Sudanese Women Against Hijab

If you’re part of the Sudanese Facebook world, then you probably already know what this is going to be about. For those of you who aren’t, or are fortunate enough to not have come across it, allow me to shed some light. This Facebook ‘community’ claims to be a space for Sudanese women who do … Continue reading →

That Time He Followed Me, pt. II

Read Part 1 here. _____________________________________ They tell you that Rule #1 of being followed is to never lead them to where you live. They never tell you how difficult that rule is to follow in practice. I was late, and by 10:30pm when I started making my way home, I had already gotten a good … Continue reading →

Bit Haram*

*[lit. ‘bastard/illegitimate daughter’, but also commonly translated as ‘whore’, as the implication is that  ‘illegitimate daughters’ become prostitutes] I was driving my cousin home from class. We were deadlocked in traffic, making conversation to make the time pass. He appeared, with a friend, out of the throngs of people making their way to buses, looked … Continue reading →

Woman in Public

I read this article on Jezebel this morning. You should take a look at it, too. It depicts a few minutes in the life of a woman; specifically, a woman on the subway. In a nutshell, it gives you this “trapped animal” feeling – a cocktail of apprehension and fear… and I couldn’t help but … Continue reading →

7alaata, Di 7abashiyatkum?*

It’s never surprising for a Sudanese to be mistaken for Ethiopian. Anyone who has been around East Africans knows that our features are very similar, so much so that even we can’t tell each other apart sometimes. It’s happened to me hundreds of times. For the most part, it’s awesome, because through the misunderstanding you … Continue reading →

That Time He Followed Me Home in His Car

I was driving home from a friend’s house at around 9:30pm. The roads were clear, and I was thinking about a conversation my friend and I had with her mother. Lost in thought, I drifted into the adjacent lane, and was jolted awake by the horn of the car next to me. Luckily, I hadn’t … Continue reading →

Mind Your Business [BSonblast #4]

One of the things I love about Islam is the direct line to God. There are (technically) no middlemen; no one to tell you to say this many of this or that prayer and all is forgiven; no one authorized to condemn or condone you but the Almighty himself. Your words and actions, straight to … Continue reading →