Its Not About the Burqa
Its Not About the Burqa
ISBN: 9781509886425
When was the last time you heard a Muslim woman speak for herself without a filter?
It's Not About the Burqa is an anthology of essays by Muslim women about the contemporary Muslim female experience.
In 2016, Mariam Khan read that David Cameron had 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 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 politicized 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: seventeen 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. With a mix of British and international women writers, from activist Mona Eltahawy's definition of a revolution to journalist and broadcaster Saima Mir telling the story of her experience of arranged marriage, from author Sufiya Ahmed on her Islamic feminist icon to playwright Afshan D'souza-Lodhi's moving piece about her relationship with her hijab, these essays are funny, warm, sometimes sad, and often angry, and each of them is a passionate declaration 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.
Shortlisted for Foyles Non-Fiction Book of the Year
Shipping
Shipping
We deliver books islandwide for a flat fee of 500LKR per order. All orders are processed within 1-2 days of receiving your order confirmation. Shipping takes 1-3 business days (excluding weekend and national holidays). Items are packed by Wild & the Sage and shipped by Sri Lanka Post via the Speed Post service. For more information, see our shipping policy
Store pick-up
Store pick-up
You can skip the shipping fees and collect books directly from our bookshop: Wild & the Sage, 311 Peellagoda, Unawatuna. After placing your order and selecting In-store pickup at checkout, your order will be prepared and ready for pick up within 1 business day. Our in-store pickup hours are 9am-5pm on Tuesday-Sunday.
Welcome to Wild & the Sage
Wild & the Sage is an independent bookshop on the south coast of Sri Lanka. We stock a range of local and international titles, available for islandwide delivery. Can’t find your favourite? We’re happy to source books to order. We also host regular workshops and events, as well as a monthly book club. Visit us in Galle to try our kitchen’s incredible menu and sip coffee in our garden courtyard. Everyone’s welcome for conversations over cake.
"The book selection is impeccable, could have wandered around and read for hours."
Susanne T (2024)