Rehana Kausar and Sobia Kamar astounded many conservatives in their home country of Pakistan when they recently married in a civil partnership in the UK. Kausar and Kamar are the first lesbian Muslims to wed, as LGBT groups are scorned (or at least ignored if they're quiet enough) in custom and law in Pakistan. The ladies immediately applied for political asylum, as they'd received death threats from opponents of their decision in both the ... Read More

  Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) is a straight-up badass. Under her traditional Saudi Arabian garb, the 10-year-old girl rocks Chuck Taylors, and her cassette player (yeah, she's that cool) screams indie rock from Grouplove.  All Wadjda wants is a bike, so she can race her friend Abdullah (Abdullrahman Al Gohandi), a boy from the neighborhood. Despite being constantly reminded that "girls don't ride bikes," Wadjda hustles money left and ... Read More

  Yesterday, protesters in various cities joined the Ukrainian feminist group Femen for an international "topless jihad" to combat oppressive sexism in Muslim communities. The protest was inspired by Amina, the young Tunisian woman who was condemned by her country for posting topless photos of herself on the internet."Our boobs will be stronger than their stones" says a protester. Participants have posted photos from Paris, Milan, San ... Read More

19-year-old Tunisian feminist Amina, who posted the following photos of herself on the internet, has recently been delivered by her family to psychiatric care. The photos were first posted to the Femen-Tunisia webpage. The first photo displays the words "Fuck your morals" written in ink across her torso. The second one shows her smoking a cigarette, adorned with the Arabic words, "My body is my own and not the source of anyone's ... Read More

Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed is making history by opening Europe’s first feminist and gay-friendly mosque. This mosque, situated east of Paris, welcomes the LGBTQ community and encourages women to lead prayer. So-called “inclusive” mosques exist in the U.S., Canada, and South Africa; but this is a first for the European continent. In 2010, Zahed helped establish Homosexual Muslims of France, a society that seeks to defend LGBTQ ... Read More

Sometimes, when I read about whatever horrible thing televangelist Pat Robertson has said lately, my first instinct is to laugh — so much of what Robertson says seems straight out of the Onion. I saw this graphic going around on Tumblr recently and promptly burst into hysterical giggles: YOU GUYS, FEMINISTS ARE LESBIAN COMMUNIST WITCHES WHO GO AROUND MURDERING MEN AND CHILDREN!!!! But once I calm down, I remember that Robertson ... Read More

Fashion designer Nzinga Knight doesn't use low-cut necklines in her designs, or gowns with thigh-high slits exposing bare legs. There’s no cleavage, back, or belly showing on the models who wear her designs. Why? Knight's a devout Muslim. Instead of flaunting the wearer's assets, her work's sex appeal is tied to the mystery of the covered body. "The look of my work is sensual, mysterious, innovative," she told Yahoo! News. She ... Read More

Hearing about the horrific violence and political turmoil in Syria has greatly saddened me, as well as raised questions about the background of the country. How, I wonder, has day-to-day life been for Syrians, and particularly for Syrian women, while being ruled by an oppressive military regime for the past 40 years?     The beautiful documentary “The Light In Her Eyes” opens a window into the changing roles of girls, ... Read More

Islam is a topic that triggers a variety of reactions and questions from people in the West, especially in regard to the role of women who practice the religion. Today, The National, a publication that “tells the story of the Middle East as seen through the region’s eyes," featured an opinion piece by Sahar Khan, where she discusses the Western misconception that Islam oppresses women. She points out ... Read More

If you follow world news at all, you probably know that things look pretty bleak in Syria these days. The violence there is bloody and ongoing, and the international community seems unsure of the best way to restore a sense of stability. But a new documentary shows that there is another, more positive, revolution taking place in Syria, at least in regards to one woman’s efforts to educate young girls and to change attitudes about ... Read More