Education as a weapon for narcissistic abuse

by Sya Taha _ “I don’t know what I did wrong, but perhaps, you are too educated!” My father said to me to end a big quarrel we had. It worked. I was so dumbfounded at this accusation that I shrank away. He had always been, as I perceived, my biggest fan and supporter in…

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Of Passion and Privilege

by Shaf Ghani _ I remember one of the Raya gatherings when a distant cousin, whose opinion I did not need (but had to listen to anyway because I was obligated to kuehs and protocols), casually commented that I read too much. It was pre-contact lenses days, and he said that the next time he…

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Editor’s Letter: Education

The theme of education, to my surprise, elicited the most responses so far. Submissions range from women who have studied in Madrasahs, to mainstream schools, to those who have been through the Gifted Education Programme. The theme of education was also interpreted outside the parameters of school to include meditations on the informal education we…

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Swim Good

by NL __ Awakening Story At the age of 8, I used to take swimming lessons at the Clementi Swimming Complex. For merely twenty dollars a month, many students, or rather their parents, willingly signed up for the swimming courses programmed by the school. On Tuesdays after school, a lot of us would leave class…

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Navigating Asexuality as a Muslim Woman

by Ayda _ I thought I was a good Muslim for not wanting to look at shirtless guys. I’d mostly look at my feet at the beach or cringe whenever a male lead exposed his abs in a drama. My friends would call a guy “hot” and I’d nod but internally, I couldn’t care less.…

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My Journey With Sexuality: Part 2

by ASMY __ Dear reader, The definition of sexuality, like sexuality itself, lies on a spectrum. There are many different understandings of what Sexuality is and I would love to share my journey of exploring my sexuality based on two of the many definitions. I am by no means a great writer, but I do…

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