Everyone “Loves” a Muslim on a March, but Who Loves Us on the Train Home?

The 8 pm train from London Kings Cross to Leeds is pretty quiet. I see a few exhausted people like myself, who I presume – from the bedraggled placards they still clutch – have also spent the day protesting Donald Trump’s visit to the UK. I sit down heavily and sink lower into my seat when I notice two men with ‘Make America Great Again’ … Continue reading Everyone “Loves” a Muslim on a March, but Who Loves Us on the Train Home?

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When Feminism & Islamophobia are Two Sides of the Same Coin

This post is a response to a question I got asked during my Instagram takeover of amaliah.com’s story (@thebrownhijabi). I mentioned my fascination with “the way liberal feminism colludes with islamophobia” and was then asked to elaborate – which I did, but which I want to do more now. How do liberal feminism and Islamophobia work together? First off, we need to define what I … Continue reading When Feminism & Islamophobia are Two Sides of the Same Coin

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Ramadan Reflection: Islam is a duty to Resist

Today we stand in a moment, or many moments, where people talk about the world being broken. For many of us, globally and historically it has been broken and breaking and completely destroyed already many times and again and again. How do we move forward then? How do we reconceptualise societies that are healing rather than negligent, celebratory rather than unjust and fundamentally committed to … Continue reading Ramadan Reflection: Islam is a duty to Resist

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Theatre meant a chance to delay homework by one night and pack an extra packet of crisps in your lunchbox for the bus home

I meant to write a different blog post, I’ve been meaning to for ages – something about the sexualisation of Muslim women and how islamophobia colludes with the patriarchal imagination to dominates us in ways specific… But it’s a complex piece to write. And I feel a different thought flowing through me today so let’s go with that instead. I’ve been thinking a lot about … Continue reading Theatre meant a chance to delay homework by one night and pack an extra packet of crisps in your lunchbox for the bus home

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This World Hijab Day put your money where your mouth is

Since 2013, February 1st has been marked as an annual “World Hijab Day”. The intention behind this labelling was that women (Muslim and non-Muslim) globally would be invited to experience wearing a head-covering for one day in hopes of fostering “religious tolerance and understanding”. I get where this comes from, I do – but I do not support the endeavor. In suggesting that one must actually … Continue reading This World Hijab Day put your money where your mouth is

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Islamophobia is not a “phobia”, it’s a way of governing

This month is Islamophobia Awareness Month. I didn’t actually know that was a thing until last year, and then I forgot again, until this year. I suppose like all groups who face structural violence and hatred, Muslims have now been granted a month in which public bodies and liberals should affirm their sense that they care for marginalised people. I am certain that many confronted … Continue reading Islamophobia is not a “phobia”, it’s a way of governing

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The lessons I learnt from writing my own “Decolonised” syllabus

Earlier this year I got bored of the course I was studying as the core part of my degree.  “Postcolonial Theory and Practice” – it was a name that was exciting and yet which failed to fulfill its promise and potential. It was outdated, it was canonical and it didn’t quite unsettle us enough. Three of my course-mates and myself discussed this regularly. We were … Continue reading The lessons I learnt from writing my own “Decolonised” syllabus

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Let me take a wild guess as to why Muslims are overrepresented in prison…

Labour MP David Lammy yesterday revealed the results of an independent review into the treatment of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals in the criminal justice system. One of the most shocking findings was that Muslims account for 15% of Britain’s prisoners – a 50% increase since ten years ago – despite being under 5% of its population. The obvious question is “why?” Why … Continue reading Let me take a wild guess as to why Muslims are overrepresented in prison…

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Sexual abuse survivors deserve more than us blaming brown men

Content warnings: discussion of rape, victim-blaming, sexual abuse, child abuse. After first avoiding all news relating to the sensationalist and provocative headline, ‘British Pakistani men are raping and exploiting white girls’ I’ve decided to throw my hat into the fray over Sarah Champion, Labour’s shadow secretary for Women and Equalities (which women? which equality?) writing a piece for The Sun (who does that?) in light of … Continue reading Sexual abuse survivors deserve more than us blaming brown men

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