Category Archives: Islam

Repost: Reading The Veil and The Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women’s Rights in Islam, by Fatima Mernissi

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

About two-and-a-half years ago, I posted about Mernissi’s book because reading it was an instructive journey into my own ignorance about Islam, particularly about an aspect of that religion that, to put it mildly, sticks in the craw of many, … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Islamaphobia | Comments Off on Repost: Reading The Veil and The Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women’s Rights in Islam, by Fatima Mernissi

Everyone Who Reads Rumi in English Should Read This New Yorker Article

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

Written by Rozina Ali, the article is called “The Erasure of Islam from the Poetry of Rumi,” and it says something that Iranians I know have been saying for a very long time—something that I learned from them, in fact. … Continue reading →

Posted in Iran, Islam, Writing | 5 Comments

A Gay Iranian Mullah Who is a Refugee in Turkey

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

This is a pretty remarkable story.

Posted in Iran, Islam, Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans and Queer issues | Comments Off on A Gay Iranian Mullah Who is a Refugee in Turkey

“Our Man in Tehran” – A Really Interesting Series from The New York Times

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

The New York Times is running a really interesting series on its website called Our Man in Tehran (the link will take you to episode one). Thomas Erdbrink, the paper’s bureau chief in Tehran has made seven brief videos meant to capture … Continue reading →

Posted in Iran, Islam | 1 Comment

Reading The Veil and The Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women’s Rights in Islam, by Fatima Mernissi

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

On and off over the past year or so, I have gotten into some pretty heated discussions here about Islam. In August of 2014, I wrote a two-part post called “Trying to Be an Ally: Thinking About Hejab, Muslim Invisibility, … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam, Islamaphobia | 61 Comments

A Conversation with Sahar Amer, Author of ‘What is Veiling?’ « Transcultural Islam Research Network

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

On the Transcultural Islam Research Network, an interview with Sahar Amer, whose book, What Is Veiling?, was published by The University of North Carolina Press in September of this year. I found this passage particularly interesting: CR: Throughout your extensive research on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Islam | 41 Comments