The Muslim Cool

The world is diverse, and so are we // Lord keep us chill as we seek knowledge & justice // Weak, flawed, badass // We are slaves to no one but One

[liy]

After a month of reflection, I’m still struggling to forgive myself first. Selamat hari raya, happy eid :)

[treerings-sing]

This is perfect.

[herbgardening]

YES

[globalwarmist]

Well, you put Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Fouad Ajami, Azar Nafisi, Ibn Warraq, Irshad Manji, Salman Rushdie, et al together on one side and Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, and Theodore Adorno on the other and you can pretty much imagine what “topics, issues and literatures” I address! The principal topic is the role of comprador intellectuals in the ideological formations of a globalized imperialism — both in its North American and Western European contexts. The main issue is the rise of a group of exilic intellectuals who have no emotive connection to any home or moral principle by which they do what they do. […] The literature that I cover is basically their writings and interviews — a ghastly read, I tell you. It was cruel and unusual punishment to sit down and read so much banality. My salvation, I tell you now, was Ella Fitzgerald. Without her I would have gone mad reading so much gibberish. I listened to a lot of Sister Ella to keep my soul and sanity clean. Otherwise these people pull you down if you spend too much time with them. I would read them and write in the morning and listen to Ella Fitzgerald in the evening to restore my soul and sanity. […] So my strong recommendation to all those who do critical writing is that when you must read much horror in order to criticize it, do make sure you have some solid source of beauty, eloquence, and truth by your side.

Hamid Dabashi, New Texts Out Now: Hamid Dabashi, “Brown Skin, White Masks”

This is good advice.

(via globalwarmist)

[damasquina]

[lovelydeen]

When the people of the world close their doors at us at night, The Creator of the heavens and the earth opens His door of mercy and says “Is there anyone who wishes for forgiveness so that I may forgive them?

[themuslimcool]

You are valid. Your Islam is valid. And you are Allah’s beautiful creation. Thank you so much to Noor for writing this

[ace-muslim]

Potentially Asexual Women in Early Muslim History

This post is for the July Carnival of Aces.

Summary

This post explores the stories of two potentially asexual women from early Muslim history, Sawda bint Zam’a (d. 674 CE) and Rabi’a bint Isma’il (probably lived before 845 CE). I discuss how one might identify potentially asexual people who lived before modern ideas of sexual orientation, then present each of the two women, her history, and the evidence for her potential asexuality. I conclude by looking at common themes in these two stories and and at the untapped potential for finding asexual history in Islamic biographical collections.

Introduction

Identifying Potentially Asexual People

Asexuality as an identity has only existed since around the start of the 21st century; however, it is likely that people who are asexual by orientation (i.e., who do not experience sexual attraction) have always existed. I myself did not know that asexuality was a thing until I was 31, but I existed as asexual without a label long before that. I use the term “potentially asexual” to refer to people who may meet the definition of asexuality but who do not identify as asexual.

How can we identify potentially asexual people who lived earlier in history? This can be especially difficult if the people lived before modern concepts of sexual orientation (which primarily developed during the 1800s in Europe and America). They would not likely have used modern terminology to describe their sexuality, and might not appear to meet the technical definition of asexuality - for instance, if they don’t talk about sexual attraction as a defining characteristic (many people seem even today conflate it with either sexual desire or romantic attraction/love).

Keep reading

[themuslimcool]

[huffpost]

‘My Hijab Has Nothing To Do With Oppression. It’s A Feminist Statement’

Not all Muslim women cover their bodies. Not all Muslim women who do are forced to do so. Like freelance writer Hanna Yusuf, who chooses to wear a hijab in a daily act of feminism. In a new video for The Guardian, Yusuf challenges stereotypes by setting out to reclaim the choice to wear a hijab as “a feminist statement.”

For more on on how the hijab helps women reclaim their bodies watch the full video here.

[themuslimcool]

The Qur’an has layers of meaning in its original language, so any translation of the Qur’an is just an interpretation. But reading it in English here, one draws reminders of:

Valuing sustainability (do we think we’ll have these resources forever?)

Fighting deforestation (and valuing greenery), 

Being mindful of Unity (life is temporary, we are all created, we will all return to our Creator) 

The dangers of blind obedience to power (people with power are the ones with true capability to spread corruption).

In resisting and disrupting power that corrupts, we find our activism. Righting the wrongs of corruption requires that we raise awareness amongst our communities, and collectively insist on justice, education, diversity, peace, and nature. 

On another level, one can even look to the importance of mountains to Earth to draw forth deeper metaphors for ourselves— the value of staying anchored, rooted, and resisting our own soul’s erosion to materialism and greed. 

Above all, we are reminded to stay humble in the fleeting nature of our many blessings. 

Wallahu’alam. Our Creator knows best.

[themuslimcool]

The Quran (34:37). Dedicated to the Muslims who pressure their daughters into marriage and motherhood. 

[salon]

[salon]

Bernie Sanders perfectly sums up why elites love apathetic voters

[nafisa]

SNAP CRACKLE POP

thx Tavi Gevinsons for shouting me out on twitter :O :O !

in light of all the islamophobic content being produced post-charlie hebdo, i wanted to shift some focus to the idea that not all of us 2 billion muslims in this world are the monstrous, violent villians that the media loves to portray us as. some of us r chill, cute bbs like these two sweet hearts that i shot. this is part of an on going series that im working on—creating positive images of muslims by muslims to really illuminate the humanity in our people. shout out to all the brothers and sisters living in this day and age where its perfectly legal to publish hate speech on san francisco public transit.

you can check out the rest of the these photos here:

http://www.rookiemag.com/2015/01/snap-crackle-pop/

[lowereastnowhere]

Skater girl from Afghanistan redefines cool.

[lionofallah-deactivated20180301]

[lionofallah-deactivated20180301]

Oh Allah guide us to the straight path and turn us away from the path that earns your anger and keep us safe from the path of delusion. Ameen!

www.lionofAllah.com

[pinstripesuit]

Ms. Marvel brings her giant fists down onto baby boomers

(Exclusive Marvel preview: Kamala stands up for millennials in Ms. Marvel #10 — The A.V. Club)

[bloglikeanegyptian]

I love the hijabi superhero because the hijab is meant to help prevent you from getting sexual harassment from men and here you have a superhero who stop men from harassing ladies amongst other things and wears THE HIJAB. I hope you continue 4Eva

hi! thank you, but the hijab is absolutely not meant to help prevent you from getting sexual harassment from men, and it literally does not prevent you from getting sexually harassed by men. the entire country of egypt is proof of this.

in fact, check out this snazzy panel juxtaposed against exactly what you were saying. this panel was inserted specifically for this reason.

this panel also available in arabic for the selective readers amongst my arabic speaking clientele:

in fact, just to be clear and prevent this misconception of the comic arising ever again, let’s ask qahera! qahera, what do you think?

thanks qahera!

i know right!!!!!

no, it’s fine, we —

okay, thanks qahera.

[halihijabi]

Let your personality shine!