It's Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race

Description

When was the last time you heard a Muslim woman speak for herself without a filter? It's Not About the Burqa started life when Mariam Khan read about the conversation in which David Cameron linked the radicalization of Muslim men to the 'traditional submissiveness' of Muslim women. Mariam felt pretty sure she didn't know a single Muslim woman who would describe herself that way. Why was she hearing about Muslim women from people who were demonstrably neither Muslim nor female? Taking one of the most politicized and misused words associated with Muslim women and Islamophobia, It's Not About the Burqa has something to say: twenty Muslim women speaking up for themselves. Here are essays about the hijab and wavering faith, about love and divorce, about queer identity, about sex, about the twin threats of a disapproving community and a racist country, and about how Islam and feminism go hand in hand. Funny, warm, sometimes sad, and often angry, each of these essays is a passionate declaration, and each essay is calling time on the oppression, the lazy stereotyping, the misogyny and the Islamophobia. It's Not About the Burqa doesn't claim to speak for a faith or a group of people, because it's time the world realized that Muslim women are not a monolith. It's time the world listened to them.

Mariam Khan is an intersectional feminist, diversity-in-books pusher and freelance writer. She is the editor of It's Not About the Burqa, an anthology of essays by Muslim women.

An incredibly important collection of essays that explores the pressures of being a Muslim woman today. These essays are passionate, angry, self-effacing, nuanced and utterly compelling in every single way -- Nikesh Shukla, editor of The Good Immigrant Wide-ranging . . . engrossing . . . fascinating . . . these essays take a courageous and panoramic view of Muslims * Observer * A landmark anthology . . . frank and engaging essays on sex and religion, mental health in the Muslim community and queer identity from an impressive selection of writers and activists * Cosmopolitan * Essential reading for our times. These essays are funny, angry, hopeful, sorrowful and inspired - and will leave you feeling much the same -- Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink and Stars An intelligent and much needed book * Red Magazine * It's about pushing past the stereotype placed on Muslim women and hearing the individuals themselves; it's required reading * Stylist * Refreshing, insightful and occasionally raw, It's Not About the Burqa is a phenomenal collection of essays by a very diverse range of Muslim women. An absolute must read for anyone wanting to better understand the lives and experiences of Muslim Women in the West. -- Akeela Ahmed The result is It's Not About the Burqa, 17 brilliantly wide-ranging essays covering everything from the rise of the sexualised Islamic influencer, to the Quran's take on bisexuality - and of course insidious, ugly Islamophobia * i News * Forget the ravings of politicians and pundits, hear from voices who have real, lived experiences across religion, feminism, sex, love and identity, and turn to this nuanced and wide-ranging collection * Emerald Street *