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It's Not About the Burqa

Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
It's Not About the Burqa is a compelling collection of essays by twenty Muslim women who speak candidly about their diverse experiences. Challenging stereotypes and misconceptions, the book explores themes including the hijab, faith, love, divorce, queer identity, community pressures, racism, and the intersection of Islam and feminism. These essays are intimate, passionate, and unfiltered, offering a multifaceted view of Muslim women's lives beyond the common monolith.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will resonate with readers interested in contemporary social issues, feminism, and cultural diversity, especially those seeking to understand the nuanced voices of Muslim women. It is suitable for adults and young adults keen on essays that challenge stereotypes and explore identity, religion, and social justice.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

When was the last time you heard a Muslim woman speak for herself without a filter?

When was the last time you heard a Muslim woman speak for herself without a filter?

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

When was the last time you heard a Muslim woman speak for herself without a filter?

It's Not About the Burqa started life when Mariam Khan read about the conversation in which David Cameron 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 demonstrably neither Muslim nor female?

Taking one of the most politicised and misused words associated with Muslim women and Islamophobia, It's Not About the Burqa has something to say: twenty Muslim women speaking up for themselves. Here are essays about the hijab and wavering faith, about love and divorce, about queer identity, about sex, about the twin threats of a disapproving community and a racist country, and about how Islam and feminism go hand in hand. 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.

It's Not About the Burqa doesn't claim to speak for a faith or a group of people, because it's time the world realised that Muslim women are not a monolith. It's time the world listened to them.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

An incredibly important and landmark anthology, praised for being passionate, angry, nuanced and utterly compelling (Nikesh Shukla) as well as wide-ranging, engrossing and fascinating (The Observer). The essays are frank and engaging on topics such as sex, religion, mental health, and queer identity, making this book essential reading for our times (Kiran Millwood Hargrave). Described as intelligent, much needed, and refreshing, insightful and occasionally raw, it is required reading to push past stereotypes surrounding Muslim women.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781509886425

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 February 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Picador

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 180g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Mariam Khan is an intersectional feminist, diversity-in-books pusher and freelance writer. She is the editor of It's Not About the Burqa, an anthology of essays by Muslim women.

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