It's Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race
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- Author：Mariam Khan
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Summary
When was the last time you heard a Muslim woman speak for herself without a filter？
In 2016， Mariam Khan read that David Cameron had linked the radicalisation 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 neither Muslim nor female？
Years later the state of the national discourse has deteriorated even further， and Muslim women's voices are still pushed to the fringes - the figures leading the discussion are white and male。
Taking one of the most politicised and misused words associated with Muslim women and Islamophobia， It's Not About the Burqa is poised to change all that。 Here are voices you won't see represented in the national news headlines: 18 Muslim women speaking frankly about the hijab and wavering faith， about love and divorce， about feminism， queer identity， sex and the twin threats of a disapproving community and a racist country。 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。
What does it mean， exactly， to be a Muslim woman in the West today？ According to the media， it's all about the burqa。
Here's what it's really about。
In 2016， Mariam Khan read that David Cameron had linked the radicalisation 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 neither Muslim nor female？
Years later the state of the national discourse has deteriorated even further， and Muslim women's voices are still pushed to the fringes - the figures leading the discussion are white and male。
Taking one of the most politicised and misused words associated with Muslim women and Islamophobia， It's Not About the Burqa is poised to change all that。 Here are voices you won't see represented in the national news headlines: 18 Muslim women speaking frankly about the hijab and wavering faith， about love and divorce， about feminism， queer identity， sex and the twin threats of a disapproving community and a racist country。 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。
What does it mean， exactly， to be a Muslim woman in the West today？ According to the media， it's all about the burqa。
Here's what it's really about。
Reviews
Sarah
，
I got to know many voices。 Many women to look up and know about。 And yet to formulate an opinion on a lot of the topics they discussed。
Abena Maryann
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Summary: It’s not about the Burqa is a collection of essays consisting of seventeen Muslim women speaking frankly about Islam and Equality， Representation of Muslim Women， Identity and Belonging， Workplace Gender Biases， Mental Health in the Muslim communities， wearing of the Hijab， sex and sexuality， racism， marriage and divorce among others。This book is stunning。 Wow！ I loved that Muslim women were allowed to speak their truth - unapologetically。 The essays are funny， warm， revealing and thoug Summary: It’s not about the Burqa is a collection of essays consisting of seventeen Muslim women speaking frankly about Islam and Equality， Representation of Muslim Women， Identity and Belonging， Workplace Gender Biases， Mental Health in the Muslim communities， wearing of the Hijab， sex and sexuality， racism， marriage and divorce among others。This book is stunning。 Wow！ I loved that Muslim women were allowed to speak their truth - unapologetically。 The essays are funny， warm， revealing and thought-provoking。 I re-learnt and un-learnt so many things about feminism。 This book talks centers on topics that often said in whispers – we don’t talk about them loud enough。 “Women are supposed to be ‘less than， not ‘too much。 Women are meant to be quiet， modest， humble， polite， nice， well-behaved， aware of the red lines。 They are supposed to tread softly within their limits…When a woman is ‘too much， she is essentially uncontrollable and unashamed。 That makes her dangerous。” This book is a revolution。 According to Mona Eltahawy， a revolution is ‘too loud’: it defies， disobeys and disrupts patriarchy。 We are the ones we have been waiting for。 We are the revolution。 A lot of my key insights came from Mariam Khan’s ‘Feminism need to die’ I believe that mainstream feminism is not a one size fits all。 Mainstream feminism doesn’t take into consideration cultural & religious differences in women 。 I agree with Mariam Khan that: “Empowerment comes in many comes in many forms and oppression shouldn’t be defined by what isn’t default to White Feminist’s world view。 Feminism as we know needs to die so it can stop building walls， so it develop and move forward to nurture a sisterhood of Intersectional Feminist。 Feminism is no good to me if it doesn’t fight for every different type of woman。” Each essay gave me something to ponder on。 This is a book that highlighted the most important things。 It was personal on so many levels。 I could see myself speaking up for each of the women represented。 Their experiences were real， raw and brilliant。 。。。more
Melisa
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this book highlights big themes such as feminism in islam， intersectional feminism vs white feminism， mental health， racism， sexuality， misrepresentation and many more。 i really enjoyed some of the essays but the chapters were repetitive and i had the feeling that the book followed a sort of similar theme idk？my favourite essays were “on the representation of women”， “the first feminist” and “there’s no such thing as a depressed muslim“
TheWombatConrad
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While some essays were weaker than others， on the whole they were all good。 I really enjoyed reading this book and am very grateful that it introduced me to some powerful writers。
Christine Hassan
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A series of essays by women from various Muslim communities and cultures。 It is interesting to hear their views on problems within the community and approaches on how to deal with it。 Western perspectives and theirs do not always mesh。 It shows the difference between Islamic feminism and western style feminism。
Natália
，
I found this diverse selection of essays by Muslim women a great entry point into intersectional feminism。 All of them offer a snapshot of their life experience filled with struggles caused by their multifaceted identities。 It shows that feminism is not one-size fits-all kind of movement， and we need to keep reexamining own beliefs and policies。
Leah
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A collection of essays from various authors about Islam， womanhood， culture， and race。 While the essays explore different topics， one of the main ideas threaded throughout the collection is that the West doesn't allow Muslims， particularly Muslim women， diversity。 The Muslim woman must be a certain kind of woman: one who follows certain rules， has certain political and cultural values， and looks a certain way， so as to appease Western society and be palatable for the average Brit/American/Europe A collection of essays from various authors about Islam， womanhood， culture， and race。 While the essays explore different topics， one of the main ideas threaded throughout the collection is that the West doesn't allow Muslims， particularly Muslim women， diversity。 The Muslim woman must be a certain kind of woman: one who follows certain rules， has certain political and cultural values， and looks a certain way， so as to appease Western society and be palatable for the average Brit/American/European， and any deviation from this accepted norm is undermined， often explained away by way of the oppressive， patriarchal nature of Islam。 But Islam is not inherently oppressive， patriarchal， or misogynistic， in fact it celebrates women's autonomy and independence。 It is the work of patriarchy that oppresses women all over the world， including Muslim women。•••I was particularly shocked to learn about how English and Welsh law surrounding marriage is inextricably tied to Christianity， Judaism， and Quakerism， meaning many Muslim nikah marriage ceremonies in the UK go unregistered， leaving all parties - though often women - in vulnerable positions， unprotected by law if they need or want a divorce， or are left widowed。 Again， it is culture that reinforces this practice。 One of the authors writes of her charity， ROM， that advocates and facilitates registering religious marriage ceremonies， resulting in a reduction of not legally binding "non-marriages"。•••A quote I liked was: "I call for us not to seek to 'break' stereotypes， but to see the magic of our normal。" because representation and diversity should be celebrated， yes， but it should also be accepted as standard。 No one should have an unspoken pressure sprung upon them to represent an entire community。 。。。more
Drea
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A must read！
Farah Aisha Shabrina
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learned a lot about islam and feminism from this book。 all the personal stories and essays are truly eye-opening。 the fact that a culture could do so much to deviate the sharia of women in islam sends me off to a state of disbelief。。 and how， in many ways， feminism and islam just don’t get along create an environment where muslim feminists are often left in limbo。 through this book， they have the place to own their own voices on feminism。
Nicole
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I really enjoyed this collection of muslim women's voices and could identify with the stories of displacement， silencing and identity struggle。 It has to be noted that it offers a very UK-centred perspective and some stories might not be as interesting to some if they don't know or don't care much about the politics or legal system of the country。 I really enjoyed this collection of muslim women's voices and could identify with the stories of displacement， silencing and identity struggle。 It has to be noted that it offers a very UK-centred perspective and some stories might not be as interesting to some if they don't know or don't care much about the politics or legal system of the country。 。。。more
Natalie
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Not all essays are created equal but these are pretty close。 I learned a lot about religion versus culture and principles of Islam I had been unaware of。 4。5/5 rounded up
Car Go Vroom
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Why did this take me so long to read
Dominika Michalkova
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I really enjoyed reading this book。 Something quite different from what I typically read， and I liked how it made me so often stop and think about what has been said in the book， to look at some ideas from very different angle。 Nice reading
Tasnim
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A lovely collection of essays！ It was inspiring to read and hear so many diverse voices of muslim women。
Eya Chafroud
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This was such a diverse book。 I really enjoyed all the different stories of mulslim women and their struggles in non muslim countries and their fight against sexism and stereotypes。
Diniffa
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I get a lot of good insights from the various thoughts or experiences in this book especially about women's rights， representatives and empowerment， also their different ways of tackling racism， patriarchy， and prejudice。Eventhough I have different perspective on some points mentioned in the essays and the writers mostly based in UK， there are many things I could relate too。 Some are inspiring， some are enlightening and make me want to seek and learn more for better understanding and support。 I get a lot of good insights from the various thoughts or experiences in this book especially about women's rights， representatives and empowerment， also their different ways of tackling racism， patriarchy， and prejudice。Eventhough I have different perspective on some points mentioned in the essays and the writers mostly based in UK， there are many things I could relate too。 Some are inspiring， some are enlightening and make me want to seek and learn more for better understanding and support。 。。。more
Marianna
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Favourite essays:-The Clothes of My Faith， by Afia Ahmed-Life Was Easier When I Was Woke， by Yassmin Midhat Abdel-Magied-Feminism Needs to Die， by Mariam Khan -Hijabi （R）evolution， by D'souza-Lodhi-Not Just a Black Muslim Woman， by Raifa Rafiq Favourite essays:-The Clothes of My Faith， by Afia Ahmed-Life Was Easier When I Was Woke， by Yassmin Midhat Abdel-Magied-Feminism Needs to Die， by Mariam Khan -Hijabi （R）evolution， by D'souza-Lodhi-Not Just a Black Muslim Woman， by Raifa Rafiq 。。。more
Donne
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“To all those who wish to include Muslim women， a word of advice: if you want to make us feel included， stop singling us out。 If you truly believe it is not about the burqa， prove it and stop talking about it。”I loved this anthology so much。 It really offers a lot of insights that a lot of people really need to read。
Kaya
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I read this book because it was recommended by @revolutionaryreadsclub on Instagram， and I'm so glad that I did！ I learned a lot from this book， and I am glad that I read it， as it forced me to recognize my own ignorance。 It also reinforced the idea that I need to read more books （both fiction and non-fiction） by Muslim women。 "When you are spoken over， spoken for， or denied a voice- 。。。 -then storytelling becomes the ultimate tool of resistance。" - Nadine Aisha Jassat （from her essay Daughter o I read this book because it was recommended by @revolutionaryreadsclub on Instagram， and I'm so glad that I did！ I learned a lot from this book， and I am glad that I read it， as it forced me to recognize my own ignorance。 It also reinforced the idea that I need to read more books （both fiction and non-fiction） by Muslim women。 "When you are spoken over， spoken for， or denied a voice- 。。。 -then storytelling becomes the ultimate tool of resistance。" - Nadine Aisha Jassat （from her essay Daughter of Stories）I enjoyed reading about Muslim women talking about what they want to talk about and speaking for themselves。 I also appreciated the diverse range of Muslim Women's voices featured and the emphasis on how important it is to let Muslim women speak for themselves and control their own narratives。 Some points were a little lost on me simply because I'm not British and I don't know much about British culture or politics。 Most of the contributors for the book focused on the experience that Muslim women have in Britain and contextualized it within British society。 I have very little understanding of what's going on in Britain， so I was a little confused。 Still， I was introduced to many issues in Britain that helped me gain a better understanding of specific issues Muslim women face。 All in all， this book opened my eyes to many issues and has helped me on my journey to become a better intersectional feminist and ally to Muslim women。 This book is definitely worth reading！ 。。。more
Afreen Aftab
，
"Islam gave women a voice; cultural interpretation took it away。"I have very complicated and mixed feelings about this book。 A lot of the essays in this book point out the patriarchy in society as the culprit for the rampant misogyny in Muslim communities and not the religion itself。 Which yes， it's true。 The essays do illuminate the various ways in which Muslim women are abused and suppressed but it is in large part due to misreading of the Quran and Hadees。 Islam does give women a lot more rig "Islam gave women a voice; cultural interpretation took it away。"I have very complicated and mixed feelings about this book。 A lot of the essays in this book point out the patriarchy in society as the culprit for the rampant misogyny in Muslim communities and not the religion itself。 Which yes， it's true。 The essays do illuminate the various ways in which Muslim women are abused and suppressed but it is in large part due to misreading of the Quran and Hadees。 Islam does give women a lot more rights than what its followers give and I will admit it's not perfect but the same issues arise in every religion because they were created in a much different time。On the other hand， these essays have mostly been written by women who've benefitted from western culture but who also have experienced Islamophobia， misogyny， and racism in their own ways。 So the experiences of these women may not be relatable to Muslim women in the rest of the world。 As a Muslim woman reading these words of empowerment about defying the patriarchy all sound great but they seem hollow sometimes when most of these women benefit from the liberal western surrounding and culture， open-minded family members， etc although some do highlight the privilege they have。I also have problems with certain essays that westernize Islam a little too much or talk in extremes。 for example in the essay 'A Gender Denied: Islam， Sex and the Struggle to Get Some' Salma El-Wardany describes having premarital sex which is forbidden in Islam， and the gist of the essay is to not make sex a taboo topic and to basically have a more liberal reading of the Quran。 ON the other hand， she says something like this:' It’s also worth remembering that celibacy is not recommended as a path in Islam and not recommended as a life choice， and we should be telling our young people that， encouraging them to have meaningful relationships。which goes against her own viewpoint of keeping things vague but also discriminates against those people who aren't interested in relationships， or sex， or marriages。At the end of the day some of these essays I found really meaningful and interesting but some of them fell very short。 Others might find something else within these pages that helps them。 Theres something for everyone so I think it was worth the read。 。。。more
Zabreen Nissar
，
As a Muslim woman who grew up in a predominantly Muslim society， I could a lot of instances in the book relatable。 That is something I have always found missing from most other books written about Muslims， even the ones that are written by Muslims。 Most of those books are written keeping in mind a non-Muslim reader and try explaining stuff with a positive or negative twist to it。It is the honesty with which most of the accounts were written that makes this book refreshing。 The format made me fee As a Muslim woman who grew up in a predominantly Muslim society， I could a lot of instances in the book relatable。 That is something I have always found missing from most other books written about Muslims， even the ones that are written by Muslims。 Most of those books are written keeping in mind a non-Muslim reader and try explaining stuff with a positive or negative twist to it。It is the honesty with which most of the accounts were written that makes this book refreshing。 The format made me feel like I was listening to the author talking about her life。 Not in a way of giving a speech about it to an audience but just like talking to someone over tea。 This book makes me realize the dearth of books written by Muslim authors for a Muslim audience。 Hope there are more books like this written in the future。 。。。more
Zoha Salahuddin
，
Read this as a part of a book club。 A mix of essays by different Muslim women （mostly located in the UK）， some of them much better than others。 Since I'm not the target audience I don't think it's fair to rate it。 Read this as a part of a book club。 A mix of essays by different Muslim women （mostly located in the UK）， some of them much better than others。 Since I'm not the target audience I don't think it's fair to rate it。 。。。more
Shantalie
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I certainly thought the essays here were interesting and offered more nuanced insights into what it means to be a Muslim woman。 I think we've all got certain misconceptions about it for sure。 However， I generally dislike all forms of organised religion so I did find myself questioning why。 a seemingly smart woman would want to get sucked into a religion of any sort。 Sure， Islam may not be as archaic as the western media present it to be and sure， unscrupulous people （read : men） may have twisted I certainly thought the essays here were interesting and offered more nuanced insights into what it means to be a Muslim woman。 I think we've all got certain misconceptions about it for sure。 However， I generally dislike all forms of organised religion so I did find myself questioning why。 a seemingly smart woman would want to get sucked into a religion of any sort。 Sure， Islam may not be as archaic as the western media present it to be and sure， unscrupulous people （read : men） may have twisted the words of the Quran to suit their needs but still if I was these woman I would want to be done with the whole thing altogether but each to their own I suppose。 While the essays provided quite reasonable and progressive insights， I did also feel they were quite a select view of the community and I do wonder how representative these generally educated， middle class， liberal really are。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
I really really like this book a lot。 It taught me a lot about Islam and how feminist it actually is。 It broadened my horizon so much and I would recommend it to everyone who wants to learn more about Islam， racism， feminism and just the struggles of women of colour and Muslim women in general。 Did you know that the worlds first university， the University of al-Qarawiyyin， was actually founded by Fatima al-Fihri？ And that the first wife of Muhammad （pbuh）， Khadijah bint Khuwaylid was the most su I really really like this book a lot。 It taught me a lot about Islam and how feminist it actually is。 It broadened my horizon so much and I would recommend it to everyone who wants to learn more about Islam， racism， feminism and just the struggles of women of colour and Muslim women in general。 Did you know that the worlds first university， the University of al-Qarawiyyin， was actually founded by Fatima al-Fihri？ And that the first wife of Muhammad （pbuh）， Khadijah bint Khuwaylid was the most successful merchant in their city and actually proposed to him？This book taught me so much and gave me the opportunity to see from a new perspective， it made me aware of so many struggles I was previously unaware of。 。。。more
April Lane
，
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The collection of essays was so refreshing to read。 I know that I learned a lot and appreciated learning more about the experiences of Muslim women in a world that so often discriminates and ignores their voices。 If society truly wants to focus on empowering Muslim women， then we need to listen， demonstrate empathy and understanding， and respect our Muslim sisters。 In my book club， we noticed how we really do have more in common than we might first have realized。 One key element that w ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The collection of essays was so refreshing to read。 I know that I learned a lot and appreciated learning more about the experiences of Muslim women in a world that so often discriminates and ignores their voices。 If society truly wants to focus on empowering Muslim women， then we need to listen， demonstrate empathy and understanding， and respect our Muslim sisters。 In my book club， we noticed how we really do have more in common than we might first have realized。 One key element that we discussed was the theme of fighting against misogyny and the patriarchy， not only in Muslim communities， but as a worldwide concern。 It’s obvious that this issue is not only found in one demographic， but found everywhere。 Another theme that stood out was about finding one’s identity while keeping culture and faith in balance。 This balance might not be the same for one woman as it is for another， and that is perfectly fine。 We also noticed that differing generational experiences were unique and important to recognize。 The frustrating default setting （white cis male） in society is something to be dismantled， while feminism must embrace intersectionality to truly work。 I was especially moved to read about the media’s contribution to incorporate representation， but at the same time， be responsible for the exploitation of Muslim women。 I’m not sure what the solution would be to help with this particular concern， but awareness is certainly a step in the right direction。 Personally， I hope to read this again to really process the lessons and messages。 I definitely recommend that friends read this book too。 In my opinion， this will be supportive for those wishing to learn/unlearn， and to develop more empathy and understanding for marginalized groups of people。 Happy Reading！ 📚 🤓 。。。more
Jordan
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Very topical and very real。
Justyna Wachowska
，
great book。 important voice。 I highly recommend
Nasria
，
I was interested the whole way through。 I enjoyed the essays， which were a good length。 I didn't agree with everything， actually， lots of things were problematic for me。 But all in all， I read it critically and it helped me to get a better understanding of my own view。 I respect the different ways in which these women have chosen to identify。 Their experiences have led them there。There are a few things which need to be fact- checked including:-Jinns being from a 'parallel universe'-Khadija RA be I was interested the whole way through。 I enjoyed the essays， which were a good length。 I didn't agree with everything， actually， lots of things were problematic for me。 But all in all， I read it critically and it helped me to get a better understanding of my own view。 I respect the different ways in which these women have chosen to identify。 Their experiences have led them there。There are a few things which need to be fact- checked including:-Jinns being from a 'parallel universe'-Khadija RA being called 'mother of the believers' for being the first wife of the messenger SAW （all of his wives were given that title）。As well as the fact- checking， there is some deliberately negative phrasing and maybe also a lack of orthodox Muslim women representation。 I'm still giving it 5 stars because of how much it made me think and engage。 It's not often that a book does that。In Coco Khan's essay， she says: （speaking to her mother， about Pakistan） 'it was you who told me women weren’t allowed in the mosque。 They keep you in line using religion and then make it hard for you to find out for yourself what the religion is even saying。’^to this， I have to say， that at a certain age it's your responsibility alone， to go and find out about your religion。 You can't blame that on other people。 Also， mosques are not the only place where you can get religious education， nowadays it's educational institutes or online。Overall， the book offers insight into a variety of diff topics。 The essay by Jamillah Hekmoun on mental health was really insightful。 We do need Islamic-based approaches to mental health。 We need psychology professionals and Muslim scholars to work together on this。 I am optimistic that we will get this soon as I am aware of initiatives going on already。 InshaAllah。The essay which mentioned the writer's father getting diagnosed with depression was really interesting。 The thought that our parents would have the bravery to do something like this， to get help， without fearing shame。 It's really something。 But when the writer said， about how men don't usually seek help，'Why was that how the Muslim community wanted its men to operate？'- that's not true。 Men everywhere have barriers to seeking help for their mental health。 It's not a Muslim thing at all。Saima Mir- the divorcee。 Made me realise the importance of Muslim women knowing their marital rights！ Noone else is going to know this for you。It was amazing to read the experiences of 16 different women， I commend you for giving them all a voice！ I think that this book should be read by anyone who wishes to serve the Muslim community。 To understand what is needed from people。 And also， anyone else who likes the sound of it！I'm really glad I read it。 A lot of times， I found my own thoughts and ideas on the page。 I especially like the idea in one of the early essays that Muslim women will have to make the change themselves。 I know it's tempting to spend a lot of time trying to change other peoples （e。g。 men） minds and it's frustrating and it does need to be done。 But hopefully we find the strength to act to improve our own spaces。 InshaAllah。 。。。more
Tara Reysa
，
Amazing is an understatement。 This book is the proof about how Islam and feminism can definitely go hand in hand。 A VERY WIDE range of themes that the essays brought :1。 Some of the essays talked about the misconception of Islam made by patriarchy， such as how Islam does not shame women or their periods。 2。 Representation : do we， Muslim women， really need to be represented in every field？ How is the representation supposed to be？ What happened after that？ Do we really get the advantages， or it’ Amazing is an understatement。 This book is the proof about how Islam and feminism can definitely go hand in hand。 A VERY WIDE range of themes that the essays brought :1。 Some of the essays talked about the misconception of Islam made by patriarchy， such as how Islam does not shame women or their periods。 2。 Representation : do we， Muslim women， really need to be represented in every field？ How is the representation supposed to be？ What happened after that？ Do we really get the advantages， or it’s just the form of capitalism？ Do they really mean to represent us or do they only use our identity as a bait？3。 How the media create a standard about modest Muslim women and the rest are conservative （and sadly， as a Muslim women ourselves， we sometimes agree with that）4。 From personal to public matters， from sexuality to law。5。 No need to mention intersectionality because every page will tell you about that。"We want your hijabs but we don’t want your thoughts; we only want diversity for the pictures。"What is the point of being represented if it is only our image that is invited to the table？ Absolutely 10 stars。 。。。more
Sara
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