ReligionDispatches - Fatemeh Fakhraie

#IranRevolution: Iran’s Twitter Revolution

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:55:01 PDT

People were glued to their Twitter feeds this week, as Iranians microblogged their updates of the civil unrest following the election. But is it possible that we’re not able to see the forest for the twee...ts?

Oprah Talks Down to Fundamentalist Mormon Girls

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:16:01 PDT

Oprah's skepticism toward FLDS girls about their devotion to unusual beliefs reminds one writer of the questions asked of Muslim women.

Egyptian Fatwa Gives Neighbors Right to Dissolve Marriages

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:28:01 PDT

Worried about what the neighbors think? Egyptians now have a serious reason to.

Women in the Mosque

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:04:01 PDT

Will gender parity in the mosque end with a bang or a whimper?

Helping International LGBT Families Stay Together

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:52:01 PDT

Co-sponsored by the only Muslim member of Congress, the new bill could pave the way for greater acceptance of LGBT families in the American Muslim community.

What Not to Wear: Uzbek Muslim Leaders Don't Want Women to Wear Arab-Imported Hijab

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:31:01 PST

Muslim leaders in Uzbekistan want women to wear traditional dress, not the Arab-imported hijab, and they've enlisted fashion experts to make the case.

Not An Honor Killing

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:40:01 PST

Many are quick to blame Islam or Pakistani culture for the brutal murder of the wife of a TV executive but there is no evidence at all of a connection.

Muslim Women and Family Law

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:34:01 PST

The fact that laws are changing does not mean that there is real progress toward justice for women in the Muslim world. Change on the ground takes a long time.

Muslim Leaders Want Less Cover-Up

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:29:01 PST

An imam argues for less modest headwear for women, because he disapproves of the break with national tradition that full hijab requires.

Legalizing Polygamy: An Argument

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:41:01 PST

Fundamentalist Mormons are in the news again, in Canada, where two men are being tried for polygamy. But what if it were legal? Women might benefit.

Cardinal Warns Women Against Marrying Muslims: Would Bring "A Pile of Trouble"

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:21:01 PST

The Portuguese Cardinal's warning manages to be a cocktail of Islamophobia, racism, sexism, xenophobia...

Senior Saudi Cleric Supports Child Marriage

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:55:01 PST

Sheik Abdul-Aziz Al Sheikh says if it was good enough for preceding generations it is good enough for contemporary folk.

Women Worshipers Banned From Shi'a Shrine

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:12:01 PST

Turns out it was a man who blew himself up at the shrine of Imam Moussa al-Kadhim, not a woman as originally thought. But women are now barred from worship at that holy site.

Media Overplays Rihanna Concert Coverup

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:27:01 PST

Really, is it such big news when a Western performer wears a longer skirt to conform to different cultural standards?

2008: A Good Year For Egyptian Women

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:02:01 PST

In the land of Cleopatra and Hatshepsut women are beginning to make strides toward equal rights. Here's hoping 2009 will be even better.

UN Res to Decriminalize LGBT is a Paper Tiger

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:50:01 PST

There are better ways to educate on LGBT rights than to pass a toothless resolution that isolates conservative leaders.

No Sacred Cows on this Eid

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:14:01 PST

The old story of Muslims seeking this or opposing that, is transformed as Indian Muslims pull together to help heal a nation.

Busta Rhymes Offends Arabs, Then Muslims

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:21:01 PST

The hip-hop artist attempts to solve one problem only to create another.

Al-Qaeda calls Obama “house Negro,” Muslims Answer

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:02:01 PST

For the first time in years, it looks like al-Qaeda might actually be shaking in its boots.

The "The Turban Effect": Studies Reveal Latent Islamophobia

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:02:01 PST

Two recent studies reveal that Westerners are more aggressive toward perceived Muslims and less likely to be sensitive to Muslim patients' needs.

Muslim Women Go Public

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:47:01 PST

Amid both controversy and support, women are playing a larger role in religion in Muslim countries all over the world.

Fatwa Allowing Women to Hit Their Husbands is Useless

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:04:01 PST

Is "an eye for an eye" the best that imams and scholars can prescribe for domestic violence in the Muslim community?

Indonesia’s Anti-Porn Bill is Anti-Pluralism

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:11:01 PDT

Defining pornography as things that “arouse sexual propensity, desires or longings” sets a moral tone without a concrete definition of “sexual desire” or “incitement,” a problem that worries the non-Muslim population.

A Woman Leads Muslim Prayer in Britain For the First Time

Fatemeh Fakhraie — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:41:01 PDT

The landmark event depicts a religion in transition, but what of the criticisms that it's just a publicity stunt?