by N My husband S and I would like to pride ourselves on preserving tradition… somewhat. We always ensure our home is all decked out and ready for major festivals. During the Chinese New Year season, red adorns the outside of our home, with chun lian to bring in great luck for the year. During…
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Topik perbezaan sekte atau sektarianisme bukanlah sebuah topik yang baru saya ketahui. Saya dilahirkan dalam keluarga yang mengikuti tradisi Melayu dan juga agama Islam bermazhab Syiah di Singapura. Sebelum perkahwinan mereka, ibu bapa saya mengikut ajaran Sunni tetapi apabila mereka lebih dewasa, mereka beralih memeluk Mazhab Jaafari, iaitu mazhab dominan dalam fahaman Syiah. Walaupun kami…
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by Sukayna A The topic of sectarian differences is no stranger to me. I was born into a Shia Malay-Muslim Singaporean family. My parents were Sunnis prior to their marriage, but along the way transitioned into the Jaafari Mazhab (within the Shii’ sect). Even as Shiites, my parents had sent me to a Sunni madrasah for…
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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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By Diana Rahim Rituals have always been a fraught topic for me. For a long time I associated them with a vacuous, rigid religiosity I found unfulfilling; the Islam of my childhood often taught through fear and rigid enforcement of rituals to ensure compliance. Even as a child I was aware that adults knew rituals were simply not…
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Beyond The Hijab 