by Zarifah Anuar The bus stop isn’t very crowded, but the number of bodies in the space is enough to make the humid air even more annoying to bear. I find a relatively spacious spot next to a woman wearing a niqab, and start fanning myself with my shirt. I give it no thought at…
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Kuralgal by Nadyanna Majeed “Half Indian, half Chinese, how come Muslim?” “Your IC what race?” Indian, following grandfather. “Mother tongue what then?” Malay. “Huh?! Why?!” The questions never end, even from myself. 老师，早安。 Selamat hari, Cikgu. Why can’t I complete that last one-third? “Indian cannot speak Tamil? How can liddat?” “Take Malay because easy, that’s…
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by Atifa Othman The words of someone’s father once slammed me in my face like a truck when he assumed I was leeching his son’s money and influencing him to do drugs. He wasn’t the only parent to think that of me. I recently stirred problems because of the exact same assumptions by someone else’s…
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(This story is one of many in the book Perempuan: Muslim Women Speak Out. Click the link to buy a copy!) by Raudah binte Abdul Rashid ___ Be understanding of the cultures and practises of others Bonding session with senior management and the food served had pork. Me: Oh ok. Ya, I wasn’t hungry anyway.…
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I can’t remember when was the last time I heard a racial or gendered slur or was told that the religion I grew up with is a cesspit full of terrorists. All of these things have happened, but somehow I was able to let them go and move on. I mean, whatever right? Can’t dwell…
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By Ham It’s barely ten minutes past seven and I’ve already lost my appetite. It’s taking all of my willpower not to throw my dinner plate at the screen. My mother is seated across from me, passively taking in the sight. The female lead argues in a half-assed manner, “If you can’t respect me as…
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Beyond The Hijab 