Cover up! No, get naked! Haraam [Sin]; cover yourself! Be free; show some skin! AstaghfirAllah [seeking forgiveness from God]; aren’t you ashamed?! Damn, aren’t you hot in that?! The Muslim woman’s body feels like a battleground, especially during times like… Read More ›
Islam
Third Time’s the Charm by Kecia Ali
In the space of a week, three obtuse remarks by non-Muslim men about Muslim women ticked me off. First was a letter to the editor by Rabbi Howard Berman, published in the Boston Globe on April 21. The title (“Women’s… Read More ›
Taking Back the Caliphate: The Role of Muslim Women as Agents of Social Justice by Vanessa Rivera de la Fuente
Whenever we talk of Muslim women, two dominant discourses reach our ears. The first is about women of the past who may serve as role models, such as Aisha, Fatima, and Khadija (ra). This perspective, which I call the historical… Read More ›
Women as Stairways to Heaven by Jameelah X. Medina
In mainstream Islam, the ways and sayings of Prophet Muhammad are second in importance only to the Qur’an. There are two prophetic sayings pften quoted when speaking about the high status of women in Islam: 1) “Whoever has two daughters… Read More ›
Response to “The Islamic Solution to Stop Domestic Violence” by Samar Esapzai, Shireen Ahmed, Vanessa D. Rivera, Ayesha Asghar, and Hyshyama Hamin
This article is in response to a post by Qasim Rashid of the Muslim Writers Guild of America titled, “The Islamic Solution to Stop Domestic Violence” published in the Huffington Post‘s Religion Blog on March 5th, 2012. Although this post… Read More ›
And Thus God made a Covenant with Hagar in the Wilderness by Michele Stopera Freyhauf
We are familiar with the covenant God made with Abraham and Moses, but are you aware that God also made a covenant with Hagar? In the wilderness Hagar encounters a deity at the well named Beer-lahai-roi (Genesis 16). Water and… Read More ›
There’s Something about Mary by Kecia Ali
Scholarly life – like life in general – requires balancing one’s own priorities with involvement in others’ project and plans. Say yes too frequently and you’ll never get anything written; say no too often and you miss the excitement give… Read More ›
IN THE NEWS: To Have Eyes to See
Recently at a symposium on interreligious dialogue one of the Muslim feminist scholars present said, “Just once I would like to be able to have a conversation about Islamic Feminism without automatically having to be put on the defensive.” When… Read More ›
Muslim Masculinities: Men Have Gender Too by Kecia Ali
Twenty years ago, when I was an undergraduate, another student in a history seminar casually referred to women as “people of gender.” He was not being ironic. At the time, I felt amused and superior and frustrated: not only did… Read More ›
Storytelling to Restore the Sacred in Our Lives by Najeeba Syeed Miller
I was recently offering a workshop to a group of Muslim educators from all types of ethnic, racial and community backgrounds. One of my points in the training on conflict resolution was the importance of story telling,the many ways that… Read More ›
The Transformative Power of Daily Practices by Ivy Helman
My simple daily rituals and spiritual practices are what keep me mindful of G-d and G-d’s presence in my life. They also remind me of G-d’s call to justice, care, compassion and love. “I find by experience, not by reasoning,… Read More ›
The Crying of an Ant: Finding a Theory of Change by Najeeba Syeed Miller
Qur’an 27:18: Till, when they came upon a valley [full] of ants, an ant exclaimed: “O you ants! Get into your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you without [even] being aware [of you]!” – 27:19: Thereupon [Solomon] smiled… Read More ›
At the Intersection of Gender, Religion, and Race by Jameelah X. Medina
Since 9/11, many Muslim women in the USA are in a similar predicament as what African American and Chicana women found themselves in decades ago during the Black Power and Chicano Power Movements. African American and Chicana women stood along… Read More ›
The Need for a Positive Counter-Narrative of Religious Involvement in Feminism by Ivy Helman
I’ve admired JC for years. That’s Joan Chittister, OSB the Benedictine nun of course. I first saw her speak when I was in graduate school and she visited Yale. I’ve also read a number of her books. Her life… Read More ›
Waking up Muslim on 9/11 by Jameelah Medina
I have often stated that I went to sleep as an African American woman on September 10, 2011 and woke up Muslim on 9/11. It may seem odd to say this since I am a third-generation Muslim; however, my reason… Read More ›
Beyond “Liberal” Female Piety or “Women Read the Qur’an Too” by Amy Levin
I’m a teacher’s assistant for an undergraduate course at New York University called, “What is Islam?” The other day in class, my professor asked the students whether or not the Qur’an is considered a “book”. Fraught with anxiety over inheriting… Read More ›
England’s “Problem” with Shar’ia by Kristina Benson
A recent occurrence in the recent Islamic legal history of England involves women’s use of Shar’ia law to protect their autonomy, marital security, and property rights. Beginning in September 2008, decisions made by Shari’a councils in Britain became legally binding… Read More ›
Walking in the Footsteps of Mary by Najeeba Syeed Miller
As I walked into the “House of Mary”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_the_Virgin_Mary in Turkey, our guide said, “As many Muslims as Christians come to visit this last home of Sayyidah Maryam (form of respectful way to refer to Mary, Mother of Jesus). The veracity… Read More ›
(Non-Human) Animals on the Agenda by Grace Yia-Hei Kao
“[E]thical interest in nonhuman animals is flourishing.” To my delight, the New York Times recently chronicled the growing scholarly interest in human/non-human animal interactions in a story entitled “Animal Studies Cross Campus to Lecture Hall.” There are now more than 100… Read More ›
A Church With No Walls By Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.
Last year about this time, I spent a month in Malaysia, at the invitation of Alpha Omega International College, a school in Petaling Jaya, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur. I was rather surprised at the initial invitation, since AOIC is… Read More ›
Recession Proof Devotion By Valentina Khan
This post is written in conjunction with the Feminist Ethics Course Dialogue project sponsored by Claremont School of Theology in the Claremont Lincoln University Consortium, Claremont Graduate University, and directed by Grace Yia-Hei Kao. Valentina Khan is a first year Master of Muslim Leadership Context student at… Read More ›
The Egyptian Revolution: Women, Islam And Social Change By Karen Torjesen
The following is a guest post written by Karen Torjesen, Ph.D., Margo L. Goldsmith Professor of Women’s Studies in Religion at Claremont Graduate University where she has helped establish graduate programs in Women’s Studies in Religion and Applied Women’s Studies. For ten years she served… Read More ›
Hidden Spirituality: The Life of a Muslim Family By Najeeba Syeed-Miller
The following is a guest post written by Najeeba Syeed-Miller, J.D., Professor of Interreligious Education at Claremont School of Theology. She has extensive experience in mediating conflicts among communities of ethnic and religious diversity, and has won awards for her peacemaking… Read More ›
