“What Does It Mean To Be A Muslim Woman In The Modern World?”
“Rather than continue fixating on how I was a bad Muslim, I decided a few years ago to redefine how Islam fit into my life. While I don’t observe Islam in the same way that my sister or parents do, that doesn’t mean I’m not Muslimenough. In fact, I resent that somebody could decide that for me. I feel very Muslim; what does that say about me?
The Internet, I found, was the best place for me to articulate my struggles and find other like-minded Muslim women. Sometimes these women were hushed in tones of fear and resentment; other times our communication was hurried and fast, as though we had been waiting to talk our whole lives, to divulge our feelings to one another felt like a blessing. As we opened up these dark places of ourselves that we’d been shamed into hiding, we felt less abnormal, less alone…
Over the next few weeks, I’ve asked half a dozen Muslim women to join me in exploring some of the things we’ve been to scared or ashamed to discuss in the past — things like wearing or not wearing the hijab, navigating sex and virginity, or coming out as queer. While the publication is geared towards Muslim women and femme-identifying folks, anyone who has had similar experiences or feelings is invited to participate.”
This is a “pop-up” magazine that I’m very excited to be following.
It has inspired me to create my first collection: a round-up of the essays and articles by Muslim women that I have posted to this blog.
I’ve been meaning to do it for a while — I have gained so much from reading the words of Muslim women and hearing their experiences. Speaking as a non-Muslim woman to what I am assuming is an audience that mostly falls outside of this group as well, I strongly encourage you to explore the pop up magazine (which is curated by actual members of this group) and I hope that my collection can also be a resource.
