Exiting the bathroom stall Sweat drips from forehead absorbed by cotton hijab Red drops drip from skin absorbed by cotton pads I lift my jumper and check my butt in the mirror Leggings stained with spots The marker of my womanhood It is here. I scurry outside to the sea of white and blue Clenching…
Read MoreAll articles filed in Body Image
Exodus 3:14 or Decolonizing the Multi-Racial Body
By Diana Rahim My body is the world because – You won’t let me be myself. History won’t let me be myself. Cultures won’t let me be myself. My skin holds down blood that does not know which ocean to return to. Creases on my skin demarcate borders between countries. When I shift my bones, continents…
Read MoreThe Normalization of Body Damage
In second grade, I joined a co-ed Islamic school. I was happy to be around girls and boys who looked more like me. I was no longer the only Big Bird with awkward lanky bones. I could hide my untamed hair under a white cotton hijab. My chai colored skin was mid range on the…
Read More(Wo)man in the mirror
By Sharifah Fadhilah En Vogue sang, “I wear tight clothing, high heel shoes. It doesn’t mean I’m a prostitute”. While I am not saying tight clothing is Islamic, I have to agree it doesn’t make you someone who sleeps around and make money out of that service. When it comes to reaching righteousness, to quote…
Read More
Beyond The Hijab 