This post was written by Asifa Akbar. Since its inception, Muslimah Media Watch (MMW) has been committed to dispelling myths, stereotypes and misrepresentations about Muslim women and occupies a vital niche in the larger movement to combat islamophobia. It has succeeded in doing this through an inclusive and varied set of critical contributions canvassing a […]

This article was written by Peter Gray. France’s decision to outlaw face veils sparked a robust debate about religion and women’s rights. In response to concerns that the law will negatively impact Muslim women, its advocates frequently mention that it enjoys the approval of several prominent French Muslim feminists. What is not mentioned, however, is […]

By guest contributor Wood Turtle; a longer version of this post was originally published at her blog. At what point does religious inclusion become too much for a public school board to handle? Apparently, it’s when the menstrual cycles of 12-year-old girls become the center of public debate. Every week for the past three years, […]

This post was written by Aziz Poonawalla and originally appeared at City of Brass. I found this argument by Munawar Hassan of the political party Jamaat-i-Islami to be unbelievably disgusting and fundamentally blasphemous in the way he invokes the Qur’an to justify blatant misogyny: Here is the most disturbing part of Hassan’s comments: Anchor: The […]

This week’s links was graciously put together for us by Anneke van der Berg. Australian police allowed to ask for removal of burqa. Muslim Stephanie not allowed on bus in France, because of her ‘burqa.’ NZ prime minister: veil no excuse for discrimination. Another Pakistani woman killed, officials stay quiet. Female Afghani journalist Farida Nekzad featured […]

This was written by B. Full disclosure: Last month I wrote a piece for MMW about the new ‘blog heroine’, Amina Abdullah. The thrust of my piece was my discomfort at her being promoted by the Western media as such a central figure in the Syrian uprising. However, the planned posting date coinciding with Amina’s […]

This was written by Farangis Najibullah and originally published at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. RFE/RL’s Ukraine Service correspondents Volodymyr Prytula in Crimea and Maryana Drach in Prague contributed to this report. The headlines were nothing short of chilling. “Aspiring ‘Miss Ukraine’ Killed Under Shari’a Laws In Crimea” warned Ukrainian online newspaper “Gazeta Po-Kievski.” “Radical Islamists […]

This was written by Kevin Healey and originally published on the USC blog Trans/Missions. Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s religious identity has made news since 1991, when the Jewish Tribune reported that each morning he asks himself how he can be “helpful to the state of Israel.” He should have refuted the quote, he says, since it has […]

This was written by Sevda Zenjanli and originally appeared at insideIRAN.org. While the Iranian authorities have effectively quashed all overt political organization for women’s rights, today women are the most dynamic group in Iranian opposition politics. The feminist critique of the Green Movement is mainly focused on Moussavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, whose name is often […]

This was written by Maha Akeel and was originally published in Common Ground News Service. “Saudi Arabia is not yet ready for women to participate in the upcoming municipal elections on 23 April.” The election commissioner made this bold statement late last month, referring to women’s roles as both voters and candidates. Two years earlier, […]