Women Rising - 'I Speak for Myself' - US Muslim Women Tell Their Stories

A group of Muslim American women have embarked on a quest they have long considered overdue. Feeling neither heard nor understood, they told their stories in a collection of essays which encapsulates an overarching challenge they face daily -- how to balance between staying true to their faith and navigating established societal norms in a country partly accepting, yet also partly weary of Islam.

Compiled and co-edited by Maria Ebrahimji and Zahra Suratwala, the book -- "I Speak for Myself" - contains first-person narratives by 40 Muslim women born and raised in the United States who, as the editors point out, have been "negotiating a dichotomy of Islamic and Western values since birth."

Representing many walks of life, the women point out that the book is not intended as a response to existing stereotypes nor as a pontification about a post-9/11 world, but is simply an attempt to provide others an honest and unfettered glimpse into their lives.

VOA Middle East spoke to the book's editors and some of its contributors.

Produced by Frances Alonzo and Davin Hutchins.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Islam
• muslim
• us
• america
• american
• women
• hijab
• identity
• I speak for myself
• Ebrahimji
• Suratwala

[nat12092]

I like the muslim faith. But I'm a american but I don't pray five times a day

[monjiaitaly]

@sweet161402 1. are the insults against the prophet, no one insults jesus christ or jewish in this manner. 2. The destruction and killing of innocents by bombing, continuous occupation, oppression, dictatorship supporting west and their political games they have been playing with arab nations for decades. That is my feeling. If they did to us what we have been doing to them, we would be screaming bloody murder too.

[sweet161402]

Then why do the Muslims seem to be so angry? What are they so mad at?

[IslamBeauty101]

mashallaaah

[MatrixOfDynamism]

@Juanchopepe86 Saudi Arabia is literally Bosom friend of the US and an Ally of US for very long now. It goes back generations. US has been killing and toppling regimes that do not agree with it, leading to great Chaos. Iran and Syria are a shame yes, but US due to its power has lead to much much worse things happening. You are living in your own closed 1 sided story world and seem to know nothing of what US and Israel is doing to others for its own personal interests. Sad indeed.

[MatrixOfDynamism]

@Juanchopepe86 People can and do get into trouble in your US as well, its strange to see you do not know about it. US has a dominant position in the world, even if some few people do try to spread information not in line with its interests than also US is not effected, its too powerful you see. If and when it does get too much humiliated like the time with Wikileaks than the propagaters are punished as can be seen with Julian Asange, his website money cut off and Assange in trial.

[Juanchopepe86]

@MatrixOfDynamism

Saudi Arabia is a shame, I am even ashamed that we support those conservative dogs. But Iran and Syria are not backed by us, look how Syria treats its protesters and how Iran has been killing Kurdish people and other civilians who do not agree with their system. Israel and America do not kill people just because they disagree and protest about it. If you want Israel to chill about the Palestinians, tell them to chill with their terrorist attacks.

[Juanchopepe86]

@MatrixOfDynamism

"but why did US ban Wikileaks when it was just revealing the true evil face of US and its allies aka doing Good Job?"

If by what you mean banning is censoring the website, I live in the US and I can still have access to it, no change there.

Yea, American foreign policy is not the best in the world. I hear people criticizing Israel or our own government, and no one gets in trouble here. Try that in Iran or Syria.

[MatrixOfDynamism]

@Juanchopepe86 USA also has a strong tendancy to be Single Minded. Yes I agree 100% that it is not as strict as some other regimes like China or India, but still things are not as relaxed as you may express in words. For example: Anyone criticizing Isreal even if its valid can get into big trouble. By the way I just wish to know your opinion but why did US ban Wikileaks when it was just revealing the true evil face of US and its allies aka doing Good Job?

[MatrixOfDynamism]

@Juanchopepe86 "you have civil rights, equality and for the vast most part you have freedom of expression and women have equal rights as well", well I will just add to do that, a person must fit in a certain category to have all these things, Its there yes but At present people are losing this stuff gradually. "our enemies kill even more innocents", HAHA you mean they nuke babies like USA does? USA has done more killing than its Enimies. US rocks in killing & than peeing on them!