Tunes for Tolerance: Sufi Muslim Rock Star Salman Ahmad

June 17, 2010

Salman Ahmad may be the most well-known Sufi rock star of the moment.  A dedicated Muslim, who claims his ponytail is a “gift from Allah”, he’s been described as Pakistan’s Bono. The Guardian caught up with Salman in London, where he was promoting his controversial new book, which counteracts extremism through music: aptly named: “Rock [...]

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Saudi Arabia Rewrites Marriage Contracts to Protect Girls

June 13, 2010

Progress comes in many ways, shapes and forms… As you may have heard, Saudi Arabia has taken the bold step of issuing new marriage contracts state the bride-to-be’s age. The aim is to curb underage marriage.
I read an interesting article on the subject at BBC Online. It talks about Saudi Arabia’s new promise, which has been [...]

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Fairytale Come True? A Swedish-Libyan Inter-Marriage with a Happy Continuing

June 3, 2010

“Now I am 100% Libyan” – this might not be the typical phrase you’d expect from a blond-haired blue-eyed Swedish woman. But Elisabeth Elhazza’s whirlwind marriage to her Libyan sweetheart Khairi (who’s seven years her junior) has been, if nothing else, the epitome of an altogether unusual love story.
Our wise friends at Muslimah Media Watch [...]

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Kuwait: Friends and Families Shape Up with a New Weight Loss Reality TV Show

May 27, 2010

A Kuwaiti friend of mine passed me an article about a new “diet” program on Kuwait TV that I’d like to share with you…
The article in The National spotlights Kuwait’s unprecedented growth – its rapidly expanding economy – and… waistlines. Thanks in part to the arrival of International fast-food chains, and to modern, “convenient·· sedentary lifestyles, [...]

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Didn’t The Madonna Wear a Veil? Italy’s Leading Imam Speaks Out

May 26, 2010

Novara, Northern Italy, May 2010: Tunisian Muslim Amel Marmouri is stopped by the carabienieri, the Italian police, and fined 500 Euros for wearing a burqa.
Whether it’s a phenomenon or a mere fashion to apprehend Muslim women for covering up rather depends on how you look at it. For Izzedin Elzir, President of the Union of Islamic [...]

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Malta: A Catholic-Arab Culture to the Core

May 23, 2010

There’s something about Malta – something more than just a picturesque, sunny Mediterranean tourist location. The smallest country in the EU, this three- island nation of just 315 square km has been independent since 1964, but it has a strong and complex cultural and historical identity.
Both Catholicism and Islam have made a strong impression on [...]

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Lebanese beauty Rima Fakih: The First Ever Muslim Miss USA

May 22, 2010

I’ll bet my bottom dollar I’m not the first to tell you about Lebanese beauty Rima Fakih’s ascension to the throne as the first American Muslim woman to be crowned Miss USA.
As I’m sure you know, Rima, 24 beat 50 other gorgeous finalists in the 2010 edition of the famous stars and stripes pageant held [...]

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Chay Magazine: Lifting the Lid on Love and Sexuality in Pakistan

May 20, 2010

Pakistan’s Chay Magazine is different. Focusing on sex and sexuality in Pakistan, South Asia and Abroad, this online publication boldly goes where few Pakistani websites have gone before: to the heart, soul and nitty gritty of the big existential questions.

Liberal, open-minded and candid, the mag covers love, sexuality, religion, health, class and even harassment, offering [...]

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New Blossom from Deep Roots: Poland’s Muslim Community

May 12, 2010

Today there are around 35-40,000 Muslims in Poland,  including Poles, Tatars, Arabs, Turks, Palestinians. The majority of Poland’s Muslims (around 11-13,000 people) live in Warsaw.
Despite being an overwhelmingly Catholic country, since the 1970s, Poland has also housed a small but swelling immigrant Muslim community. These newcomers join the country’s tiny, sporadic Tatar communities to make [...]

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Ae Fond Kiss: A Scottish Muslim-Catholic Love Story

May 9, 2010

Ae Fond Kiss (Just a Kiss) is an unusual romantic drama set in Scotland. It tells the tender, often tragic story of forbidden love between Casim, a Pakistani-Scottish Muslim DJ and Roisin, an Irish teacher.
Set in Scotland, Ae Fond Kiss was directed by  the legendary Ken Loach and released in 2004. It won several awards, [...]

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