Islam clearly indicates that during Ramadan Muslim women who have their period are exempt from fasting because Islam recognizes the toll it takes on your body. Islam does not shame women or their periods. And it doesn’t ignore them either. I have the same cultural frustrations as every other woman fed up of hiding their period, but the moment I was overheard expressing these frustrations to another Muslim, someone else redirected the conversation to focus on Islam and the way it is perceived to oppress women, neatly reinforcing a narrative that is present in the West.
