Hip-hop hijabis: spitting rhymes about being Muslim and female
Hip-hop is a male-dominated arena. In California, a hip-hop collective of Muslim women are challenging stereotypes about being Muslim, and women, through their lyrics.
Source: Informed Comment
Jordan and Morocco: 'models' of Arab democratic transition?
The Arab uprisings of 2011 yielded diverse results: Libya, Syria, and Yemen are in states of violent disarray; the Gulf monarchies crushed dissent and carried on as usual; Egypt saw its revolution crumble with the ascent of Al-Sisi; and Tunisia has risen as a cautious, yet promising, example of democratization done right.
The results of the protests in Morocco and Jordan, on the other hand, are less clear. Their governments reacted quickly, acknowledging the legitimacy of their citizens’ complaints of economic trouble and rights violations. In the past four years, Morocco and Jordan have passed reforms: some real, some symbolic.
Source: US Middle East Youth Network
A funny thing happened on the way to the Islamic State
To point out that humor has thrived in Islamic lands for centuries would be painfully obvious for those who have studied the basics of world history. Yet it seems critical to do just that at this particular juncture.
Comic strips have been a staple of Arab culture since the early 20th century, and today a thriving community of Muslim cartoonists living across the world regularly comment on political and cultural events, often with daring intelligence and raw wit.
Source: Tabsir
