Tag: muslims

What if Neo had taken both pills? | A Reflection on a Summer School and Feelings of Madness

It has been exactly one Gregorian-calendar-month since I left Granada, Spain, where I attended the Critical Muslim Studies two-week summer school. I had intended to write up some notes or musings as soon as I got back because there was so much to reflect on from what I enjoyed, to what frustrated me, and unresolved questions. But upon returning to the UK a certain heaviness … Continue reading What if Neo had taken both pills? | A Reflection on a Summer School and Feelings of Madness

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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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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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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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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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‘Trust Your Instinct’ means ‘Don’t Trust Muslims’

A few days ago I woke up to the sensational headline that 13 potential terrorist attacks have been prevented in the UK since June 2013. Minutes later I heard news that the government just launched a new counter-terrorism campaign: Action Counters Terrorism (ACT), and every day since I’ve been putting up with interruptions on Spotify urging me to report suspicious and potential terrorist activity when just … Continue reading ‘Trust Your Instinct’ means ‘Don’t Trust Muslims’

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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?

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An A-Z on being Muslim in Britain in 2015

I’ve noticed that Islam and my identity as a Muslim are the things I mention least on this blog. If I’m honest I have deliberately avoided talking about Islam at times this year. My silence has felt heavy, but the truth is that it’s been difficult to talk about. Difficult as an individual, difficult as a Muslim and difficult as someone who visibly identifies with … Continue reading An A-Z on being Muslim in Britain in 2015

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Cambridge: the benevolent aggressor

Seeing all the new faces around Cambridge this past week has made me rather sentimental. Memories of fresher’s week and the whole fear-ridden first term come flooding back. I search amongst those new faces especially for brown and black faces. I search for them because I wish somebody had searched for me. Everytime I see a woman in a hijab I feel overwhelmed with excitement, … Continue reading Cambridge: the benevolent aggressor

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