Living Islam Out Loud

Living Islam Out Loud presents the first generation of American Muslim women who have always identified as both American and Muslim. These pioneers have forged new identities for themselves and for future generations, and they speak out about the hijab, relationships, sex and sexuality, activism, spirituality, and much more.

Contributors: Su'ad Abdul-Khabeer, Sham-e-Ali al-Jamil, Samina Ali, Sarah Eltantawi, Yousra Y. Fazili, Suheir Hammad, Mohja Kahf, Precious Rasheeda Muhammad, Asra Q. Nomani, Manal Omar, Khalida Saed, Asia Sharif-Clark, Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard, Aroosha Zoq Rana, Inas YounisINTRODUCTION

SALEEMAH’S STORY

PART I: CROSSROADS

“How I Met God”
Samina Ali

“To Be Young, Gifted, Black, American, Muslim, and Woman”
Precious Rasheeda Muhammad

PART II: LOVE

“Remembering Love”
Sham-e-Ali al-Jamil

“My Own Worst Enemy”
Manal Omar

“Marrying a Believer”
Asia Sharif-Clark

“Finding Home”
Sham-e-Ali al-Jamil

“Fumbling Toward Ecstacy”
Yousra Y. Fazili

“On the Edge of Belonging”
Khalida Saed

PART III: THE STRONGEST OF FAITH

“A Day in the Life”
Su’ad Abdul-Khabeer

“Hijra from Harlem”
Khadijah Sharif-Drinkard

“The Muslim in the Mirror”
Mohja Kahf

“Being the Leader I Want to See in the World”
Asra Q. Nomani

“An Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in Mosques”

“An Islamic Bill of Rights for Women in the Bedroom”

PART IV: SOUL JOURNEYS

“A Meditation on the Clearing”
Sarah Eltanawi

“A Siren Song”
Aroosha Zoq Rana

“Blessed Divine Woman”
Sham-e-Ali al-Jamil

“My Son the Mystic”
Inas Younis

“My Sister’s Prayer”
Suheir Hammad

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CONTRIBUTORS"These are precisely the kinds of women whose voices we need to hear." —Leila Ahmed, Harvard Divinity School

"From the Islamic Bill's of Rights for Women in Mosques and in the Bedroom to the call for the Divine Feminine in Islam, this book reveals the diverse, complex, ambiguous, brilliant voices of women who are at once American and Muslim."—Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues

"This anthology presents the best of the new generation of American Muslim women." —Imam Rauf, author of What's Right with Islam

"A rich mosaic of experiences from passionate women that challenge us to redefine our understanding of Islam in general, and American Muslim women in particular. Grade: A" —Candice Levy, GirlfriendsSaleemah Abdul-Ghafur was chief executive of Azizah, a magazine for Muslim women. In 2004, she was an integral part of a national movement to give women space and voice in American mosques, and in 2005 she co-organized the historic woman-led prayer in New York City. A frequent presenter on Islam and women, Abdul-Ghafur lives in Atlanta, Georgia.