First published in Muslimah Media Watch +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For those familiar with women’s “lifestyle” magazines, the call to be “sexy” in some way or another is not new. We women need to have “sexy” everything: attitude, legs, skin, armpits, you name it. So pervasive is this message that I’m surprised that no one has spontaneously combusted… Continue reading Aquila: A new kind of Muslim woman?
Category: Religion
Of sartorial choices and oppression
First published over at the F-Word blog. The ban on the full-face veil in Belgium seems like the easiest thing to mete out as far as unconstitutional legislations are concerned. Out of about 215 women who wear either the niqab or burqa in the country, many belong to immigrant communities, many are hard done by… Continue reading Of sartorial choices and oppression
How colonialism created 'religion'
This is an essay I’ve written for a course on postcolonialism and the study of religions. Writing this opened my eyes about the taken-for-granted terms and values we place on what could be perceived as religion in non-Western contexts. This is not an exhaustive discussion of the way European conquest helped construct ‘religion’ in different… Continue reading How colonialism created 'religion'
Coulda, woulda, shoulda: Islam as rehab for women
(First published over at Muslimah Media Watch) British novelist Martin Amis has expressed regret that his late sister did not embrace Islam to save herself from self-destruction. Everyone is understandably confused. To begin with, Amis is not a neutral figure on Islam and women: he thinks that Muslims should be masterminded into becoming “more like… Continue reading Coulda, woulda, shoulda: Islam as rehab for women
Malaysia's newest cane campaign
(Originally published over that Muslimah Media Watch) In Malaysia, where we are swamped with mixed messages from religious authorities and pop song lyrics, those of us lucky enough to find love are bound to run into trouble. Just a week short of Valentine’s day, three women and three men were caned under Shariah law for… Continue reading Malaysia's newest cane campaign
Take your pick, science or religion: My review of Nerdstock – 9 lessons and carols for godless people
The word is out: if you’re religious you cannot possibly appreciate genetics in all its glory, a glory that is inseparable from the Darwinian theory of evolution. I was watching Nerdstock, a Christmas programme for non-religious people on BBC4 last night with at first some curiosity, later with quiet amazement at the burgeoning audacity of… Continue reading Take your pick, science or religion: My review of Nerdstock – 9 lessons and carols for godless people
Comments on comments
In the last year, I’ve been getting plenty of Islamophobic comments on my blog. Some of which are unpublished here for my own peace of mind, and some I went on to tackle personally with the commenters who wrote them. Granted, I do not have a policy on comments and perhaps that is a mistake… Continue reading Comments on comments
Podcast: Malay privilege and the 'Allah' debate
My first ever audio slideshow/podcast!! Enjoy! Transcript after the jump
Contesting narratives of the divine: Film religi and Islamic discourses in post-Soeharto Indonesia
Uploading more of my junk here. The following is my research proposal: The recent upsurge in Islamically-themed films, or film religi, in Indonesia can be viewed as a reflection of the increasing prominence of Islam discernible in the media and consumption patterns (Widodo, 2008). Following the commercial success of Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) in… Continue reading Contesting narratives of the divine: Film religi and Islamic discourses in post-Soeharto Indonesia
Muslim feminists have too much to worry about already to think about homophobia
Once a week I meet with people studying gender in the Middle East and we talk about the assigned articles we’ve read during the week. Last week, it was about sexuality and homophobia. Emerging from our discussion on homosexuality rights in the Middle East (particularly in Lebanon and Palestine) is the question why many Muslim… Continue reading Muslim feminists have too much to worry about already to think about homophobia
Alicia Izharuddin 