When Muslim women are portrayed in literature or film, they’re often presented in ways where they need to be ‘saved’, often lacking the agency to accomplish this on their own. Instead, there’s usually a savior around somewhere to save the day. These four superheroes represent a radical diversion from this – not only does she … Read more
A high school girls’ football team from Denver, Colorado shows the world the meaning of team spirit. Afia R Fitriati has the story. Sometimes a small act of kindness goes a long way. Samah Aidah is a varsity football player for Overland High School in Denver, Colorado. Her school team hasn’t been performing too well lately, having … Read more
In the first of this series of profiles on the world’s most influential Muslim scholars, Omar Shahid digs beneath the surface to discover the man beneath the title of sheikh. All images from Hamza Yusuf and Zaytuna College Facebook page. Sheikh Hamza Yusuf is what you might call a celebrity scholar. After giving a talk, he is often besieged by eager … Read more
This prominent American scholar, academic and activist often finds herself to be the only Muslim female scholar on stage at conferences. She spoke to Omar Shahid. The idea that Islam oppresses women has been allowed to flourish right across the world. Islamophobes, right-wing commentators and neo-conservatives will use it as a platform to launch scathing attacks … Read more
Najwa Abdullah asks: Is it time for a rethink on our long-held views on the search for a soulmate? Few weeks ago, on a glorious afternoon, I met a good friend of mine. As we chatted over a cup of coffee in the hectic city of Jakarta, our conversation took an unexpectedly profound turn. Some of … Read more