Pink princess toy cameras. Pink princess wallets. Pink princess magic meal time cutlery. Pink princess backpacks, pencil cases, water bottles, golden hair extensions, and the most fabulous silver sparkle princess shoes with pink flashing lights. After only a week in full-time school, my daughter Eryn has embraced this new world of marketing around princess culture […]

Child marriage is forbidden in Nigeria, but in the predominantly Muslim north, one in four rural girls are married off before they turn fifteen; that child marriage is in fact illegal is something that many people in northern Nigeria do not understand. Sex trade is flourishing in Afghanistan; it is unclear how many women are sold in sexual slavery, but […]

When I wear hijab, I find that the average Pakistani takes me a lot more seriously.  Vendors at farmer’s markets don’t over charge me for being a “valaithi” (foreigner); the guy at the pharmacy limits eye contact and listens politely while I discuss the pros and cons of generic versus brand medications.  I get fewer […]

Like Khaled Hosseini’s two earlier novels, The Kite Runner (2003) and A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007), which spent a combined total of 171 weeks on the bestseller list, his latest novel, And the Mountains Echoed has received wide acclaim, and has been described as “heartbreaking,” “emotionally resonant,” and the writer’s “most ambitious work yet.” The […]

Since my conversion to Islam, I have struggled with depictions of Muslim brides and wives in the mainstream Western media. From the images of famous non-Muslim women marrying famous Muslim men  to the images of “pious” Chechen women sacrificing themselves for Syrian rebels, portrayals of Muslim brides and wives in mainstream Western media sources often […]

The hijab campaign after the attack of a woman in hijab has divided Sweden; some critics say that the campaign a symbol of oppression. Meanwhile, the pregnant Muslim woman has been attacked again, according to Stockholm police. A French teenager who was assaulted by skinheads earlier this month for wearing the hijab has attempted to commit […]

“I am airing dirty laundry, because it needs to get washed” – Hind Makki “Children of Adam, take your pleasantness to every Mosque.” (Qur’an 7:31) How often have we as Muslim women been enthusiastic about praying in a new space, and have attended a new masjid only to be discouraged by the lack of accommodation, […]

At the end of July, American Islamic Scholar Amina Wadud was scheduled to speak at the University of Madras. Her engagement was cancelled by the university at the 11th hour, in the midst of confusion after the city’s police force alleged unnamed threats of violence, suggested her appearance had earlier precipitated riots in Tamil Nadu […]

Beauty pageants have gotten a bad rap over the years for objectifying women by putting them on parade and privileging their looks over their personality or brains. Some pageants have actively tried to change this idea, by including a talent segment, and making charity work an increasingly bigger part of the winners’ duties. One such […]

There are a number of reasons why I decided to contribute to this blog. One of them was because sometimes I find myself in a no-(wo)man’s land when it comes to media portrayals of Indonesian Muslim women in general. Years ago, I came across this meme about hijabs. The image on the bottom left struck […]