Asia Alfasi: Arab British Cartoonist and Rising Star

24 April 2010

Roll-up, Roll-up! Yes folks, I have (yet) another Arab heroine. A brilliant young female Arab artist whom I recently discovered through some friends in the UK.

Asia Alfasi is a British comic writer, who draws on her Libyan roots and the Arab and Muslims cultures, meshing them with Japanese influence in her magnificent manga-esque creations.
A World [...]

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Australian Muslim Women Work it All Out

23 April 2010

Here’s an interesting and rather ingenious initiative: Ismahan Abdulkadir, a female Muslim resident in Chadstone, Australia had the bright idea of applying to the local government for a grant to run a Girls Only Gym.
And she got it: $2000 Australian to set up the program and give young Muslim women the chance to exercise freely [...]

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Setting her Sights High: Elham Al-Qasimi’s Bid to Become the First Arab Woman to Reach the North Pole

21 April 2010

On April 10th, 2010, Dubai-born Elham Al-Qasimi bid farewell to her career as an investment manager in order to pursue her life goal of becoming the first Arab woman to reach the North Pole!

Her two-week expedition began at the Borneo Russian ice station and will culminate in the North Pole on April 24th. This intrepid [...]

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The Indian Festival that Unites Hindus and Muslims

19 April 2010

I recently blogged about the history of Islam India, and then, while reading the travel section of The Guardian I stumbled across a beautiful article on the largest southern Indian pilgrimage festival in which Hindu pilgrims commemorate a Muslim warrior.
Guardian travel writer William Dalrymple jumps right into the thick of extraordinary menagerie of sound and color, following [...]

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Kabul Dreams: The Group of Friends that Founded the First Afghan Rock Band

17 April 2010

Kabul Dreams is quite an outfit: Afghanistan’s first rock band, was formed less than a year. It’s already amassed a dedicated following of Afghans and expats as the nations one and only English-language indie band. Earlier this month the group performed in the Afghan capital’s only nightclub. The British embassy bar has also hosted the [...]

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Fair Play? Asda’s Desi Dolls for Asian Muslim Children

15 April 2010

Remember the Burka Barbie controversy?  Well, seems she’s not the only doll to detonate a debate on the rights, wrongs and relevance of ethnic toys. UK supermarket chain ASDA hit the news around 12 months ago with the launch of its ‘Talking Muslim Doll’. The aim of the game? To help the UK’s Asian immigrant [...]

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Bowled Over? Pakistani Cricketer Shoaib Malik’s Marriage Controversy

13 April 2010

The forthcoming wedding of Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, to Indian tennis star Sania Mirzai, has captivated hearts across India and Pakistan. The marriage, which promises to be an extravagant affair, is due to take place on April 15th.

There’s just one small snag: Police have seized the Pakistani cricketer’s passport, over allegations that he’s already married.
Love [...]

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Nancy Arjam: How to Be a Famous Lebanese Arabic Singer, Humanitarian and Supermum!

11 April 2010

Talk about having several strings to your bow: Lebanese Arabic singer Nancy Arjam has sold over 2 million records, is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and a happily married wife and living mum. It would seem she’s got it all..
And she’s only 27…
An Arabic Music Icon
Legendary US TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey has likened her to [...]

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Love, Liberty and Public Displays of Affection in Dubai

9 April 2010

I’ve been following the story of the British couple jailed for kissing in Dubai with mixed feelings.
Following their arrest in November last year, lovebirds Ayman Najafi, 24, and Charlotte Adams, 25, were tried and convicted of breaking Dubai’s decency laws. They were sentenced to a month in prison with subsequent deportation and fined 1,000 dirhams [...]

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The Spanish Mosque where Muslims aren’t Allowed to Pray

7 April 2010

It’s Semana Santa in Spain, and Easter Holy Week is one of the most sacred national holidays. Yesterday, while having coffee in the sun at an outdoor cafe in Barcelona I saw one of the extensive processions with its hundreds or maybe even thousands of followers, parade past, holding coloured banners and mourning the crucifixion.
Yet [...]

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