Assalaamu Alaikum to everyone. I hope that 2009 brings you health, happiness and love, inshAllah!
There are many who will be less fortunate. The community in Gaza is suffering immensely and our support is greatly needed.
I designed this outfit to encourage Palestinian solidarity, whether you are going to a protest, masjid, or just your daily routine.
Show support for your brothers and sisters!
CAIR Seeks Sanctions Against Anti-Hijab Judge in Georgia
State attorney general asked to protect religious, legal rights
A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on Georgia Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker to bring sanctions against a judge in that state who has repeatedly barred Muslim women wearing religiously-mandated headscarves, or hijabs, from entering his courtroom.
Yesterday, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported that a Muslim woman was jailed and then released following a dispute over whether she could enter the judge’s courtroom in Douglasville, Ga., while wearing her hijab. In the past year, other Muslim
women have either been jailed under similar circumstances or barred from that judge’s court.
Today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported: “Lisa Valentine, also known by her Islamic name, Miedah, 40, was arrested at the Douglasville
Municipal Court for violating a court policy of no headgear, said Chris Womack, deputy chief of operations for the Douglasville police.
“Judge Keith Rollins ordered her held in jail for 10 days, but she was released Tuesday evening. The reason for the early release wasn’t immediately clear…
“Other Muslim women said the same judge has ordered them to remove their hijabs.
“Sabreen Abdul Rahman, 55, said she was asked to take off her scarf when she went to the municipal court last week with her son. ‘I can’t. I’m
Muslim,’ she mouthed silently to the bailiff, who then removed her from the courtroom, Rahman said…
“Halimah Abdullah, 43, said she spent 24 hours in jail in November 2007 after Rollins held her in contempt of court for refusing to remove her head covering. Rollins could not be reached for comment.”
In a letter sent today to Attorney General Baker, CAIR National Legal Counsel Nadhira F. Al-Khalili wrote in part:
“We assert that Judge Rollins’ actions violate the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct…It is also our contention that a courtroom is a ‘public
facility’ under Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and denial of access to the courtroom based on religious beliefs or practices is therefore discriminatory.
“In addition, we believe Judge Rollins’ actions are in violation of First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to freedom of religion and equal
protection under the law. The United States Supreme Court has held that a state may not infringe upon the free exercise of a citizen’s religious observance absent a compelling state interest. We believe that no such compelling interest exists in these cases.
“Judge Rollins’ policy of exclusion would prohibit court entry to all Sikh men wearing turbans, all orthodox Jewish men and women wearing yarmulkes or head scarves, all Christian women wearing religious head coverings, and all Muslim men and women who wear skullcaps or scarves…
“I would therefore respectfully request that you take appropriate action to ensure that the legal, religious and civil rights of Georgians of all
faiths be maintained. I would also request a formal investigation into this matter, sanctions where appropriate, and an assurance that all
those wearing religious attire be allowed in state courtrooms.”
A copy of the letter was sent to the Judicial District Professionalism Program of the State Bar of Georgia. CAIR also contacted the U.S.
Department of Justice, which now says it is looking into the case.
CAIR, America’s largest Islamic civil liberties group, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
Salaam Aleikum sisters! I have not been able to acess the internet since I got here to Morocco and so I am sorry that my posts have been slow. I am staying with a wonderful family and will post all about my trip when i get back, inshAllah!
As I am getting ready for my trip to Morocco (I am leaving tomorrow, inshAllah!) I am thinking about all of the snow I am going to miss in Chicago! It is supposed to start snowing pretty hard this week and so I wanted to make an outfit that resembled the color and feeling of snow. I love these shoes (the bows are so cute!) although they may be to high for me. I bought an abaya that looks like this one yesterday at a neighborhood shop so I wanted to make an outfit that I will actually wear!
Style in the Snow. by <a href=”http://ww∑œ/..
What do you think about this outfit?
Thanksgiving is a time to think about what we are thankful for. I am truly happy and blessed to have the knowledge and understanding to wear hijab and I wanted to express my gratitude for that, Alhamdulillah!
This video I am posting may be controversial to some (CAUTION: IT CONTAINS MUSIC) but I think it is a wonderful tribute to the “Queens of Islam”. Enjoy!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the states and although I don’t necessarily agree with the reason for the holiday, it is good to spend time with your family and friends. I thought I would create an outfit that has the deep, dark colors of winter and a Thanksgiving feast.
Holiday Happiness by Hey Hijabi!
What do you think of this color combination?
By IslamOnline.net & Newspapers
“It is not right to discriminate against people because of what they wear,” Baykal said
CAIRO — After celebrating hijab-clad members within its ranks, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), one of the major secularism bastion in Turkey, is even planning to build a mosque within its headquarters.
“It would be nice to have a mosque,” CHP Secretary General Mesut Deger told the Today’s Zaman on Monday, November 24.
“Sometimes my voters pray. I have a seccade [prayer rug] in my room.”
The CHP has been making headlines over the past week not for opposing hijab, as it usually does, but for celebrating its new veiled members.
“It is not right to discriminate against people because of what they wear,” CHP leader Deniz Baykal has told a ceremony honoring more than 8,000 women in black chadors and headscarves.
“It is not right to make deductions about them based on their attire.”
The new change of heart is enjoying the support of the CHP’s rank and file.
“This country belongs to all of us,” said Avcilar Mayor Mustafa Degirmenci.
“It is wrong to describe the country as scarved or open, covered or uncovered. Our leader has done the right thing.”
Kemal Aydın, mayor of İstanbul’s Bahçeşehir district, was also relieved.
“We have to be aware of an increasing secular-religious polarization in society,” he said.
“Turkey is being dragged fast into a clash. And now, our party leader has announced a new stance. Criticizing this would only serve those groups who don’t want the best for our country.”
Hijab has been banned in public buildings, universities, schools and government buildings in Muslim-majority Turkey since shortly after a 1980 military coup.
Attempts by the ruling Justice and Development Party to ease the hijab restrictions on campus triggered criticism from the secularist elite.
The CHP challenged the constitutional amendments with the Constitutional Court which revoked the changes.
Hurting AK
As part of its new tendency, the CHP has also fielded a candidate of a devout Muslim family for Istanbul’s conservative and low-income Sultangazi district.
“The AKP sees Sultangazi as a vote depot,” CHP candidate Ercan Karabayir told Hurriyet daily.
“They think they can get any candidate elected. Well it is not going to be like that anymore.”
The CHP says its new “opening up” policy has already worked with voters.
“Those who have adopted the principles and beliefs of the CHP come and vote,” said CHP Istanbul deputy Mehmet Ali Ozpolat.
“We cannot tell people what to wear. This would be right neither politically nor in terms of rights and freedoms.”
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan plans to quit as AKP leader if the party loses in the March local elections.
“I obviously say that I will quit the leadership if we take the second place.”
The AKP has succeeded in increasing its support in successive elections since 2002.
Erdogan wants to win both İzmir on the Aegean coast and Diyarbakır in the southeast, seen as strongholds for the CHP and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) respectively.
“If public wants, they take the power from me. I respect this,” Erdogan said.
I just got to San Francisco! I am here for the American Anthropology Conference. I will be here for the weekend, attending lectures and getting inspired for my future research, inshAllah!
I am here for work, so I packed lots of business style outfits. I thought about what I would want to wear in this brisk weather (it feels so good to not wear a heavy coat!) I love this gray coat and the combination with navy blue is perfect for this weather!
Egyptian life: On TV, in a headscarf
Egyptian television presenter Ghada El Tawil was allowed back on air last week after a six-year absence, in which she won the legal right to wear an Islamic headscarf, known as hijab, on screen. She tells BBC News about her fight.
I have waited six years for this moment – to present television wearing my hijab.
I only started wearing it in 2002. The rule is, when a girl gets her first period, she has to cover her hair. I didn’t – but sometimes you don’t do many things you should.
But as the years passed, I began to feel I wanted to do what God wanted. I struggled for about a year, before deciding to wear it.
More and more women are wearing the hijab, especially here. Only one or two in 10 Alexandrian women are not covered, so I was part of a wider movement of change. But I don’t think I was aware of that at the time.
Cairo is different, because it is such a big, cosmopolitan city.
Anyway, when I put the hijab on in February 2002, I was banned from being on screen.
There have been many cases like this – female presenters losing their jobs when they want to wear the hijab on air. A colleague, Hala el-Malki and I were the first to take it to court.
When I covered my hair, I didn’t lose my ability to read the news
We got two rulings in our favour, the most recent in July 2005. It said we could wear what we liked on screen so long as it wasn’t ’strange’. It’s taken until now for our employers [Alexandria's Channel 5, a state channel] to apply it.
There are now five of us wearing the hijab on screen.
I don’t know for sure why the management doesn’t like us wearing it. Maybe they thought we belonged to a very religious group, or something. They never gave us a proper reason.
But the reality is, most women here cover their hair. I come from Alexandria and as a presenter, I now reflect and represent my audience more closely than before.
I present a discussion programme focussing on social issues, it’s mainly aimed at women. On my return to the programme last week, so many people congratulated me in live phone calls on air!
However, my employers still haven’t let me return to my other job of reading the English-language news bulletins. I did this job for 12 years before I was stopped – but now they said I needed to pass another test. I refused to take it on principle.
When I covered my hair, I didn’t lose my ability to read the news. I can’t see the point of the ban, can you? To let me do one of my previous jobs, but not the other.
I hope I will win this next case, too.
I was watching “The Nutcracker” this morning on TV (when I should have been doing work!) and I was inspired to make an outfit that reminds me of a ballerina! I love the cute little flats and the elegant yet simple dress. Us hijabis can look as delightful as a sugar plum fairy too!
