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Culture/Society

Indonesian Fashion Brand gets Halal Status, Ruffles Hijabs of Many


Posted by syahirah on 03 Mar 2016 / 0 Comments
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Earlier this month, the appearance of Indonesia’s first halal-certified hijab, sold and promoted by Indonesian fashion company Zoya, provoked equal parts protest and support. According to the certification given by the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), Zoya’s hijabs are ‘halal’ because the fabrics are produced with the use of only plant-based emulsifiers, and not those made […]

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Culture/Society

On feminist alliances and participatory media making


Posted by syahirah on 09 Feb 2016 / 0 Comments
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Writing (for Muslimah Media Watch and other platforms elsewhere) has opened up many opportunities to collaborate with other activists from around the world. In particular, some articles I wrote on female circumcision (and also male circumcision) a few years ago attracted a lot of attention from activists and filmmakers, and a fresh round of conversations […]

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Culture/Society

Fatal sedition: Noor Farida Ariffin kept in line with rape threats


Posted by syahirah on 11 Jan 2016 / 0 Comments
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I recently became aware of rape threats made on social media towards Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin, a well-respected former Malaysian ambassador to the Netherlands. Also a lawyer, she was the co-founder of Sisters in Islam, a local non-governmental organisation for women’s rights, and is the spokesperson of a local group of prominent Malays called G25. […]

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Books/Magazines

Book review: Jewels of Allah by Nina Ansary


Posted by syahirah on 24 Nov 2015 / 0 Comments
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When I first heard the title of Dr. Nina Ansary’s latest book, Jewels of Allah, on the life of women in Iran, I must admit I had to restrain myself. In general I’m pretty wary about labelling women as two-dimensional objects, whether in a negative (‘lollipops’) or positive (‘pearl in its shell’) way. Ansary explains […]

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Culture/Society

Not Between Her and Allah: Hijab-shaming in Malaysia


Posted by syahirah on 06 Oct 2015 / 4 Comments
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Hijab-shaming is a favourite activity for some Muslims, both on-and offline. In fact, just last month I attended a religious class where the teacher spent a good half hour doing just that (I had to stop going for my mental health). While meeting up with a girlfriend last week, she regaled me with the details […]

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Muslimahs with disabilities need to you hold the lift door, not gawk at their mobility aids


Posted by syahirah on 11 Aug 2015 / 0 Comments
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A Singaporean news channel produced a series of Youtube videos featuring selected athletes with disabilities, or para-athletes. One featured athlete is Aishah Samad, a shooter who had to have all four of her limbs amputated after going into septic shock and contracting gangrene in the hospital on the way home from a trip to China. […]

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Why does an Indonesian woman need to be a virgin to join the military?


Posted by syahirah on 10 Jun 2015 / 1 Comment
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An expose by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in November 2014 on the use of virginity tests in Indonesia’s police force has revealed that just because people are silent over a long-standing practice, it doesn’t mean that it is accepted as a normal part of everyday life. Also referred to as the “two-finger test”, it involves […]

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Review of Desert Dancer (2015)


Posted by syahirah on 16 Apr 2015 / 0 Comments
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Six years ago I attended a contemporary dance workshop, and while I’ve been dancing for most of my life, what struck me most was one improvisation that involved dancing as if you were the furniture in your room. When we had come up with a sequence of movements representing various wardrobes, nightstands, mirrors, beds and […]

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Rejected (Muslim) Princesses: awesomely offbeat women in history


Posted by syahirah on 11 Dec 2014 / 2 Comments
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If you’re our regular reader, you know that mainstream media sorely lacks female characters who have a range of emotions, abilities and ambitions – in other words: real women. Children’s animated films are of no exception. It was only in 2009 that Disney introduced its first Disney princess of colour, black princess Tiana from The Princess […]

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Stability and Sustainability: Interview with Dr Hawa Abdi


Posted by syahirah on 18 Nov 2014 / 0 Comments
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It is a calm and cool afternoon in Nairobi, Kenya, when I catch up with Dr Hawa Abdi over Skype. After working hard in Mogadishu’s difficult circumstances with her two physician daughters Deqo and Amina Mohamed, she sometimes comes to Nairobi to rest and relax. Speaking over a passable internet connection, our conversation is peppered […]

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