Nominations for the annual Brass Crescent Awards are now open! The categories are:

BEST BLOG: This category honors the most indispensable, Muslim-authored blog there is. Period.

BEST NON-MUSLIM BLOG: Which blog writen by a non-Muslim is most respectful of Islam and seeks genuine dialogue with Muslims?

BEST DESIGN: Which blog has the most aesthetically pleasing site design, appealing to the eye, evoking Islamic themes, and/or facilitating debate and discussion?

BEST POST OR SERIES: Which single post or group of posts in the Islamsphere was the most original and important, above all the others?

BEST IJTIHAD: What blog post provided the best rebuttal to arguments of extremist ideology, and in so doing expose how those who commit evil in the name of Islam are actually profaning the faith?

BEST FEMALE BLOG: The woman’s voice in Islam is equal to the man’s, and in the Islamsphere we seek to make sure the female perspective is highlighted and given its rightful due. Which Muslim woman’s blog has done the most to explore the role that women play within Islam and society?

BEST WRITER: Who is the most stimulating, insightful, and philosophically wise among us? This category is intended to highlight a blogger who may not post daily, but when they do post, they really make an impact.

MOST DESERVING OF WIDER RECOGNITION: Which blog is a true diamond in the rough, one that everyone should be reading but who most just haven’t heard of (yet)?

BEST GROUP BLOG: Which multiple group blog in the Islamsphere has the best diversity of writers and the most interesting debate on Muslim issues?

BEST MIDEAST/CENTRAL ASIAN & BEST SOUTH/SOUTHEAST ASIAN BLOGGERS: The Islamsphere is truly a global phenomenon. In Iraq, despite the chaos and uncertainty, there is a sea change of free speech and expression, the vanguard of which are blogs. There are also bloggers in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Palestine, Jordan, and most other countries that host Muslims, all of whom have their own perspectives on faith, culture, and politics.

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I’m really bad at responding promptly to comments - well, having said that the pace of the blogosphere is SO quick these days. Anyway I have responded to a number of your comments that you’ve been kind enough to leave:

Reply to Aimee
Reply to Umm Aisha
Reply to Muslimah Media Watch, Null, Shakira and Dawood
Reply to Muslimah Media Watch
Reply to Rodney
Reply to Umm Zaid
Reply to Priscilla

Speaking of feminism, Alanis Morissette (whose music I love) has a version of My Humps.  It’s a slow, melodic version and is very poignant.  The effect for me, was as if Alanis was pointing out through the Black Eyed Peas song, the tragedy that is the objectification of women’s bodies. (Viewer discretion advised: video does contain images of women not in hijab ;P)

La Lubu has a post at Feministe on feeling alienated from feminism, even though she’s a feminist. I commented that the lack of recognition of valid spirituality in much feminist discourse is what alienates me (i.e. buying the secularist argument that religion is inherently problematic / patriarachal).

Since then there have been myriad comments (on the post not necc. my comment), way too many for me to follow and to respond.

But the usual anti-religion memes floated up (precisely what I was complaining about) and some good responses as well (I particularly liked DaisyDeadhead’s here).

The problem (as I see it) with anti-religion discourse in feminist rhetoric, is not that I think people should accept misogyny in religion, nor do I think feminists don’t have the right to criticise misogynyist practices or beliefs.  The problem I have is when they see *all* religion as inherently patriarchal, androcentric and misogynistic.  That means *my* religious and feminist beliefs are devalued, considered worthless.

The underlying message is that because religion X couldn’t possibly be liberating for women, I must be lying or stupid to affiliate with religion X.  Furthermore, the *only* right interpretation of religion X is the one supporting patriarchy and misogyny.  Any attempt at a feminist reading of religion X isn’t the *right* interpretation or the *true* interpretation. 

It infuriates me that feminists who are non-members of my religion, think they have the right to tell me what I should believe.  In my book, that makes them as bad as some patriarchal male mullah!

THAT is why feminism can be very alienating for me, and why imported secular feminism has largely failed in the Muslim world.

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One of the little known facts is that female scholars and teachers have been vital in the transmission of Islamic knowledge starting with - one could say - the Prophet’s wife A’isha.

SunniPath, who offer online courses in Islamic knowledge particularly the Hanafi and Shafi`i (and now Maliki) schools, have a new full-time teacher in Ustadha Zaynab Ansari, masha’Allah .

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