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
Category: Malaysia
Who has the right to 'Allah'?
Good news just in. The Herald is now allowed to use ‘Allah’ in its Malay-language publication. Well, as long as the newspaper makes it clear that its material is not for Muslims, The Star reports. Hhmm. Fair enough. There was a brouhaha some months ago when “The [Malaysian] government argued that Allah is an Islamic… Continue reading Who has the right to 'Allah'?
Confronting Malay privilege
It is true that whenever I write about the state of feminism in Malaysia, I write from a point of view of a privileged Malay whose ethnicity is a dividing force in Malaysia. While I write about the challenges of Muslim women with a global view in mind, my own Malayness oppresses every one else… Continue reading Confronting Malay privilege
Tips on smashing conformity
The following is excerpted from an article by Malaysian academic, activist, and feminist, Rohana Ariffin. (Translation by Cycads): Bagaimana untuk membebaskan diri daripada menjadi “pak turut” atau “mak turut”? Bagi saya ada dua cara. Satu, menerapkan sikap ingin tahu terhadap segala ideologi, isu dan masalah masyarakat. Bukan menerima sahaja bulat-bulat pandangan orang lain tetapi mengkaji… Continue reading Tips on smashing conformity
Foreign bodies as sexual playgrounds
This post was featured in the first Asian Women Blog Carnival at ciderpress’s blog. So there was this American guy, Jake, who sat with Gareth and me at lunch last Saturday and was telling us how much he wanted to go to Malaysia because it’s apparently a great place to meet women, and claimed that… Continue reading Foreign bodies as sexual playgrounds
Malaysian mail-order brides: what fairy tale?
Excerpted from The New Straits Times: Once upon a time, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella had to battle witches and overcome spells to find Prince Charming. Now, young women are discovering that the road leading to “happily-ever-after” is wider, shorter and much less of an obstacle course. In recent years, a large number of… Continue reading Malaysian mail-order brides: what fairy tale?
Book review: Ombak Bukan Biru by Fatimah Busu
Fatimah Busu has a gift for telling stories of social alienation. Her stories are often a provocative social critique of Malay society but are easily accessible and good for philosophical rumination. In Salam Maria, her protagonist is a misfit, a social castoff who is forced to the depths of the forest to live with those… Continue reading Book review: Ombak Bukan Biru by Fatimah Busu
Weekend round-up of favourite online reads 11/1
My current obsession with feminist science fiction led me to brilliant reviews of Vandana Singh’s The Woman Who Thought She Was a Planet at both The F-Word and Ultrabrown. In my earlier post on Islam and feminism in SF I mentioned a few times about how the genre is used to critique some grand narratives… Continue reading Weekend round-up of favourite online reads 11/1
Idealising Islamic womanhood, internalising whiteness
The meteoric rise of Malaysian actress Wardina and singer Waheeda in the last few years was by no means an accident. For decades, women who wore the tudung (hijab) had longed for high-profile role models who shared their values and dress code. Representation is, of course, a good thing, but their popularity can be partly… Continue reading Idealising Islamic womanhood, internalising whiteness
Understanding anti-feminism in Malaysia and where it comes from
Okay. This is going to be a super-biased piece from the get-go. I feel the need to write about this because I am TIRED of trying to talk to people about what feminism really is about. There is just so much misunderstanding and lack of information out there in the real world. Feminism is, as… Continue reading Understanding anti-feminism in Malaysia and where it comes from
Alicia Izharuddin 