Things to Know About! Barbie’s latest doll is modeled after Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. The doll was revealed at the Glamour Women of the Year awards in New York. Muhammad expressed that having a doll modeled on a strong Muslim woman is “revolutionary.” Yoga has become an “approved” sports activity in Saudi Arabia. Nouf Marwaai, […]

*A note on Malay naming conventions: President Halimah is being called “President Yacob” is Anglophone media outlets. From a Malay perspective this is is odd because “Yacob” is  her father’s name and not a family name. Therefore, it is more appropriate to use Madam Halimah or President Halimah. Click here for more information on Malay naming […]

Things to Know About! Nisa Homes has opened its first transitional shelter for Muslim women in Toronto and the GTA. Other locations exist in Surrey (BC) and more will be opening in Windsor (Ontario). The shelter opens its doors to any woman in need, but the majority of its residents identify as Muslim. Saudi Arabia […]

A few years ago, a friend of mine pulled me over at a conference I was attending on sports and politics. “Shireen, how do I get a place at the table? There is never a space for me,” he said. I stopped what I was doing and looked him squarely in the eyes: “Build your […]

The past year has been tumultuous for international politics. Citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union (a move usually termed “Brexit”);  Donald Trump became the president of the United States, despite his attacks on liberal media and unfiltered islamophobia, racism and sexism; Saudi women gained the right to drive in the […]

For the past few days, social media networks have been filled with the #metoo hashtag. The current campaign calls women to post #metoo in their social media networks, as a way to show how prevalent the problem of sexual violence is across the board. Alyssa Milano, credited with starting the current campaign, explained about the […]

This post is related, but only slightly, to the Nouman Ali Khan (NAK) scandal (in which a religious leader used his power to harass and threaten women, as MMW explored in a recent roundtable). I don’t want to talk about NAK, but I do want to talk about the idea of spiritual abuse, a concern […]

Things to Know About! The University of Toronto is currently looking for Muslim women who wear hijab to participate in a study exploring the experiences of hijabi women in sports in Canada. In Iran, women weightlifters can now officially compete in the sport. However, it remains unclear whether or not they will be expected to […]

Things to Know About! Muslim women from Leicester  have formed the Falcons team, an all-Muslim women Basketball team, since FIBA lifted its ban on hijabs last May. 22-year old Leena Begum, who works in London’s ‘super sewer,’ designed protective clothing for construction site workers who wear hijab. Begum hopes the  ‘reflective hijab’ will help the construction […]

On September 26, the government of Saudi Arabia issued a royal decree announcing that Saudi women will be able to acquire drivers’ licenses and drive legally in the near future. Although the specifics of the policy and legal shift have yet to be released (Saudi women are not yet driving),  the announcement has been well-covered […]