Author: Angry Malay Woman

I like plants.

Migration: Belonging and displacement

In an early sequence of a 1991 Channel Four television feature, Northern Crescent (a film about the white-Asian conflicts in Britain following the Rushdie affair), shows a new primary school headmaster, Mr. West, who introduces himself at assembly to his students, most of whom are of Pakistani ancestry. Mr. West asks the students to name… Continue reading Migration: Belonging and displacement

Retro pop orientalism: Dissecting Alison Moyet's 'Love Resurrection'

Written for and (soon to be) cross-posted at Muslimah Media Watch As we all know, pop culture can’t get enough of ‘the mysterious Orient’ and its ubiquitous exotic women. The 80s New Romanticism movement is a case in point. Known for its exaggerated and often outrageous attitudes to fashion and music, the movement inspired pop… Continue reading Retro pop orientalism: Dissecting Alison Moyet's 'Love Resurrection'

I'm now writing for Muslimah Media Watch

Now that I’ve come back from camping on the Dorset coast and tucking into obscene amounts of giant oysters and crab, allow me to proudly announce that you’re now looking at the latest contributor of Muslimah Media Watch! Trumpets, please. You will find more MMW-Cycads cross-postings beginning this week, so watch this space.

Open thread: Is religion good for women?

This week, The Guardian is running a series of articles on whether or not religion is good for women. I suppose if whether you speak from first-hand experience or from news stories and statistics, you will find that religion with its roots firmly planted in patriarchy is never going to be good for women. Savitri… Continue reading Open thread: Is religion good for women?

Truly Asia: I don't want to sleep alone (2006)

In Malaysia, vacuous horror flicks and Hollywood copycats rule the local cinemas. They promise nothing but instant sensory gratification yet still manage to attain box-office success. In many of such films glamorous personalities compliment the glitzy and oh-so aspirational KL scene. They’re good-looking, they’ve got star quality, who cares if they’ve got no talent, but… Continue reading Truly Asia: I don't want to sleep alone (2006)

On medieval interfaith insults

In the fairly early days of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, dissing each other with crude language was all the rage. Alexandra Cuffel’s new book Gendering Disgust in Medieval Religious Polemic (2009, University of Notre Dame Press) shows how late antique purity laws and biological theories help provide a repertoire of filth from which the rival… Continue reading On medieval interfaith insults

Freedom and Muslims in Britain

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s article at The Indepedent, “Why Muslims will not fight for freedom”, on the absence of Muslims at the recent convention on modern liberty in London was a disconcerting sign. A sign many would read, and not Alibhai-Brown alone, as complete apathy for the greater good: I suspect the key reason so few showed… Continue reading Freedom and Muslims in Britain

"The day I met Amina Wadud" – a critique

Any self-respecting news editor would know that significant, if not historical events require pretty polished reporting. The star-studded Musawah conference last February on Islamic family law reforms was one such significant event. Organised by Malaysia’s very own Sisters In Islam (SIS), it was something to be proud of. But reading Malaysian journalist Siti Nurbaiyah Nadzmi’s… Continue reading "The day I met Amina Wadud" – a critique

Still here!

Hello everybody. You might’ve noticed that postings have ground to a halt the last two weeks or so. There are reasons. The first being that I’ve just been accepted to do an MA in Gender Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London this coming September. Hooray. I’ve spent the last few… Continue reading Still here!