At the start of 2016, The Guardian reported a ‘survey of workforce at 34 book publishers and eight review journals in [the] US reveals 79% of staff are white’. It isn’t a surprise that bookstores around the UK tend to reflect this lack of diversity, with few non-dominant narratives or books by people of colour, […]

The issue of violence against women in Pakistan has received some international press in the last week or so. First, with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker, winning an Oscar for A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, her documentary about Saba Qaiser, a survivor of an attempted “honour killing”. This was followed by […]

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 […]

CNN recently ran a story on its website, “‘I am you:’ American Muslims on faith — and fear,” featuring five American Muslims. The piece introduced a range of Muslims to the wider American public in a report replete with text, videos and statistical charts. The people featured came from different backgrounds, ages, and careers. But […]

After almost 57 years of body-image debate, Barbie finally got an update. Mattel, Barbie’s producer, has announced that they will start issuing dolls that reflect more realistic body types.  At almost the same time, however, another Barbie-related sensation has been sweeping the web: Hijarbie.  Nigerian medical scientist and fashion enthusiast Haneefa Adam decided to start […]

This week I interviewed Yasmin Choudhury, winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year at the British Muslim Awards for her social entrepreneurship business, Lovedesh. Waking up early to talk to me on a Saturday morning, Yasmin was full of energy, despite the time. She jumped straight in with the background on how Lovedesh started. During […]

Two weeks ago, a mother in a headscarf was threatened by a woman with a knife while she was trying to pick up her children outside their school.  According to an article published on the website of the Collectif contre l’islamophobie en France (CCIF, Collective against Islamophobia in France), the woman screamed, “What is wrong […]

*names changed to protect privacy I came across an uplifting piece by David Sim of the IB Times featuring gorgeous photographs of Syrian girls envisioning their future career goals. They pose as a radiologist examining X-Rays or as an architect holding building and project plans. The series is called “When I Grow Up” and was […]

All too often, art relating to Muslim women blurs the lines between challenging and mimicking stereotypes. Other times, Islamic art is reduced to “calligraphy and rugs.” There are, of course, spaces that cultivate and present a diverse selection of Muslim art, but these spaces are too few. Western narratives tend to prefer to portray Muslim […]

“Ask a Muslim” events have become frequent in the West with the rise of Islamophobia. Now, a restaurant in Melbourne has offered a chance for members of the local community to ask Muslim women any questions they have. As the leader, Hana Assafiri has taken it upon herself to lead group question and answer sessions […]