aljazeera.com – A woman is excluded from her father’s funeral. A feminist removes her headscarf for a day. A Uganda-born singer and social worker from Norway questions her identity. An internationally renowned Egyptian author makes a strong case for harnessing creativity in the face of patriarchy.
These are just some of the articles that launched a new digital magazine, sister-hood (sister-hood.com), which is aimed at spotlighting the diverse voices of Muslim women.
Founded by Deeyah Khan, an Emmy-award winning filmmaker and activist, the magazine went live on Monday after several months of work.
Al Jazeera spoke with Khan about the perception of Muslim women in the media and the aspirations of sister-hood.
Al Jazeera: Why did you launch sister-hood?
Deeyah Khan: I wanted to challenge the public impression of women from Muslim heritage as victims, or as potential radicals, or mothers of extremists. I also wanted to make a broader categorisation of what it means to be of Muslim heritage, to reflect the true diversity.
sister-hood is for all women and girls of Muslim heritage, regardless of age, ethnicity or sexuality. Devout Muslims, cultural Muslims, former Muslims and agnostics are all welcome to contribute and participate; all sects and denominations are welcome. Whatever their differences, they can speak to their common experiences of growing up in Muslim families and communities, of experiencing what it is to be considered Muslim in the world today.
