Islam Archives – Page 2 of 11

French Teen, 14, Deserts Family, Joins Islamic State

By Hajer Naili ● Arts & Culture ● September 15, 2014

Since 2012, up to 150 French women have joined the ranks of the Islamic State or Al Nusra Front. Here the family of a 14-year-old describes how her departure has left them stunned and wondering why the government isn’t doing more.

Latest in Islam

Queer Muslims Observe a Separate, Unequal Ramadan

By Hajer Naili ● Arts & Culture ● July 24, 2014

The LGBTQ Muslim community is gaining notice in the arts, but mainstream acceptance in their communities lags behind, particularly at mosques. “I don’t go because of that feeling that I cannot be my full self,” says one queer Muslim.

Ex-Hijabis Reflect on Decision to Remove Veil

By Hajer Naili ● Uncategorized ● June 21, 2014

“I used to think that wearing a scarf on my head was my highway ticket to paradise,” says one woman. But then she found it weighing her down with role-model pressures. For Ramadan, she and two others reflect on a personal nexus of culture and religion.

World Cup is Next Goal for Soccer Teens in Hijab

By Frederic Nkeuna ● Uncategorized ● April 11, 2014

FIFA’s final approval on head coverings for players in international competition is energizing Arab female football (soccer in U.S.) players. In Egypt, many more players can now set sights on the World Cup for under-17 players in Jordan in 2016.

Mosques Relegate Women’s Prayers to the Basement

By Hajer Naili ● Uncategorized ● April 3, 2014

A social media project launched last year asks Muslims to compare the space their mosques offer women and men. Its founder says that every mosque she’s visited in the United States, Canada and Europe has a side or back entrance for women.

In Iran, Keep Your Eye on Jump in Female Literacy

By Nina Ansary ● Uncategorized ● March 29, 2014

The Islamization of society in Iran may have been designed to resurrect the image of the time-honored Muslim woman. But the single-sex schooling it brought about shows signs of enormous success and may have had an opposite and hugely empowering effect.

Muslim Couple’s Infertility Raises Religious Concerns

By Khizer Husain ● Uncategorized ● March 22, 2014

They never questioned not having children, until his wife discovered she had primary ovarian insufficiency, says Khizer Husain in this excerpt from the anthology “Salaam Love.” The diagnosis led to an exploration of religiously viable alternatives.

Saudi Male Guardianship Protest Sent to Committee

By Hajer Naili ● Uncategorized ● March 4, 2014

“I want to feel like I am a Saudi citizen, now I just feel like I am a follower of a man,” says a Saudi woman who sympathizes with the petition to abolish male guardianship. Two female members of the Shura Council told a signatory that the petition has been sent to a human rights committee.

Video: World Hijab Day Shows Pride in Being Muslim

By Hajer Naili ● Uncategorized ● February 7, 2014

“Hijab is a part of my Muslim-American identity,” said one woman featured in this video interviewed on World Hijab Day on Feb. 1. “For me it is a display of my love for God. It is a form of worship.”

Islam Will Not Teach My Son That Wife Beating’s OK

By Ranya Tabari Idliby ● Uncategorized ● February 1, 2014

One of the Quran’s most controversial verses, Ranya Tabari Idliby was horrified to discover, was being taught to her American Muslim son. In this excerpt from “Burqas, Baseball and Apple Pie,” she interprets the verse as allegory, not instruction.