Shereen Malherbe's Blog, page 27

A Roundtable on Dejabbing, Part 2, by Muslimah Media Watch

This is the second part of our conversation on dejabbing or removing hijab.

Read the discussion from Muslimah Media Watch here.

 

A Roundtable on Dejabbing Part 1, by Muslimah Media Watch

 

‘The Toronto Star recently had an article interviewing four women about their “dejabbing” experiences. The title is “Why we stopped wearing the hijab.” However, the seemingly simple notion of removing the headscarf is acknowledged to be a complicated process. The article explains that “From safety to spirituality, each woman has her own reasons” for no longer wearing a headscarf, and that some women “may go back to it.” Note the plural “reasons” here and the fact that dejabbing is not always (although it can be) a categorical casting off of the hijab forever. A few days later, in response an article by a young hijabi woman expressing her fears of being attacked, Richard Dawkins expressed the more familiar unveiling-as-liberation notion, encapsulating it  in a tweet asking  “why not throw off hijab in Islamic defiance of Isis?” 

As we at Muslimah Media Watch discussed the Toronto Star article, and Dawkins’ question, we shared our own broader thoughts about and our experiences of dejabbing. ‘

Read the discussion here via Muslimah Media Watch.

Silence or Intervention?

‘Bystander apathy is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases in which individuals do not offer any means of help to a victim when other people are present. Powys says, ‘the silence was deafening. I still can’t get over the silence of it all’ as the young girl was being verbally attacked in front of a carriage full of people. In theory, most people would like to think that they would get involved but remain silent. Silence in the face of these attacks indicates an implicit condoning of such incidents.’

Read the full article via Muslimah Media Watch

 

Is European Muslimah fashion based on conformity & fear?

‘…women are still predominantly judged based on their appearances over their abilities- factors which could be a more disturbing indicator of why Muslim women seek alternative ways to fit in with society.’

Muslimah Media Watch article, ‘Is the rise of European fashion based on conformity & fear? by Shereen Malherbe.

 

 

Paris Terror Attacks & The Rise of Islamophobia

‘JAN Trust is a London based charity who work with victims of hate crime. Its Director, Sajda Mughal, a survivor of the 7/7 London bombings, is now fighting against hate crime and Islamophobia. Her achievements for community cohesion and interfaith dialogue have been rewarded with an OBE. She is an inspiration. She survived something most of us dread to even think about and yet, she has emerged as a figure of hope and unity.’

Jasmine Falling, Shereen Malherbe’s Debut Novel Out Now

Author & blogger Shereen Malherbe has just released her novel Jasmine Falling. Shereen, a British Palestinian writer, tells of her inspiration behind the novel.

“After visiting my father’s home-land in Palestine I was compelled to capture and preserve not just my family’s history but also that of the conflict that exists within the country, which ultimately led me on a 5-year journey with Jasmine Falling. My aim in writing Jasmine Falling was to convey the hope that the Palestinian people exude, through characters that represented positive aspects of both sides in the ongoing conflict that surrounds them. The story is one of loss, love, hope and redemption and is told through the eyes of Jasmine, a Palestinian girl, and… well I can’t give the rest away can I!”

***

When Jasmine’s mother dies inside their English mansion, hope comes in the form of her multi-million-pound inheritance. But with her inheritance threatened, Jasmine is left to contemplate a future she does not know how to live.

Jasmine has only ten days to uncover the circumstances of her father’s decade long disappearance before her fortune is lost forever. Forced to return to his homeland in Palestine, she follows his footsteps through stories long ingrained in the local’s minds. She is helped on her journey by a mysterious stranger who guides her through the trails of the Holy Land, from the heart of Jerusalem to the scattered broken villages, each harbouring its own secrets.

Under the watchful eyes of the ever-encroaching Occupation, Jasmine must piece together her history in the broken land, before it destroys her future.

Available NOW at all major e-book sellers

***

Besides authoring her novel, being a mother and wife, Shereen is also a writer for Muslimah Media Watch, a forum for critiquing the images of Muslim women in the media and pop culture. If you would like to see other works by Shereen you can find her at www.shereenmalherbe.com or follow her on twitter @malherbegirl

Shereen is available for interviews and appearances. For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews etc. contact shereenmalherbe@gmail.com

Jasmine Falling, Debut Novel by Shereen Malherbe Out Now

Much Anticipated Debut Novel Jasmine Falling Out Now



Author & blogger Shereen Malherbe has just released her novel Jasmine Falling. Shereen, a British Palestinian writer, tells of her inspiration behind the novel.

“After visiting my father’s home-land in Palestine I was compelled to capture and preserve not just my family’s history but also that of the conflict that exists within the country, which ultimately led me on a 5-year journey with Jasmine Falling. My aim in writing Jasmine Falling was to convey the hope that the Palestinian people exude, through characters that represented positive aspects of both sides in the ongoing conflict that surrounds them. The story is one of loss, love, hope and redemption and is told through the eyes of Jasmine, a Palestinian girl, and… well I can’t give the rest away can I!”

***

When Jasmine’s mother dies inside their English mansion, hope comes in the form of her multi-million-pound inheritance. But with her inheritance threatened, Jasmine is left to contemplate a future she does not know how to live.

Jasmine has only ten days to uncover the circumstances of her father’s decade long disappearance before her fortune is lost forever. Forced to return to his homeland in Palestine, she follows his footsteps through stories long ingrained in the local’s minds. She is helped on her journey by a mysterious stranger who guides her through the trails of the Holy Land, from the heart of Jerusalem to the scattered broken villages, each harbouring its own secrets.

Under the watchful eyes of the ever-encroaching Occupation, Jasmine must piece together her history in the broken land, before it destroys her future.

Available NOW at all major e-book sellers

***

Besides authoring her novel, being a mother and wife, Shereen is also a writer for Muslimah Media Watch, a forum for critiquing the images of Muslim women in the media and pop culture. If you would like to see other works by Shereen you can find her at www.shereenmalherbe.com or follow her on twitter @malherbegirl

Shereen is available for interviews and appearances. For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews etc. contact shereenmalherbe@gmail.com

Leicester Mercury Opinion

The female Muslim image in the media needs to be more representative…just where is our contribution to society in these narratives?’

Reprinted by the Leicester Mercury on November 4th 2015.

Invisible Eve – Giving women a voice in society through the Arts

‘Yousef’s work is inspired by his own life experience of being unable to speak until he was given a camera by his father. ‘Of Palestinian origin…he grew up exposed to images of war and violence. He needed a voice to express his inner turbulence, and photography gave him that voice.’

An article for JAN Trust written by Shereen Malherbe and inspired by award-winning, international photographer [image error]Yousef Khanfar.

Is the fashion industry evolving with the inclusion of its first Hijabi model?

‘Often our viewpoint is given by those outside of the group and associated with negative connotations or images of oppression. The spending power of young Muslim women is beginning to start a trickle of representation, but we aren’t anywhere near mainstream markets for fashion, books or films.’

Tribune republishes Shereen Malherbe’s article on H&M’s first Muslim Model