Freedom from the Forbidden

All things gender and Islam. No bigotry is allowed in this feminist territory. #DeathToPatriarchy

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Interview with Juliane Hammer on “Peaceful Families: Muslim American Efforts Against Domestic Violence”

I’m now a host on the New Books in Islamic Studies podcast. My debut interview was with someone I greatly respect and whose scholarship has had a profound influence on me – Dr. Juliane Hammer. I read Hammer’s latest book Peaceful Families: American Muslim Efforts against Domestic Violence (University of Princeton, 2019) and then interviewed her for the podcast. Here’s a brief intro to the book and the interview followed […]

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Book Review – The Lover: A Sufi Mystery, by Laury Silvers

The Lover: A Sufi Mystery, by Laury Silvers Published with Kindle Direct Publishing, 2019 257 pages. I recently had the pleasure of reading the historical novel everyone’s talking about – The Lover: A Sufi Mystery by Laury Silvers. Being familiar with Silvers’ academic work, I trusted this book wouldn’t be a disappointment, and I wasn’t wrong. I read it immediately after getting it (in August!), although I had planned to read […]

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Mad Mamluks Malaise: what’s with the patriarchy & male fragility on this podcast, tho?

I wrote the other day on some of the issues that came up in The Mad Mamluks episode on on Islamic feminism. But this here is more comprehensive and with observations from other Muslim women (e.g., Zahra Khan, the other FITNA co-founder) as well. Overall, this didn’t feel like a “conversation” at all and much more like the guests were being talked at.  And, also, the title of the episode […]

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On Amina Wadud’s “Deadbeat Dad” comment and also, what about all the times when Muslim male scholars insult female Qur’anic figures?

I was listening to an incredibly frustrating episode on the Mad Mamluks podcast yesterday, but it inspired me to write this, so I guess my time wasn’t wasted. (I listened in support of the two women on there, both of whom I respect greatly.) The discussion was on Islamic feminism, and the men just kept coming back to Amina Wadud: But why won’t you condemn her, they asked. She led […]

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Statement in Support of Survivors of Sexual Violence by Tariq Ramadan (Le français suit)

We, the undersigned, issue this statement in solidarity with the survivors of Tariq Ramadan’s sexual violence. We believe survivors and stand with them in their fight for justice. We also acknowledge the Islamophobic mistreatment of Tariq Ramadan by the French justice system and call on them to ensure fair treatment during his trial. That said, our primary concern is the welfare of survivors whose needs have been ignored while the […]

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Islamophobia is wrong, and so is sexual violence: response to Tariq Ramadan’s sexual assault cases

Pre-post: I’ll be posting a brief statement tomorrow, related to this, in support of the women whom Tariq Ramadan has sexually assaulted and raped. Stay tuned. It’ll come with some signatures of support. Qur’an 4:148: “God does not like the public mention of evil/accusation except by one who has been wronged.” (لَا يُحِبُّ اللّٰهُ الۡجَـهۡرَ بِالسُّوۡٓءِ مِنَ الۡقَوۡلِ اِلَّا مَنۡ ظُلِمَ​ؕ)

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