She was no random coincidence. She was not an anomaly — ‘a woman who broke free from the ways of her culture to do something great’. She was rather the direct result of the very culture and community she grew up in.
Djoumbé Fatima Soudi: The Black Muslim Queen Who Resisted European Colonialism
According to the photographer, she had a number of attendants and was dressed extremely finely in a “robe of rich Turkish tissue of silk and gold”. Her dress covered most of her face, with only her hand visible. The purpose of the visit had been to impress upon the young queen the advantages of becoming a French colony. But she vehemently resisted.
Revisiting Lila Abu-Lughod’s ‘Do Muslim Women Need Saving?’: A Commentary on Taliban and Western Imperialism
The burqa existed long before the Taliban, worn by Pashtun women to mark “the symbolic separation of men’s and women’s domains.” Although it could be argued that this reinforces patriarchal ideas of women belonging at home, we must remember that many saw the burqa as a “liberating invention”.
Celebrating the Bold and Audacious Life of Princess Wallada bint Al-Mustakfi
Many men rejected the verses in Wallada’s poems because they were not “womanly” but this pushed her to write even more. She was a woman who took criticism as a tool to come back stronger, making her poems passionately vivid and influential.
A Critical Review of “Women in the Qur’an: An Emancipatory Reading” by Asma Lamrabet
Asma Lamrabet offers a motivational reading of religious history where God repeatedly upholds the equality of women who are made of the same stuff as men. That’s a great place to start a conversation on how power is balanced between men and women within Islam.
Dhayfa Khatun: Queen of Aleppo and Founder of Two Great Institutions
Aleppo’s diplomatic position was never as strong as it was under the rule of Queen Dhayfa Khatun. Besides her diplomatic strength, however, Dhayfa took a special interest in architecture and sponsored learning in Aleppo where she founded two schools.
Al-Khayzuran bint Atta: The Political Powerhouse who Rose from Slave to Queen
As a queen, Al-Khayzuran improved the condition of women. She was committed to removing the harmful structures that prevented women from living their full lives. She was also very charitable, especially to women.
Honouring Sutayta Al-Mahmali: The Great Mathematician of 10th Century Baghdad
The knowledge that once upon an Islamic empire, in a golden city of wisdom, walked a woman who wove law and algebra together with utmost perfection that her history couldn’t be completely obliterated gives us hope that what once was, could definitely be again, and perhaps has started to become.
Sex, Feminism and Romance: What Muslim Women Can Learn from Netflix’s Bridgerton
For what it’s worth, it’s important to discuss the sex scenes in ‘Bridgerton’ and analyse whether or not they are a representation of what good sex should look like. In this writer’s humble opinion, ‘Bridgerton’ sex is terrible and should never be a model or a “how-to” manual for sex. This is especially in relation to female orgasm because as women, we deserve better. Bad sex scenes are unfortunately common in a lot of TV shows and ‘Bridgerton’ is not an exception.
S.K. Ali’s ‘Saints and Misfits’ is an Unapologetic Representation of Muslim Women: A Review
The way the scenes were written especially with the characters who defended the rapist and the characters who stood up for Janna was extremely eye-opening. As Muslims, this book serves as a daily reminder not to put scholars and hafidhs on a pedestal. Do the research and listen to the victims when they try to speak up.
