Women’s Voices from the Muslim World Short Film Festival

For folks who live in Los Angeles, a brand new film festival will be inaugurated today. Women’s Voices Now presents Women’s Voices from the Muslim World Short Film Festival taking place this Thursday through Saturday (March 17th-19th) at the Los Angeles Film School in Hollywood. Films will be screened about the social, political and economic issues being faced by women in countries from Afghanistan to Iran to Egypt. Admission is free! For more information please go to www.womensvoicesnow.org.

Meet Yasmin, the Arab Box Office Darling

The formula for a movie where a female actress takes the leading role should be like the one Yasmin Abd El Aziz used. She is cute and guys like that so they will love to see her movies. She is childish and funny so you know gets lover to see her. She is wonderful in physical comedies, the one thing that makes a movie fun for the entire family is the clean physical comedy.

Turning 30 is Like Running Against the Clock

It must have been a coincidence.  I happened to come across a television show, a movie and a conversation with a friend all having to do with being female, being thirtyish and having something missing or looking for something in life.  It was like God was trying to tell me something. A couple of weeks [...]

KABOBhero: Lubna al-Hussein

This Sudanese media worker was charged by the government with ‘indecency’ for wearing trousers, which carries the medieval penalty of forty lashes from a whip.

After this story gained wide media coverage, the Sudanese officials looked for a way out. Al-Hussein was an employee of the UN and was therefore immune, they said in an attempt to save face and salvage the law. She responded by quitting her job and demanding a trial in the hopes of getting it thrown off the books. Her defense was that the law was both in contravention of Islam and the government’s constitution.

Pregnant Driver Causes Unborn Baby’s Death?

Dubai’s wacky legal system is in the news once again. On Sunday, a Lebanese woman was convicted of negligent homicide after allegedly causing an accident in which her unborn child was killed. In October of last year, just four days before a planned cesarian delivery, the defendant was driving around the notoriously dangerous streets of [...]

Saudi Women Boycott Lingerie Shops

Welcome to the Kingdom, where in order to buy lingerie, one must enter a shop staffed by men, discuss one’s size and other needs with said male sales associates (as well as let them handle the pretty underthings), and all without being allowed to try anything on. Apparently, Saudi women are fed up with the [...]

Guest Post: Microbus Blues

Can they not cross their legs? by Sarah Dear man on the microbus in Damascus, Please do not spread your legs as widely as possible when sitting on a two-person bench. The seat is not just for you. There is no reason to make the person sharing the bench next to you huddle against the [...]

Malaysia Out-Saudis the Saudis…

…by saying Yoga is haram! It is not clear whether this is from fears that it involves spiritual elements from a polytheistic religion or because it involves people twisting and bending in ways that make conservative types uncomfortable. especially when it comes to any possible “hymen-endangering” postures…like these maybe? Now when will the Wahhabis come [...]

Iraqi Muhajabeh Character on ATWT

How did this ludicrous, crown jewel of a TV storyline concocted by the good people at As the World Turns (ATWT) fall under my nose? This As the World Turns storyline, which aired first aired February 22nd of this year,  focuses on a mutually beneficial relationship. Ameera Ali Aziz (AAA), an Iraqi native college student, needs [...]

Bahraini Beauty, Roqaya Al-Gassra…

WINS HER HEAT in full Hijab!!!! I know it’s just a meaningless preliminary victory, but not only will that moment have a strong effect on Bahraini, Arab, and Muslim men and women alike, but will and has served to open up a dialogic space in that region and here as well. I’ll tell you why [...]