Browsing All Posts filed under »Gender Diversity«

Islamic Scholars and Leaders Expose the ISIS Terror Group

September 29, 2014

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Sheikh Hamza Yusuf Exposes the lies of ISIS during his Friday Sermon Muslims Scholars Destroy the Theological Arguments Behind ISIS ISIS’s use of Islamic scripture to justify their actions is completely illegitimate. This is important for muslims and non-muslims alike as it shows that simply using ‘this is what it says in the Qur’an’ is […]

The Battle Within: Sexual Violence in the US Military–a Photo Gallery

August 26, 2014

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‘We lost our jobs for reporting being raped’: Haunting photo essay depicts the suffering of women who were victims of sexual violence in the U.S. military The Battle Within: Sexual Violence In America’s Military is a photo essay by Pulitzer Prize finalist photographer Mary Calvert An estimated 26,000 rapes and sexual assaults took place in […]

Wage Equity in Islam vs Wage Inequity at the New York Times–The Case of Jill Abramson

May 16, 2014

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Shame on the New York Times for gender bias. The number one (and biased) US news paper with a global reach shows its true colors by discriminating in pay against its first female executive editor, Jill Abramson, and then firing her. She found out that for equal work, she was making less money (in pay […]

Official: Reports of sex assault in US Navy increase

September 12, 2013

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Al Jazeera The number of sexual assaults reported within the Navy has grown by about 50 percent in the past year, which Navy officials said Wednesday is a sign that a growing number of sailors feel more comfortable reporting an assault and believe something will be done about it — a prior source of concern […]

Islam has the highest regard for women

July 8, 2012

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The Talibans are practicing an extremist and puritanical form of Islam and often behave unIslamically–as in the manner they treat their women. Prophet Muhammad (s) said, ” “The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best and kindest to his wife.” and ““Do treat your women well and be kind to them, for […]

New Female Judge Transforms Islamic Court

May 14, 2009

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Ilene Prusher, Staff Writer, Christian Science Monitor RAMALLAH, WEST BANK – Khouloud el-Faqeeh has shattered the glass ceiling of Islamic jurisprudence. After years of pushing to break into the all-male ranks of sharia judges in the Palestinian territories, she finally secured a post after scoring among the best – along with another woman – in a recent test […]

Abdul Wahab El Messiri on Hijab

May 7, 2009

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In the wake of the controversy generated by Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni’s suggestion that the increasing number of veiled women in Egypt was a sign of “regression”, Al-Ahram Weekly asked two leading cultural commentators how they interpreted the subsequent furore. The importance of national dialogue, in the absence of which we lapse into a […]

About time! Saudi Arabia to lift ban on women drivers

January 21, 2008

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By Damien McElroy in Riyadh, Daily Telegraph, UK Saudi Arabia is to lift its ban on women drivers in an attempt to stem a rising suffragette-style movement in the deeply conservative state. Government officials have confirmed the landmark decision and plan to issue a decree by the end of the year. The move is designed […]

Muslim Women Who Become Homeless Have Limited Options

December 29, 2007

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By Jackie Spinner Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, December 29, 2007; B01 They sleep in mosques. Or on the streets. Or in Christian-oriented shelters that might hold prayer meetings or services at odds with their own religious beliefs. For Muslim women without a place to live, particularly those who have been battered or are immigrants, […]

Me and the Mosque–Women in Islam and Change

December 23, 2007

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April 13, 2007 Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. In North America, most converts to Islam are women, many of whom are drawn to the religion through their experiences of social injustice and political involvement. Ironically many mosques force women to pray behind barriers away from the men, and some mosques do not […]

Infidelity At Work: New Book Supports Quasi-Islamic Relationships

December 1, 2007

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Review of Shirley Glass’s Book, Not “Just Friends”, by Islamonline   “I’m sorry, but I don’t shake hands with members of the opposite sex.” This line can be heard coming from Muslims working in office settings everywhere.   Islamic standards of modesty warn against even casual physical contact between unmarried men and women. This, of […]

Muslim Women in Sports: Muslima basketball team in action

November 1, 2007

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Please click here to watch this video clip from ESPN about the Lady Caliphs, playing basketball in hijab. They are champions, with a record of 21 wins versus one loss.  They even played basketball matches while fasting during the month of Ramadan! For sisters only, here is Sister Ruqaya Al Ghasara winning a race in […]

Potentially controversial cartoon involving Muslim dress code dropped

September 16, 2007

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Deborah Howell Washington Post, Readers were confused and angry that “Opus” comic strips with a Muslim theme did not appear in the Aug. 26 and Sept. 2 Sunday print editions. The strips, created by Berkeley Breathed, were distributed by the Washington Post Writers Group and published on washingtonpost.com. Most of the controversy involved the Aug. […]

Alumni Group Seeks to Deny Tenure to Middle Eastern Scholar at Barnard College

August 18, 2007

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Daily news reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education newsfeed. August 15, 2007 Controversial research on Israel and the Palestinian territories has become the basis of yet another campaign to prevent a professor from winning tenure. A group of Barnard College alumni has drafted an online petition asking their alma mater to deny tenure to […]

Islam in the Workplace (Part 2): Muslims’ Attire

August 7, 2007

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Note from Rafik and Nadiah Beekun: Though some of the following information is available on other websites, we have reproduced it here because of its direct relevance to the issues covered by this blog. We have also added to the material available on the internet through our own research. We will explore the implications of Hijab […]

In defense of Hijab: Azizah’s front cover

August 7, 2007

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Linda Morris Religious Affairs Writer Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) August 7, 2007 Tuesday, p. 5 First Edition ON JUST about every cover of Azizah, the first of a new crop of US Muslim women’s magazines, is a women wearing the hijab. The practice has drawn criticism that the publisher and editor of Azizah, Tayyibah Taylor, […]

From Atheism to Islam: Professor of Mathematics, Jeffrey Lang

July 18, 2007

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Dr. Jeffrey Lang is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Kansas, one of the biggest universities in the United States. He started his religious journey on Jan 30, 1954, when he was born in a Roman Catholic family in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The first 18 years of his life were spent in Catholic schools, which […]

Indian Muslims oppose fatwa against co-education

July 17, 2007

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By Shaikh Azizur Rahman, THE WASHINGTON TIMES Indian Muslim leaders are uniting with female students in opposition to a “fatwa” or Islamic edict demanding that Muslim girls stay away from academic institutions where boys are studying. The order, issued by the influential theological school of Darul Uloom Deoband in northern India last week, said coeducation […]

Salam Al-Maryati in a conversation with Irshad Manji

May 28, 2007

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Source: KCET.online If you have access to a podcast program (such as Itunes), please listen to the following link within your podcasting program. Writer Irshad Manji joins Executive Director of the Progressive Muslim Union Ani Zonneveld and Executive Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council Salam Al-Marayati in a conversation following a screening of the […]

Workplace Discrimination Against Muslims after 9/11

May 6, 2007

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[…] Hadji said that in late 2004, he reproached a customer for harassing a Tunisian waiter. Hadji said he asked the customer to leave after the diner said, “If you don’t like it, go back to your country,” and “I fought two wars to get rid of people like you.” The restaurant’s owners ordered Hadji […]

Types of workplace discrimination experienced by Muslim Women wearing Hijab

May 6, 2007

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Source:atwork.settlement.org The issue of discrimination experienced by Muslim women who wear hijab when they apply for work was established in 2000 through consultations conducted by Women Working With Immigrant Women (WWIW) with Muslim serving organizations and through surveys of labour organizations and institutions such as the Ontario Human Rights Commission to find out what information […]

What Allah Wants Her to Be

April 30, 2007

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What Allah wants her to be By KATHLEEN D. BAILEY Special to the Union Leader Sunday, Apr. 29, 2007 Exeter – They wore long skirts and head scarves, business suits, jeans and sweaters. One tee nage girl wore a head scarf and jeans. They came from a rich mix of countries, including America, and spanned […]

Islamophobia 101–Episode 15: The case of the “Towel-head Sniper”

April 27, 2007

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Source: nbc4.com ARLINGTON, Va. — Federal Officials said an Arlington man faces a slew of charges after he allegedly sent e-mails to family members threatening to kill Arab women and Latinos. The FBI arrested 57-year-old Charles Gerbino Thursday morning in his Arlington home. Video: Watch The Report Related: Excerpts From Threatening E-Mail (WARNING: Remarks May […]

She is a Muslimah, a Former University Dean of Engineering, and a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do

April 18, 2007

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TU THANH HA From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail MONTREAL — When news came that young Muslim girls had been turned away from a tae kwon do competition in Quebec because they wore Islamic head scarves, one of the people upset was the former dean of engineering of the University of Ottawa. Aside from being an […]

Muslims in the European Union: Discrimination and Islamophobia

March 28, 2007

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“What happened on 11 September was like a catalyst, you know. Things which they never thought of saying publicly, from one day to another, they say it publicly now. Before, there was a lot of ‘political correctness’ but after 11 September all political correctness went within seconds.” (Male, Germany) “I have heard it many times […]

For Muslim Women, Education and Economic Empowerment Are Keys to a Better Life

March 11, 2007

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By Margaret Besheer, VOA Washington 05 March 2007 International Women’s Day Thursday highlights women’s struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. For many it is a day to celebrate progress. For others, it is a reminder of just how far they still must travel. (Note from Rafik Beekun: As an example of how far our […]

Serious Considerations in Mixed Groups: Interacting with Members of the Opposite Sex At Work

March 5, 2007

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Source: Arab News. Reprinted here with permission. Dr. Abd Al-Haleem Abu Shuqqah Note from Rafik Beekun: This article is reproduced here because of the increased interaction between men and women in the workplace, and the need for Muslims and Muslimahs to understand and abide by the Islamic etiquette of conduct among members of the opposite […]

Hispanics Coming Back to Islam in the U.S.

February 27, 2007

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By Amy Green | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor ORLANDO, FLA. – With her hijab and dark complexion, Catherine Garcia doesn’t look like an Orlando native or a Disney tourist. When people ask where she’s from, often they are surprised that it’s not the Middle East but Colombia. That’s because Ms. Garcia, a bookstore […]

Freedom of Faith at Work: A Major Issue for US Muslims

February 25, 2007

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BY SHANNON PRATHER Pioneer Press School bus driver Seham Nabry says her boss confiscated her prayer mats and complained that her ritual hand and feet washing messed up the office bathroom. She also says he blared Christian music and taunted Muslim workers as they prayed. Nabry said giving up her daily prayers — one of […]

Woman Minister Gunned Down For Not Wearing Proper Islamic Dress

February 25, 2007

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by Azhar Masood and Agencies Arab News ISLAMABAD, 21 February 2007 — A suspected militant yesterday shot dead Punjab’s minister for social welfare while she was about to address a meeting in Gujranwala. Fayyaz Chattha, the district administrator of Gujranwala, told Arab News a serial killer shot the minister, Zille Huma Usman, wounding her seriously. […]

Islamophobia 101: Episode 12–Hate crimes against Mosques and Muslims On The Rise Post 9-11

February 23, 2007

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Below, I have included only a sample of the hate crime incidents for which video clips are available.  It is important to note that these incidents have occured over the last two years, and across several states in the USA.  My intent is not to suggest that these incidents are connected; I simply aim to demonstrate that […]

Saving the world with a cup of yogurt

February 21, 2007

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Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the father of microcredit, has a new idea. It’s called social business enterprise, and the first step is a yogurt factory in Bangladesh. Fortune’s Sheridan Prasso reports. By Sheridan Prasso, Fortune January 29 2007: 1:54 PM EST (Fortune Magazine) — Along a dirt road in Bangladesh’s green, fertile heartland, […]

Good Samaritan 101: Mr. Aguilar, Spanish Minister of Justice

February 17, 2007

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Congratulations to  the Spanish Minister of Justice, Mr. Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, for taking a stand against gender discrimination in Saudi Arabia. During an official visit to Saudi Arabia last month, Mr. Aguilar was invited to speak at Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud Islamic University. When the Minister learned that female journalists traveling with him would […]

Islamophobia Test: People’s Reaction to Woman in Hijab

February 1, 2007

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Note from Rafik Beekun: I am always moved by the sight of our sisters in Hijab. They are the ever courageous and visible standard bearers of Islam. In this video test taking place in the seaside town of Southampton, U.K., a non-Muslim woman dresses up in hijab to test the reactions of non-Muslims to her […]

Women and Career Obstacles in Saudi Media

January 29, 2007

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Source: “Empowering Women in Saudi Media.” by Maha Akeel, Arab News. Islam has guaranteed women’s right to participate in making decisions concerning her life, her money and her community and therefore she has the right to be represented in every organization and institution that affects her directly or indirectly. [A]fter […] years of working in […]

U.S. Dept of Homeland Security to Launch Traveler Redress Inquiry Program

January 18, 2007

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Source: (Media-Newswire.com) – Release Date: January 17, 2007 The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today it will launch the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP), an easy to use, single point of inquiry for travel-related issues. DHS TRIP was developed to provide a central gateway to address watch list misidentification issues, situations where […]

The BBC interviews Keith Ellison, First US Muslim Congressman

January 17, 2007

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Keith Ellison is one of the most intensely scrutinised members of the new Democratic intake – the first Muslim member of Congress. In an exclusive BBC interview he talks to Stephen Sackur about what he wants the Democrats to do with their new found clout. Please click here to watch this excellent interview by Stephen […]

Domestic Workers’ Abuse in Muslim Countries

January 2, 2007

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Source of testimonials: Human Rights Watch While abuse of domestic workers is a global disgrace, taking place in many non-Muslim countries including Hong Kong, the USA, and Singapore, it also occurs in Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Morocco, Malaysia and many others. Here are some examples of the type of abuse that domestic […]

Condition of Migrant Workers and Women in Saudi Arabia

January 2, 2007

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Source: Human Rights Watch 2006 Report Migrant Workers The estimated 8.8 million largely South and Southeast Asian and Arab foreign workers in Saudi Arabia comprise a third of the country’s population, according to Minister of Labor Ghazi al-Gosaibi. Many face exploitative working conditions, including sixteen-hour workdays, no breaks or food and drink, and often remain […]

Marginalization of Muslim Minority in India

December 29, 2006

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Source: Articles from the Deccan Times and with help from Asghar in reviewing the report. The highly-anticipated report of the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee on the status of minorities in India was submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and was tabled in Parliament during the Winter Session. According to this report tabled on November 30, 2006, […]

Challenges 2006-2007: Global Islamophobia on the Rise

December 27, 2006

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Source: A People Under Siege by William Fisher NEW YORK, Dec 19 (IPS) – Five years after the terrorist attacks of Sep. 11, 2001, “Islamophobia” — intensified by the war in Iraq and government actions — has left millions of Muslims here and in other Western countries fearful of harassment, discrimination and questionable prosecutions, and […]

Muslim Women in the U.S. Military

December 16, 2006

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FROM HEAD SCARF TO ARMY CAP, MAKING A NEW LIFE – Andrea Elliott, New York Times, 12/15/06 LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Tex. ­ Stomping her boots and swinging her bony arms, Fadwa Hamdan led a column of troops through this bleak Texas base. Only six months earlier, she wore the head scarf of a pious […]

UNDP Report: Islamic Movements at the Vanguard of Women’s Empowerment

December 11, 2006

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Source: Arab Human Development Report Launch, December 06, 2006 According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Arab Human Development Report 2005 due to be released in 2006, women in the Arab world are not realizing their full potential and are not being provided with equal opportunity. The report states that this situation poses difficulties […]

Medical and Media Professional Women Asked to Leave Seminar

November 25, 2006

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Source: Raid Qusti for Arab News RIYADH, 22 November 2006 — A presenter from King Saud University at an international medical seminar at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center caused a stir yesterday when he insisted that all women — including medical and media professionals — leave the room before he would enter […]

Policewomen in Hijab: No Problem!

November 24, 2006

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During these times when European countries (including Turkey), Tunisia and other Muslim countries are condemning or banning the hijab, this video shows women police trainees performing very dangerous tasks with ease while wearing the hijab. Please click here to view the video clip directly from the YouTube website.

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qardawi on Excessiveness (Ghuluw) in Religion

November 20, 2006

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Note from Rafik Beekun: At times, some Muslims may be excessive in their practice of deen in the workplace, their personal life and elswhere. The current rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and their extreme viewpoints (with respect to the rights of women in Islam and their lack of tolerance for any other Islamic interpretation […]