If there’s one thing about feminism that I feel proud to be identified with is its struggle for the abolishment of traditional gender roles. For the uninitiated, this means rejection of women as natural homemakers and men as pre-determined breadwinners. Rejecting the social conditioning of gender also means redefining the feminine and masculine and who… Continue reading Gender trouble: some thoughts on transgenderism in Malaysia
Category: Religion
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
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
Ramadhan TV: Undercover Mosque
Happy Ramadhan, my lovelies. Last night after breaking the fast, I was entertained by Channel 4’s Ramadhan season programme, “Undercover Mosque: The Return“. The title might sound kind of self-explanatory, but allow me to describe this fine specimen anyway: “Undercover Mosque” was an investigation-cum-reality programme some time ago on TV (probably during last year’s Ramadhan)… Continue reading Ramadhan TV: Undercover Mosque
Alicia Izharuddin 