Sila Şahin, a Turkish-German actress, shed her clothes in order to “free” herself from her conservative Muslim background. The Daily Mail says: Ms Sahin’s declared intention was to used the controversial Playboy photoshoot as a call to action for other Turkish girls who suffer the effects of their strict backgrounds, where women’s choices are often […]

“An identity neither begins nor ends on a stretch of land, for identity lives within the heart and consciousness. Land erodes, land evolves; it is plundered, and it is cultivated. It is not the master of its destiny. An identity is elusive; it can be neither contained nor defined by standards other than its own. […]

A Turkish opinion poll revealed that the overwhelming majority of Turks are in favor of allowing women wearing headscarves to serve as Parliament members. Women in Bangladesh use the W.A.S.H. program to learn how to stay healthy. The Philippine Muslim Women Council has appealed to the public to help protect and preserve Lake Lanao. The […]

In an issue of last month’s X-Factor comic (#217), one of the series’ long-time characters—M, also known as Monet St. Croix—revealed that she was Muslim (“I’m a Muslim and a mutant!”) during anti-Muslim protests in New York City, akin to the ones that took place last year in response to the proposal to build a […]

Deaffinity is a group whose mission is to “help break barriers and improve the quality of life for the BME [black and minority ethnic] D/deaf community.” While advocating on behalf of the deaf community, Deaffinity provides culturally sensitive services to the Deaf community, such as their Youth leadership and Engagement program, and is also involved […]

Is it just me, or has this spring seen a lot of de-jabbing articles lately?   As a “dejabi” myself, I alternate between taking these articles with a grain of salt and hoping that something put forth by the journalist will resonate with me. One of the recent pieces is NPR’s “Lifting the Veil” (har har), […]

Mukhtaran Mai’s appeals against her rapists have been struck down by a Pakistani court. Don’t miss the Online Conference of Islamic Feminism! The Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs believes several families force their children to wear the hijab. Common Ground News Service looks at currents of change for […]

For me, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon’s The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a journalistic field story masquerading as a feel good beach novel in the Oprah Book Club genre. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy reading it, but I felt it warranted something more. While Lemmon’s storytelling is her strength–the way the book is organized […]

A sexist Carl’s Jr. ad? You don’t say! For their new turkey burger, Carl’s Jr. has rolled out an ad campaign with Miss Turkey in a bikini. You’d think this would get old, right? Ugh.

At first glance, the film “Scheherazade, Tell Me a Story” seems to provide another viewpoint about women. However, its underlined notions of politics, patriarchy, gender and the nation are what make this film stand out. Placed in Egypt, the film tells primarily the story of Hebba, a “modern” and “liberated” TV show hostess who has […]