Tag: imperialism

Why are we obsessed with Muslim women?

EDIT: disclaimer that this is from my perspective in Britain and primarily about rhetoric here and in other Western European/North American contexts. The hijab, burqa, burkini, FGM, ‘honour killings’ and ‘forced marriages’ are familiar tropes when it comes to thinking about migration and Islam in ‘the West’. Their prevalence represents the slippage between ‘women’s rights’ and questions of national borders and religion, reflecting the way … Continue reading Why are we obsessed with Muslim women?

The Brown Hijabi13 Comments

Liberating Academia: Believe Nothing, Question Everything

This is going to be a post based on a talk I gave last week (I have always wanted to say that, please forgive the pretentiousness). It was loosely about ‘Liberating Academia’ and what that would entail. Two other amazing panellists talked about their experiences and ideas too and for my part, I talked about my experience studying history and my conception of what liberation … Continue reading Liberating Academia: Believe Nothing, Question Everything

The Brown Hijabi2 Comments

Is it time for the British government to stop Saving Muslim Women yet?

Content notes: Islamaphobia, colonialism, imperialism, misogyny, orientalism, racism. Yesterday David Cameron announced that a £20 million fund to teach Muslim women in the UK to ‘speak English’ will tackle segregation and help prevent ‘radicalisation’ – though he also said there was no causal connection between radicalisation and English language… Now, my initial reaction, beyond an eye-roll, was to wonder how and why this policy was … Continue reading Is it time for the British government to stop Saving Muslim Women yet?

The Brown HijabiLeave a comment

‘I thought YOU’D find that problematic?’

CN: racism, sexism, marginalisation, silencing. It’s 2016 and I am That Person. Not always, but a lot of times. The One Who Talks About Race, The Angry One, The Intersectional Feminist. Sometimes I like it, I like to make people feel uncomfortable, like to be a Nuisance just by being there. But recently its also begun to make me feel trapped. People expect opinions on things, … Continue reading ‘I thought YOU’D find that problematic?’

The Brown Hijabi2 Comments

I am a woman of women, and without them I would not be

Content note: imperialism and colonialism, British Empire. They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone; well, in the case of the heritage, culture and history of a third-generation Pakistani woman, I am thankful that the knowing has taken place before the going has gone. Iconic Pan-African philosopher and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey famously said, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and … Continue reading I am a woman of women, and without them I would not be

The Brown HijabiLeave a comment

Intersectional, Radical, Unpalatable and Abrasive; that is the feminism I’m about.

Content Warning: discussion of misogyny, racism, Islamaphobia, imperialism, oppression and mention of war, religion, Western beauty standards, sex, slut-shaming, victim-blaming and rape. This is quite a self-indulgent post. A post about trying to work out by working through, where my feminism stands in regards to others and about my conceptualisation of “feminism” itself. Lately I have begun to feel slightly torn about my own perception … Continue reading Intersectional, Radical, Unpalatable and Abrasive; that is the feminism I’m about.

The Brown Hijabi3 Comments

Why are we calling it a “Migrant Crisis”?

Content Note: discussion of migration, racism, racialised masculinities, masculinity, gendering of migration, colonialism, imperialism, Euro-centrism, dehumanisation of black and brown bodies. “Migrant crisis”. These two words have become so overused as a label to term the plight of non-white human beings deemed “problems” to the European continent, that they have lost any poignancy they may once have held. I saw an article yesterday headlined something … Continue reading Why are we calling it a “Migrant Crisis”?

The Brown HijabiLeave a comment