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
Research and publications
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
Unveiling the feminist gaze
Are you a Muslim woman living in the US/Europe? Is there too much attention on your veil? Do you hate being defined by your veil? Then you might agree with Faisal al-Yafai’s article in the Guardian’s Comment is free today. The veil, he argues, is a prominent focus on the mainstream feminist agenda. Too much… Continue reading Unveiling the feminist gaze
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
Ramadhan TV: Four wives, one man – a synopsis
Having recently added Women Make Movies on my bookmark list and remembered its last update on Nahid Persson’s documentary, ‘Four wives, one man‘, I was pleasantly surprised to find it on More 4 tonight in its True Stories series; the one that brought ‘Lakes of Fire‘ on British TV. It’s a beautifully shot film about… Continue reading Ramadhan TV: Four wives, one man – a synopsis
The peeping tom and adulterer: some themes Malays like
Dia melekapkan mata kanannya ke lubang paku tiga inci itu dengan hati berdebar-debar. Nafasnya terhenti sejenak bila melihat tubuh putih gebu yang sedang basah berkemban sahaja. Dadanya terdedah. Sharifah membuka ikat kain kembannya. Kain kuyup itu dikirai-kirai. Rambutnya yang lebat hitam terhurai lepas hingga ke paras pinggang berbuai-buai lemah. Badan putih melepak begitu lembut. Begitu… Continue reading The peeping tom and adulterer: some themes Malays like
Alicia Izharuddin 