As the world undergoes its greatest collective crisis since the Second World War, six of The Qarawiyyin Project’s contributors offer their reflections on the coronavirus pandemic and what we as Muslim women can learn from these trying times. Maintaining hope on the frontlines Dr. Aishah A. It was not until the first COVID-19 death occurred in the hospital where I work in the UK that … Continue reading Reflections on a pandemic
Aisha Hasan Despite decades of explanations and refutations, the hijab remains the most widespread and contentious issue surrounding Muslim women. From narratives of oppression to empowerment, the entire spectrum of feeling has been expressed over this simple piece of cloth covering a Muslim woman. In the age of modest fashion, the hijab has taken on another dimension altogether, and has in most mainstream discourse been … Continue reading Refuting the Historical Negation of Hijab
Aisha Hasan “We really need more female scholars” A statement heard time and time again in Muslim communities in the West. Whether it is an organisation searching for a female speaker for an event or a general discussion lamenting the lack of knowledge amongst Muslims, the importance of female scholarship is regularly mentioned as a crucial factor in countering the problems of the Ummah around … Continue reading ‘We really need more female scholars’ – a response
Aisha Hasan Prior to her stepping down over anti-Israel tweets, news that L’Oreal had featured their first hijab-wearing woman, Amena Khan, in a shampoo advert caused a stir on social media this week. The “history making” decision was (initially) praised as just one of many measures that have sought to integrate minority communities, particularly Muslims, into mainstream branding – from Revlon hiring YouTuber Dina Torkia … Continue reading Does representation lead to empowerment?
Aisha Hasan Last week UK education watchdog Ofsted announced that it would be questioning Muslim girls in primary schools who wear the hijab, prompting outrage amongst the Muslim community. The reason for this unwarranted, invasive, intrusive questioning: the decision to wear hijab may have been forced on young girls, causing them to be sexualised at an early age. In recent days, the Muslim community in … Continue reading People think hijab sexualises young girls because of the Muslim community
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