During the fall of 2019, I traveled to Reston, VA, a suburb of Washington D.C., to conduct fieldwork at Al-Fatih Academy, a predominantly women-run Islamic K–8 school. Afeefa Syeed, the principal, welcomed me and introduced the school’s mission. I listened carefully for what made it “religious.” But the integrated curriculum she described diverged from my… Read more »
“This Wasn’t Just Research. It Was Worship.” How a Spiritual Crisis, a PAR Project, and Sisterhood Reclaimed STEM for Muslim Women [Part II] by Dr. Vivian Zohery
This wasn’t just research. It was worship. It was a love letter to Muslim women who’ve felt invisible in the lab, unseen in the classroom, and unheard in academia. It was a seed. And In Shaa Allah, it will continue to grow. PART II [Part I] When the Researcher is Also the Researched What drew… Read more »
“This Wasn’t Just Research. It Was Worship.” How a Spiritual Crisis, a PAR Project, and Sisterhood Reclaimed STEM for Muslim Women [Part I] by Dr. Vivian Zohery
This wasn’t just research. It was worship. It was a love letter to Muslim women who’ve felt invisible in the lab, unseen in the classroom, and unheard in academia. It was a seed. And In Shaa Allah, it will continue to grow. PART I [Part II] When I began interviewing young Muslim women in STEM,… Read more »
Sesame Paste, Wild Plants, and Resistance: Kurdish Vegetarian Dishes from Iraqi Kurdistan [Part II] by Dr. Jihan Mohammed
Episode Two: Gil û Gîya[i] [Greens and Herbs] In the second episode, I reiterate that traditional Kurdish cuisine is vegan-and vegetarian-friendly. Historically, meat was scarce, so Iraqi Kurds relied on plant-based foods more than they do today. However, with the industrialization and globalization of meat production, the cuisine has shifted to become more meat-based. Below, I… Read more »
Sesame Paste, Wild Plants, and Resistance: Kurdish Vegetarian Dishes from Iraqi Kurdistan [Part I] by Dr. Jihan Mohammed
In many cultures and religions, both the consumption and rejection of meat convey specific social identities and affiliations. In Islam, for example, Muslims are instructed to consume what is lawful (halal), wholesome, pure, nutritious, and safe. They are also commanded to avoid anything considered impure or harmful. Accordingly, Muslim Kurds refrain from consuming non-halal or… Read more »
My Muslim Grandmothers, Their Tattoos, Their Individuality by Derya Doğan
I never met my maternal grandmother, an Arab woman from northern Mesopotamia (a.k.a. southeast Anatolia), as she passed away years before I was born. There are only very few black and white photos of her, and some of them are from a distance, so it is hard to make out her face. I do remember… Read more »
Massachusetts and Muscat: America and the 19th century Western Indian Ocean by Jakob Myers
The first thing Richard Waters did when he arrived in Zanzibar was try (and fail) to convert the Sultan to Christianity. A few weeks later, one of his business partners, who thought he was unjustly demanding payment, sent a group of mercenaries to attack his house. After that rocky start, Waters, as the US’s consul… Read more »
Muharram in the Alevi-Bektashi Tradition* by Dr. İlgar Baharlu
*This material contains descriptions of historical events that may be distressing to some readers. The events of Karbala are some of the most significant matters in Islam. Fifty years after the passing of Prophet Muhammad, his most beloved grandson, Hussain, was massacred. He was decapitated, his head raised on a spear, and his body abandoned… Read more »
Queer and Muslim – Bridging The Chasm by Dania Khan
Ali works in investment banking. Ayesha only prays on Eid. Faisal drinks a glass of wine when he’s at his friend’s house. Samiya has a wife. Ali, Ayesha, and Faisal are all doing things that would go against the widely accepted beliefs of Muslim society. They may face scrutiny, but it’ll be largely with the… Read more »
Steeped Traditions: The Cultural and Religious History of Tea in the Islamic World by Paige Benner
For those who know me in my real life know I am a tea fanatic. Black, green, red, herbal, hot or iced, with or without milk, I am obsessed. However, through all my brews of teas around the world, I never took time to recognize the culture of the tea I was enjoying, especially tea… Read more »