Author: Angry Malay Woman

I like plants.

Bringing post-colonial analysis into our homes: The Indian restaurant

An excerpt from ‘Introducing Cultural Studies’ by Ziauddin Sardar: The Indian restaurant can be a useful model to study the history and legacy of post-colonialism. By studying its many symbols (name, food, location, patrons), we can have some ideas about how the race and cultures of the Other can be perceived within the context of… Continue reading Bringing post-colonial analysis into our homes: The Indian restaurant

Malaysia: talibanisation lite

The recent imposition restricting female singers/dancers from performing in a mixed-sex audience in the northern Malaysian state of Kedah is just another heartbeat away from the talibanisation of the country. Malaysia has claimed to being an example of moderate Islam against a backdrop of multiple ethnicities and religions, and there have been praise for the… Continue reading Malaysia: talibanisation lite

Unexpected sexualities: the sexual limits and trangressions of Muslim women in film

Portrayals of liberal Muslim women in film is groundbreaking on many levels. In a time where the veil is a symbol of subjugation, films about Muslim women like ‘Caramel‘ (2007) by Nadine Labaki, with a narrative composed of universal themes like love and sex can stunningly shatter stereotypes. It is an anomaly amongst the more… Continue reading Unexpected sexualities: the sexual limits and trangressions of Muslim women in film

Lipstick feminism is not feminism

There are a couple of reasons why feminism has a difficult time taking root in many places; first, it’s because there is widespread suspicion of its origins. Historically and currently (by the Bush Admin), it has been abused to spread imperialism. It has strong associations with the privileged and ironically, paternalistic women who like to… Continue reading Lipstick feminism is not feminism

Weekend break

On this coming Monday is my first ever job interview! Waa! So I’m taking a bit of a break from analyses and critiquing this weekend. See you later on Monday!

Ramadhan book club: Salam Maria

Since it’s Ramadhan I thought it might be quite appropriate that I have a special religious feature in my feminist/Malay lit blog. So in today’s post I’d like bring to your attention a little known novel by Fatimah Busu, ‘Salam Maria‘ (or Hail Mary) published in 2004. Unfortunately it’s in Malay, and almost impossible to… Continue reading Ramadhan book club: Salam Maria

The tackiness and insensitivity that is Vogue India

This was originally posted on The New York Times website: NEW DELHI — An old woman missing her upper front teeth holds a child in rumpled clothes — who is wearing a Fendi bib (retail price, about $100). A family of three squeezes onto a motorbike for their daily commute, the mother riding without a… Continue reading The tackiness and insensitivity that is Vogue India

No, thank you, Naomi Wolf

This is a response to hijab.com’s article, ‘Thank you, Naomi Wolf‘. When I started reading about Feminism (in order to get acquainted with the ‘canon’ before I can establish myself as a feminist), I bought Naomi Wolf’s ‘Promiscuities‘. As I was into sex-positivism at the time, the title even sounded like the right kind book… Continue reading No, thank you, Naomi Wolf

Egypt tackles sexual harassment

Sexual harassment, particularly on the streets, is a deeply rooted problem when there are economic, social, and even religious disparities between the sexes. This creates a culture of machismo and disrespect for women, and sexual harassment is a by-product of this culture. Egypt has reported an alarmingly high number of such incidences committed on women,… Continue reading Egypt tackles sexual harassment