Experiences of an American Muslim, Immigration Attorney Sahar Taman* This fall semester, I had the pleasure of meeting Immigration Attorney Sahar Taman during my time as a student in Dr. Iman Alramadan’s 5th-year Arabic class. Ms. Taman is a highly accomplished lawyer, activist, and public servant. It was incredible to hear about her experiences… Read more »
Muslim Women
Love, Gratitude, and Empowerment: March 8th in Uzbekistan by Shohida Esanova
If you see the men sad, stressfully counting their last money in their pocket, if you see young boys getting sick and missing school, or if your boyfriend breaks up with you for insignificant reasons, you feel that 8th of March is coming. These are some of the jokes associated with one of the biggest,… Read more »
A space of solidarity: Muslim women’s contribution to creating a functional community by Niger Sultana
Women in major world religions like Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Buddhism do not hold official authority to lead religious practices in their places of worship. For this reason, the acknowledgement of their informal responsibilities and contributions to society has also been largely ignored. Even though women do not hold leadership positions in most faiths, their… Read more »
“Just One Night” A Critical Review II by Abigail Leonard
While the opposite can be argued, I feel that “Just One Night” addresses an otherness felt by some of the young Muslims in the West. It has an opening scene with two hijabi friends trying to fix their headscarves in a manner that makes them stand out less in the bathroom of a bar where… Read more »
“Just One Night” A Critical Review I by Rachel Tagoulla
In the mini movie “Just One Night”, two headscarf-wearing Muslim women go out to a bar to experience bar life for “just one night.” The protagonist’s friend claims she has never been to this bar before; however, the protagonist discovers her friend is a regular at the bar after seeing her picture on the wall…. Read more »
“Do Something Good For Yourself” by Havva Berfin Yalçın
I have always been someone who likes to be social. I spent time with school, classes, and friends during the first year of my college life. Everything was great but there was something missing. This absence that I was feeling deep inside had become a problem which I couldn’t figure out because I didn’t know… Read more »
Hijab in Sports: Bilqis Abdul Qaadir Visits IU with Messages of Empowerment and Spirituality for Muslim Women by Narmeen Ijaz
Hijab (Veil) is a term which has multiple images associated with it. For some it might bring to surface images of the ongoing protests in Iran by women to end the mandatory hijab, while for others, it might recall images of Muslim women in France fighting against the Hijab ban. Such duality of the meaning… Read more »
Being Muslim vs. Looking Islamic by Derya Doğan
A couple summers ago, I ran into an elderly couple who had done decades of Christian missionary work in Australia. They were looking for my neighbors, who were from Turkiye. When I said that I too was from Turkiye, the wife told me “But you do not look Islamic” since I was wearing a sleeveless… Read more »
The Controversy of the Hijab: How Governments Use Symbols to Exercise Power by Jason Sadlowski
Why has the practice of wearing the Islamic headscarf by Muslim women become such a controversial symbol of Muslim culture? And what about it has made governments decide it will be a major factor in how they choose to control their people? These were some of the questions that I was left with after attending… Read more »
The Change of the Indiana Muslim Community: Experiences of a Bangladeshi Immigrant Woman by Mayesha Awal
My mother, Shamima, is a Muslim Bangladeshi immigrant who came to the United States in 1996. She came to the United States after she got married to my father who already resided in Indiana. I asked my mother about her experiences when she first arrived in the US, especially as a Muslim: “It was hard… Read more »