It has been reported Boko Haram, the Islamist group predominantly active in Nigeria, forces girls to convert to Islam and join their group as “slave-wives.” According to a study, Muslim women are more likely to be subjected to Islamophobic attacks than Muslim men. A group of housewives in the Neelum valley in Pakistani-administered Kashmir fights […]

With the recent controversy surrounding  Arabi Kalayanam (the term used to describe the practice of marrying  young girls from Kerala, India to Arab men for a lesser dowry), and legalizing marriage for Muslim girls younger than 18 years of age, I was reminded of T.V Chandran’s 2003 movie, Padam Onnu Oru Vilapam (Chapter One: A […]

For a few years now, I have been observing depictions of the veil, the niqab and the burqa, not only in the media but in pop culture. Muslimah Media Watch has written extensively about these depictions because they are so prevalent everywhere. Just last week, Nicole wrote about a controversial ad featuring a niqabi woman and a […]

Growing up as a queer-identified South Asian Muslimah and a survivor of domestic violence, I’ve occasionally felt that merely existing was, in and of itself, an act of rebellion. But I’ve been fortunate. I’ve not only survived, but thrived, now living the life of a resident physician. I can’t take all the credit for where […]

A survey by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which includes the opinions of gender experts, suggests that Egypt is the worst country for women in the Arab world. Of the 22 countries reviewed, Comoros was considered to be the best. Iraq and Saudi Arabia were placed in 21st and 20th positions, respectively. Developments in Turkey have […]

A few days ago, my Facebook newsfeed was awash with people sharing articles about a new billboard that just went up in Los Angeles. It depicts a male American soldier embracing a woman wearing a niqab. The billboard is for a product called SnoreStop, and it also displays the hashtag #betogether. Um…okay. Despite the buzz, […]

The recent debates on Quebec’s Charter of Values and on hijabis in Singaporean workplaces remind me of a woman that I know. Her name is Dr. Lailiyya. She was born in a small town in Java, the youngest girl of twelve children. When she was little, she suffered from polio. Her poor parents were unable […]

The concept of wearing hijab tends to stir controversy around the world, especially in the media. For some, hijab may be a piece of cloth that women wear as part of social traditions; for some others, it is a form of religious devoutness; yet, for others, it is a symbol of oppression and injustice towards […]

The story of 13-year-old Eva, a Shi’ite girl from Lebanon, who was forced to marry a stranger, highlights the overall plight of some Lebanese women struggling for justice. Marvel Comics introduces a new female Muslim superhero: Kamala Khan, a teenage girl from Jersey, USA. Several Egyptian groups are denouncing certain Egyptian movies, some very popular predominantly […]

Growing up in Mexico, immersed in a culture that debated “Western” values and was skeptical of its imports, I spent my early years in a society that taught me from the beginning that my sexuality was not mine, but someone else’s. Even when the institution of marriage started to crumble and common-law unions became more […]