MuslimMatters.org Discourses in the Intellectual Traditions, Political Situation, and Social Ethics of Muslim Life

Praying at home or the masjid, and then sneaking out to party at a nightclub. Wearing hijaab around family, and then turning into a fashion diva at school. One person, two worlds, and a desperate struggle to juggle them both. This is the reality which many Muslim youth in the ... Read More »

Disclaimer: Sadly, I'm not the one clever enough to come up with the post title. Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, and whatever's the latest and hottest in social networking… they're all super popular, with millions of users all around the world. Most people reading this post probably has an account with one ... Read More »

I write this with an aching heart and furious thoughts. No doubt by now you have heard of Aqsa Parvez, the 16 year old girl who was killed by her father, allegedly over the removal of her hijab. Needless to say, we are all shocked, horrified, and saddened. Yet I, ... Read More »

… who is the fairest of us all? That's what the question is, usually – but today is different. Dhul Hijjah is upon us. The hujjaaj (pilgrims) have already embarked on their noble journey to an even more noble destination, to perform the sacred rites ordained upon the Ummah since ... Read More »

Written in conjunction with Su'di Abdulahi, my friend and a student of Abu AnonyMouse's Madrasah. Living Islam while in the West – it's a common topic, especially with regards to youth. However, many of the articles and lectures on the subject are by those who have already left high school, ... Read More »

Whether you're a “born Muslim” or convert/revert, one is often taught things or comes across things that are passed off as “Sunnah” or part of Islam. Yet, these beliefs and practices often have no basis within the Qur'an and Sunnah. At the Madrasah, we compiled a list of misconceptions commonly ... Read More »

I've just discovered my newest pet peeve: misogynistic women. That is, those women who believe in and perpetuate gender-related stereotypes… the most common one being that of women's inferiority, and men's superiority (in more than the Islamic sense/ understanding). Misogyny is something that is quickly and oft-identified within men, but recognized ... Read More »

The Islamosphere is filled with excellent (and not so excellent) blogs by, and about, Muslims living in the West, trying to practice their Deen. Yet in the mainstream media – the news, the newspapers, the bookstores – we still have the problem of skewed perceptions of Islam and Muslims, exascerbated ... Read More »

Bountiful, B.C.: The first thing that comes to mind is a recollection of the media frenzy surrounding the ultra-fundamentalist Mormon community, which under their so-called “prophet” Warren Jeffs practices an extreme form of polygyny. The Vancouver Sun has a huge “exclusive report” on the subject, covering it's history, legal standing, ... Read More »

This article in the latest issue of Maclean's magazine highlights the alarmingly growing trend of racism, bigotry, and prejudice in Canada… or, if you're to look at it differently, simply more public airing of these feelings. Concentrating mainly on Quebec, the author brings up recent examples of blatant discrimination against ... Read More »