women

Politics

Malaysia moving forward in matters of Islam and women

In early July this year, the Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak announced that two women had been appointed judges in the country’s Syariah Courts. One of two court systems in Malaysia, these courts rule on cases that are subject to sharia law, which is based on Islamic principles. Women’s groups, including Sisters in Islam (SIS), the group I belong to, hailed this as a long awaited move given the many problems that women face in the Syariah Courts, especially in matters related to the family. Long an advocate for justice and equality for Muslim women, SIS has been calling for female appointments since at least 1999.

Read More
Politics

The face we can’t ignore: Women in Afghanistan

What to do about the war in Afghanistan is posed as a question of military strategy, of defense expenditures, of logistical technicalities; of political climate, secret safe havens and effective counter- insurgency… but almost never a question of women. In the meeting rooms on Capitol Hill, in seminars held at think tanks and universities around the U.S., and on talk shows where experts dissect the latest in the saga of American warfare, a resolute silence has surrounded the issue of Afghan women.

Read More
Politics

From jahiliyya to Muhammed to fatwa chaos

“Women are the complementing halves of men,” said the Prophet Muhammed, who believed that a woman’s role as a daughter, wife and mother doesn’t presuppose her absence from the public sphere. The quest for strict gender segregation in many Muslim societies today is led by religious hardliners who view women only as a source of temptation, and who see no virtue in dignified male-female interaction. The Orientalists are often blamed for their sexualized depiction of Eastern women (especially in their portraits of harems), but some religious clerics go as far as to portray women as a source of temptation.

Read More
Culture

Yes, it really starts this early

A few days ago, my kindergartner came up to me and, as usual, relayed the happenings of her day. I patiently listened to her stories as I prepared dinner, until she started to tell one that demanded more immediate attention. “Mommy,” she said, “Kayla told Emma today that she is ugly, but Rachel and I told Emma she is beautiful and that we needed to have a talk with Kayla.” “Wow,” I thought to myself. “Does it really start this early?”

Read More
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.

Read More
Community

Aasiya Zubair Hassan and the Muslim male imperative

On February 12th, 2009 and the days following it, we – as Muslims, as Americans, and as citizens of the world – were shocked and overcome by profound grief when informed of the brutal murder of Sister Aasiya Zubair Hassan, general manager and co-founder of Bridges TV. We learned, incredulously, that her husband – a man who made it his career goal to dispel negative images about Islam – decapitated his wife of many years.

Read More
Books, Culture

The most important book you can read this year

Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times, and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, have recently published an extraordinary book entitled “Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide.” The book is a call to action, primarily to Westerners, to become, at the very least, armchair philanthropists aware of the global plight of women. With a blend of research, personal relationships, and relevant narratives, the couple proves they have a deep understanding of the injustices occurring around the world, and an even deeper desire to educate others on the issues they are so passionate about.

Read More
Uncategorized

Covering the headscarf

In the end, the point isn’t about how much of a difference the hijab makes – the point is, rather, that perhaps we’re using the wrong litmus test when defining our religious obligations. An Islamic mandate to wear the hijab need not be legitimated by cultural, sociological proofs; rather, we submit to God’s commands because He commanded us to do so.

Read More
Uncategorized

Are non-hijabis “scantily clad”?

Some social scientific studies, such as a recent study by well-known Princeton psychologist, Dr. Susan Fiske, have been misleadingly used to promote the use of the hijab. Misrepresenting these studies – acknowledged by their authors to require further investigation – does little to serve such a cause, nor does it fairly portray the reality of Muslims (and non-Muslims) who choose to dress without it.

Read More
Uncategorized

Honoring Aasiya

Though much has been said about the horrific killing of Aasiya Hassan, we should continue to honor her by reviving our memories of her brutal death and calling ourselves to action again. After all, presenting an alternative to the merchants of fear and hate who dehumanize others was her mission.

Read More