Today, for many women struggling against glass ceilings and unequal pay, the fact that the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, Khadijah (ra), was a wealthy entrepreneur in a time where most business owners were men is a source of pride. Often cited as a true representation of women’s empowerment under Islam, our knowledge of how Khadijah (ra) proposed marriage to the Prophet ﷺ when she … Continue reading Khadijah (ra): A standard working mother?
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
A Muslimah writes I am a Muslim woman and attend one of the most liberal universities in the West. Coming to college caused me doubt to Islam in many ways and, like many of us at American universities, I often found myself confused and frustrated in the liberal space I was in. Upon entering this school, I was first introduced to what it meant to … Continue reading My liberal MSA caused me to doubt Islam
Aisha Hasan Since the 5th of October, almost 24 women have come forward accusing acclaimed Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and rape. With stars like Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow among them, the headlines have been full of the details of what was known as Tinseltown’s “open secret”. The incidents have shed light not only on the prevalence of sexual harassment in the … Continue reading What causes today’s culture of sexual assault & how Islam can solve it
The Qarawiyyin Project 