(ZURICH-AFP) – Ivory Coast midfield dynamo Yaya Touré and French striker Karim Benzema are in the running for the prestigious World Footballer of the Year award. Touré is a practicing Muslim, once turning down the traditional Man-of-the-Match champagne after a league game against Newcastle United in keeping with his religious beliefs. After this, the Premier … Read more
Hijab-shaming distracts us from bigger problems in our communities, writes Afia R Fitriati. A derogatory word has lately become a trending topic in Indonesia’s social media circles: “jilboobs”, referring to hijabis with shapely breasts. What’s worse, it’s not just a fluffy word thrown in casual conversations here and there; there are Twitter hashtags and Facebook fan … Read more
ALGIERS, April 16, 2014 (AFP) – They fled Algeria to escape the violence ravaging the country in the 1990s, but now more and younger exiled Algerians are returning, lured by better economic prospects linked to government financial enticements. With unemployment in the oil-rich North African nation hovering at 21.5 percent among under-35s, according to the … Read more
The most vulnerable continue to fall victim, despite Pakistan enacting new laws in recent years, writes Alayna Ahmad. Acid attacks are prevalent in many countries, including India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Uganda, and Cambodia, amongst others. On average, the BBC claims that 1500 attacks are reported worldwide every year.[i] I believe the actual numbers are far greater than … Read more
In the late 1980s, feminism in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) context gained prominence in international debate. Research addressed “the status of women in Muslim countries through two frames: the inhibiting effects of Islam and the potential for reform through norms building.” Many contemporary scholars concluded, “Islam, specifically the prevailing interpretations of Islamic … Read more