Category: Religion

A Kakak Killjoy reflects on the ‘burqa’ ban in France

First published on Kakak Killjoy As we all know, the “burqa” ban has taken effect in France on Monday as a political and nationalistic expression to preserve the French cultural identity and end the “oppressive” practices of face-covering among Muslim women. Two women have already been arrested. We should know that such invasive intervention done… Continue reading A Kakak Killjoy reflects on the ‘burqa’ ban in France

Between worlds: the jilbab and being transgender in Indonesia

It is a scene that wouldn’t be unfamiliar in France or Belgium: a woman’s hijab is snatched away by strangers on the street from her head despite her protest. She is told she shouldn’t wear it, or rather, she has no right to because her wearing it mocks other women and femininity itself. But it… Continue reading Between worlds: the jilbab and being transgender in Indonesia

Judge a book by its cover?: Women and sex on retro Malay book covers

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. But you might well be able to sell a book based on its cover. The world of Malay book jackets of the past (circa 1960’s to mid 1970’s) was a different place then, where nude women as decorative elements were apparently no big deal. Nowadays,… Continue reading Judge a book by its cover?: Women and sex on retro Malay book covers

Maryam & Manan: What Underage Marriages Say About Our Society

My first piece on the Malaysian legal blog, Loyar Burok: Underage marriages are not simply perversions of marital norms but an index of our unequal society. The news concerning the marriage of a 14-year old girl and 23-year old man reveals a thing or two about what can be expected of young women and of… Continue reading Maryam & Manan: What Underage Marriages Say About Our Society

An excerpt from my dissertation on ‘traditional’ same-sex eroticisms in Indonesian fiction – Part 2

First in the series of excerpts from my MA dissertation I looked at the tolerant attitudes toward homoerotic relations in Indonesian religious boarding schools as depicted in the novel Mairil. Below I explore the way the Indonesian tradition of the gemblak and warok relationship is framed in a novel by Enang Rokajat Asura. Unlike Mairil,… Continue reading An excerpt from my dissertation on ‘traditional’ same-sex eroticisms in Indonesian fiction – Part 2

Is Muslim feminism more than just a hijab defense?

There may be 1,001 Muslim feminist critiques on the European burqa ban and its attendant jokes and jibes, insults, and ridiculousness. But what should remain clear is that we Muslim feminists are not just about the hijab. The recent discussion on LGBT acceptance on MMW revealed the cracks in the Muslim “sisterhood” and it began… Continue reading Is Muslim feminism more than just a hijab defense?

Must science reign supreme?

In the beginning of ‘The Enemies of Reason‘, Richard Dawkins’ latest TV crusade against the irrationality of religion and spiritualism, he asks: why is it during an age in which science is proving more ‘truths’ about life and the universe do people still turn to UFOs and miraculous burnt marks on toast that look like… Continue reading Must science reign supreme?

Last Say on Niqab Should be From a Woman Who Wears It. Obviously.

(First published over at Muslimah Media Watch. To be honest, I’m pretty fed up about having to discuss and write on this topic ad infinitum. So let’s call for a moratorium from now on) I took the a brief moment from work to watch a 12-minute segment on BBC’s Newsnight about why British women choose… Continue reading Last Say on Niqab Should be From a Woman Who Wears It. Obviously.

The women of Indonesia's Film Religi

Film religi is an Indonesian cultural phenomenon quite unlike any other in Southeast Asia. It is a film genre that is focused on religion (mainly Islam) and its attendant hot issues like polygamy, deviant prophets, interfaith relations, and global ‘terrorism’. Riding on the popularity of the hugely successful Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love, 2008), a… Continue reading The women of Indonesia's Film Religi