June is exam time in North Africa. With some amusement, I read a link forwarded to me from an Algerian website about young women using their Bluetooths and hijab to cheat on their baccalaureate exams.  A quick Google search proved this was a pan-Maghreb thing, as Moroccan and Tunisian media has written on the subject. […]

The Independent recently published an article by Jerome Taylor, titled “First woman to lead Friday prayers in the UK,” talking about the mixed-congregation Friday prayers that Canadian Raheel Raza was to lead the following day.  I read it, feeling confused: didn’t Amina Wadud do this already? Well, yes, she did.  The beginning of the article […]

The prolific and eclectic Danish writer Suzanne Brøgger has more than twenty works to her name, most of which have at one time or another been labeled as provocative. Brøgger became an overnight celebrity in Denmark back in 1973 with the publication of her acerbically-titled book of essays Fri os fra kærligheden (Deliver Us from […]

Those of you who have been following debates surrounding academic freedom might remember the story of Dr. Samar Habib (pictured below right), whose “Women in Arabic and Islamic Literature” course was cut from the University of Western Sydney schedule largely due to complaints by Muslim organizations like the Australian National Imams Council and Muslims for […]

GetReligion examines The New York Times’ article about Saudi women fighting for guardianship. A Somali woman resists community pressure to give up her daughter. World Cup fever extends to abayas! In Italy, a woman whose husband beat her has been hospitalized. May Allah keep her. The Contra Costa Times profiles Moina Shaiq, a tireless advocate […]

The father and brother of Aqsa Parvez, a Muslim Canadian teenager who was killed in December 2007, recently confessed to murdering her and were sentenced to life in prison.  Canadian media outlets covered this news widely.  At the Toronto Star, one of the reporters writing about the case was Noor Javed, who co-wrote one detailed overview […]

The Short version: Time: A few months ago. Action: Eight female journalists working for Al Jazeera network signed an official complaint against Deputy Editor Ayman Jaballah, stating that they have been harassed by his comments on their appearance. Reaction: The network ordered an investigation. Then: Time: Last month. Action: The network reported it was within […]

The MMW Friday link lists often highlights the disparity between non-Muslim perception of Muslim women’s experiences and the lives Muslim women actually live. Hence the recent spate of incredulous articles about hijab fashion websites. For Muslim women, the concept of hijab fashion is nothing new, but for Western journalists, Muslim women having the inclination and […]

As I snuggled on the couch to watch HBO’s documentary on Neda Agha-Soltan, I knew this wasn’t the time for popcorn. The first images that splashed across the screen were Agha-Soltan’s infamous last moments, which haunted viewers around the world exactly a year ago. The tone of onlookers and loved ones was agonizing, screaming as […]

The Iranian government’s campaign against “bad hejab” is back on. Related: in recent months, 71 “improperly dressed” women have prevented from boarding Iranian planes. An American doctor discusses the idea of “honor” in Turkish society. Women in Bristol march against female genital cutting. Emirati women take to Twitter to change negative perceptions of their countrypeople. […]