Happy Friday everyone! It’s a rainy movie day for us, so here’s a quick roundup on the Olympics, hijab, radical Muslims, and feet.
Enjoy!
1) Right now in London 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries are competing in 30 Olympic venues. Over 2,000 of those amazing athletes are Muslim — that’s a lot of people to profile (pun intended). So the media is making sure we at least know about the hijabis. And not just the athletes. The referees too:
The dancers are dressed to titillate, and the players wear even less: bikinis that reveal every movement of their muscles as they dig and dive for the ball.
El Sergany does not need a referee’s platform to be noticed on a beach volleyball court.
No, of course not!! She wears hijab. So let’s all stare at her, other her, pit women against each other by comparing a religious dress to bikinis, sensationalize what one woman considers normal, and ironically objectify her by turning Amina El Sergany into an Islamic standard.
Okay, sensational journalism aside, it’s a nice article with Amina saying she hopes her hijab encourages women from all cultures to take up the sport. That sport being BEACH VOLLEYBALL!
Score one for freedom!
So the media might be focusing only on the hijabis. I’m sure you’ve heard that Judoka Wojdan Shaherkani made Olympic history for being the first Saudi female to compete in the Games, and that sprinter Noor Al-Malki missed her chance at Olympic history when she injured herself in a 100m heat. But did you know that Souad Ait Salem came 37th in the Women’s Marathon Final — which is fantastic, and that Halima Hachlaf ran her season’s best time in the women’s 800m semi-finals?
If it’s all about celebrating Muslim women, let’s give a moment to the non-hijabi athletes too.
Oh, and did you catch Mo(hammad) Farah go into sujuud after he won the 10,000m? Fantastic! A Muslim won Gold for Team GB. Has anyone made a big deal about this? Must be his lack of hijab.
2) Rapid-fire: And now for something completely different:
- VICE publishes I Walked Around in a Burqa All Day (and I’m not Muslim) in their fashion section. Point and laugh at a cultural tourist while she walks around NYC in niqab pretending to be some kind of Muslim from some kind of far away land. Check out the brilliant and informed comment section telling the author how offensive and Orientalist the stunt was.
- US Republican Joe Walsh thinks Muslims are trying to kill Americans and believes that radical Muslims have infiltrated America. I hate to break it to him, but truly awesome and radical Muslims have been in America since 1492 (hat tip to Amanda Quraishi, a real muslimahMERICAN).
- Oh, did you know that Muslims have diverse beliefs? It’s true. Some Muslims are Atheists, Bhu-mus, Su-shis, Sufis, Bohras, Feminists, Traditionalists, Salaafis, Whovians, Wahaabis, Trekkies, Qur’anists, and more! Really, Muslims shouldn’t be defined by what’s on (or not on) our heads, by how many times we pray (or don’t pray) a day, or whether or not we keep kosher — and now there’s a US study telling us just that. Thanks.
3) Finally for everyone interested in women’s prayer and prayer spaces, or anyone with a foot fetish — I give you the Movable Mosque.
Check out more at Deena’s fantastic photo blog.
August 10, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Love the stuff you come up with. Hope you’re having a lovely Ramadan. Warm regards from the middle east!
August 11, 2012 at 1:41 am
Thanks! Ramadan mubarak to you as well — enjoy these last few days and have a fantastic Eid insha’Allah!
August 11, 2012 at 1:00 am
“Trekkies” made me laugh. Great post — been lurking for some time, love your blog.
August 11, 2012 at 1:44 am
Thanks so much — that means a lot coming from you!
I firmly believe that “Assalamu ‘alaikum” is just another way to say “Live long and prosper.”
August 13, 2012 at 5:31 am
I really enjoyed this post! I live in Denmark and they are constantly wearing “burqa” and writing it up for the news to no condemnation in the comments at all. Why would you actually interview someone and find out about it? Just slap one on and walk around!
They actually did a survey and in Denmark, there are like a dozen niqabi and a handful of burqa-erers (burqis???). Someone suggested that at least half of those were journalists. Oh and I almost forgot, a colleague of mine went to a fancy dress party in hijab and reported “it made me not want to express myself.” (In her case, that particular party lucked out)
Ramadan mubarak!
August 16, 2012 at 4:10 pm
heheh! Man, I’ve rocked my hijab at an Alice Cooper concert — your colleague missed out on a good time!
You might find this article interesting, it’s on the “myth of the Muslim tide” — how many anti-Muslim stereotypes are completely generated.
August 17, 2012 at 10:13 am
Ooh thanks. I did find that interesting. I will also find it useful at one of my many bs-calling occasions when I interact with Danes!
August 22, 2012 at 3:30 am
“Muslim atheists”? No such thing.
September 10, 2012 at 5:32 am
there is, I believe Quran has clearly described them as Munafiq
September 10, 2012 at 9:55 pm
A munafig is a hypocrite….so I don’t know what Quran you’re reading. Please before making a claim about the Quran read it and understand it first.
September 10, 2012 at 11:57 pm
well, maybe I had the wrong interpretation of the atheist here?
though I know some are born muslim and when a muslim asked them if they’re muslim, they will say “yes they are” because it states so in their ID in some country, some country regulation even condemn to death for converting out of Islam. But the fact is when they’re not in a muslim community, their act or conversation is like a non-muslim and to a certain extent denying God….I’m saying this based on my personal encounter…so maybe it’s just a matter of interpretation/ labeling anyways