Special” adult content (I’m looking at you “Flowers in the Attic”)…
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<< 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.
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 MoreIn the few weeks before my father was diagnosed with advanced-stage primary live cancer, I remember my first realization that something was wrong. The nature of primary liver cancer is that it progresses silently with little or no symptoms for years.
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