A blog about feminism, religion/spirituality, history, and politics
First of all nothing drags more attention to a reader than a title with the word Burqa in it. This book is not about the burqa, surprise! However, using one of the most politicized and misused word It’s Not About the Burqa tries to convey what it means to be Muslim. Exploring themes in divorce, …
Image yourself wanting to enter a house of God, may it be a Church or Temple, perhaps you would like to go meditate and pray to Buddha but your denied entrance because the priest, monk, Imam, or random worshipper prevents you from walking into the building to worship. Even though your religious text told you …
The mosque scene in the Western world is way different than what it was just 10 years ago. Around twenty years ago, there were not that many mosques in the United States or Canada. Immigrants often held prayer services in homes, when their Muslim community was small. As the Muslim community grew and the need …
Austria banned the headscarf in primary schools but not religious headwear for boys such as the turban for Sikhs and Jewish headwear. That’s right, only the female Muslim students and frankly, any female student cannot wear any religious clothing, but boys sure can. There is nothing more amusing and infuriating than a law that claims …
Things That Shatter: A Memoir by Kaighla Um Dayo was an interesting read, one with loads of “GRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLL” moments. Um Dayo is a woman who converted to Islam and married the wrong man, and this book is a manifesto of one bad marriage with a Sheikh. As a white Muslim convert, …
Is vegetarianism or even veganism allowed in Islam? There is a growing number of Muslims who do not eat meat; some even practicing vegan lifestyles. There is nothing more controversial on the internet, other than Islam, than the idea of someone not eating meat. While I myself eat meat, I prefer a vegetarian diet. Many …
Every time I read any post by some Muslim men, and yes it’s usually a man, about the evils of the “camel hump” hijab, I can’t help but roll my eyes. Camel hump hijab is not some euphemism for a woman’s vagina, I promise. The phrase refers to the way a woman styles her hair …
Recently, I have started to run into LGBTQ Muslim authors at Barnes and Noble. Since I have a habit of buying most Muslim author books (not all) I bought the two fiction novels on Gay Muslim men from different Islamic backgrounds. A few months ago, I did buy a non-fiction novel on the LGBTQ community …