Muslim Voices – Page 4 – An open forum connecting diverse voices worldwide for a cross-cultural dialogue with a focus in Islam & Muslims

“Nowruz is Upon Us” by Dr. Negar Partow

Posted on March 17, 2024 by IU Muslim Voices

As the month of March looms on the horizon, many parts of the Middle East and Central Asia are uplifted by the promise of Nowruz—a celebration of hope, resilience, the promise of brighter days and a better year to come. To those who celebrate it, Nowruz isn’t just a date on the calendar. It is a testament to human yearning for renewal, for a world adorned with verdant meadows, abundant rainfall, and the bountiful harvests that sustain them. The hope that it offers is a beacon of light amidst the darkness and coldness of the winter. It heralds the arrival of spring and the promise of a happier, healthier, and more prosperous year ahead.

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Love, Gratitude, and Empowerment: March 8th in Uzbekistan by Shohida Esanova

Posted on March 8, 2024 by IU Muslim Voices

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 8^th of March is coming. These are some of the jokes associated with one of the biggest, most popular holidays in Uzbekistan, International Women’s Day, celebration of which dates back to Soviet Era.

It has been since this period in our history that Uzbekistan has actively marked March 8^th as a widely observed holiday, supported by the government as part of our emphasis on gender equality and women’s accomplishments. Despite having attained independence following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, it is still a significant event in our country’s cultural and social calendar, with a range of activities and events planned to commemorate women and eliminate gender gap.

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A space of solidarity: Muslim women’s contribution to creating a functional community by Niger Sultana

Posted on February 25, 2024 by IU Muslim Voices

“Open Mosque Day, Aug. 19, 2007” by IIOC is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

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 contributions to community building and social cohesion are crucial.

The lack of official authority is often misinterpreted as a lack of agency in the religious community. In reality, the critical role of the community’s emotional support system provided by Muslim women is elusive but not adequately acknowledged. The aim of this small conversation is to bridge the gap between informal and formal recognition of Muslim women’s agency and their representation.

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Muslim Youth Camp of California 2023 by Mayesha Awal

Posted on February 11, 2024 by IU Muslim Voices

This year, I had the privilege of serving as a camp counselor at the California Muslim Youth Camp (MYC) for the second time. My journey to MYC began unexpectedly the previous year. While en route to Lake Michigan in Chicago, I had a serendipitous encounter with a Muslim woman wearing a hijab. I approached her with Assalamualaikum, and had a lengthy conversation with her as we walked along the lakeshore. She mentioned the camp, which sparked my interest, and I signed up after learning about it from her.

The California Muslim Youth Camp was founded by Marghoob Quraishi and his wife Iffat Quraishi. MYC has taken place on an annual basis since 1961. While it started with only a few families, today, it brings together hundreds of Muslim children and adults across the United States.

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Pearl of the Indian Ocean – Sri Lanka by Hannah Niyaz

Posted on January 28, 2024 by IU Muslim Voices

Roadside view of a village in Nuwara Eliya. Lots of people here grow their own crops. | Photo: Courtesy of the Author

Sri Lanka is an island of diverse landscapes, ethnicities, and cultures. This enchanting country, often dubbed the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” boasts a rich history shaped by various ethnic groups, each contributing to the unique mosaic that defines Sri Lanka today. As you explore the histories of this island nation, you will encounter a captivating blend of traditions, customs, and narratives that highlights intricate relationships between the Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, and other smaller ethnic groups that coexist harmoniously. In my summer journeys visiting its borders, there is so much one can find in a country no bigger than the state of Indiana!

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The Benefits of Islamic Mindfulness by Susan Labadi

Posted on January 14, 2024 by IU Muslim Voices

As necessity is the progenitor of invention and adaptation, mindfulness has become a panacea to our unprecedented distraction, anxiety, and stress. Its benefits are many. Among them are increased levels of awareness, self-regulation, receptivity, tolerance, and calmness where there is avoidance of being judgmental, and a decrease in reactivity and nervousness. The idea of mindfulness as a solution to our stress is found through the Islamic practices of prayer and dhikr (remembrance) that are core to several Arabic terms, namely khooshoo¹, muraqabah², and hudur³.

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A Message for 2024, by Muslim Voices Public Scholarship Project

Posted on December 31, 2023 by IU Muslim Voices

“The Globe (H. P. Lovecraft’s Study)” by Xenomurphy is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

It was 15 years ago when we first submitted a grant proposal to the Social Science Research Council to implement Muslim Voices, a multi-media and public-facing academic initiative to dispel the harmful stereotypes in North America around Islam and Muslims by exploring the religion’s diversity across the world. Within three years we accomplished podcasts, videocasts, blogs, publications, conferences, workshops, community events, and a major social media presence. We had tens of thousands of hits on our videos and comments on posts, over 125K followers on X, and we have won multiple awards for this work.

Yet, clearly, there remains much work to do.

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“Jesus in the Quran” by Mohamed Khaled Mohamed Sayed

Posted on December 24, 2023 by IU Muslim Voices

Every year, Christmas brings the commemoration of Prophet Isa, the name of Jesus for Muslims, in which millions of Christians celebrates his birth. Yet, Isa is significant not only for Christians but also for Muslims. The Quran, the sacred scripture for Muslims, venerates Isa and his mother Mariam, Virgin Mary, and appreciates their piety and struggle for the sake of God.

Isa’s name (Jesus) is mentioned in the Quran five times more than the number of times the name of the prophet of Islam (Muhammad) is mentioned, which indicates the importance of Isa as a figure for Muslims. Mariam is mentioned thirty-four times which exceeds Muhammad and Isa combined. The frequency of mentioning a story or a person in the Quran reflects the importance of them and draws Muslims’ attention to benefit from their example.

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“Just One Night” A Critical Review II by Abigail Leonard

Posted on December 10, 2023 by IU Muslim Voices

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 they are to try something new because one of them has a birthday. Once they are ready, the seemingly more nervous birthday girl (BG) asks her friend if the turban style is too revealing as a woman walks past in a mini skirt and tank top. The friend replies “No you are good”. This scene right away proposes that the standards of Muslims and their non-Muslim society are at odds with each other. Some long to be able to attend what many non-Muslims in the West would consider a normal night out, but restrictions to alcohol and diet don’t allow it. Such religious obligations can make those trying to find their place in society feel lonelier, because it is not as easy to maintain religious decorum and feel included at times.

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“Just One Night” A Critical Review I by Rachel Tagoulla

Posted on December 3, 2023 by IU Muslim Voices

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. The protagonist pulls off her friend’s headscarf in anger after seeing the picture and watching her dance with a man at the bar. They talk. In a dramatic denouement, they hold hands in symbolic acceptance of the friend’s decision to not put her headscarf back on when she exits the bar.

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