Talk Islam » Andrea Useem

Calling all Ramadan memories…. not sur …

Andrea Useem — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:25:18 +0000

Calling all Ramadan memories…. not sure what this project is exactly, but it looks interesting. Crowdsourced celebrations.

Can there possibly be anything interesti …

Andrea Useem — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:11:54 +0000

Can there possibly be anything interesting to say about hijab anymore? I think not, yet I was coaxed into telling my own tale. With apologies to Willow for my use of “hijabi.” (And I’ll note the ingenious phrase “dejab” was coined by my awesome editor, Dilshad Ali.)

On the making of Muslim women leaders. I …

Andrea Useem — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:42:23 +0000

On the making of Muslim women leaders. I had the pleasure of spending two days with KARAMAH’s summer law and leadership program: some seriously amazing leaders-in-the-making

Thanks Aziz. On a totally different note …

Andrea Useem — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:05:17 +0000

Thanks Aziz. On a totally different note, you might be interested to see how one of the most prominent Muslim CEOs in the US is persevering through the subprime mortgage meltdown.

Is it wrong for a Muslim to get plastic …

Andrea Useem — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:39:08 +0000

Is it wrong for a Muslim to get plastic surgery for purely cosmetic reasons? One prof says scholars usually allow it for therapeutic reasons (eg after auto accident or mastectomy.) But he also added that most Muslims facing that choice would probably consult only with their doctors, not religious leaders. Do you know of any Muslims who’ve had cosmetic surgery?

While writing a post on why forgiveness …

Andrea Useem — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:09:19 +0000

While writing a post on why forgiveness is good for you, I got thinking about Muslim traditions about forgiveness. I’m wondering: Do you think hadiths and teachings about forgiveness are not emphasized enough by Muslim leaders? Should we be talking about forgiving, say, Muslim-haters?

Is there an increase in stress-related i …

Andrea Useem — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:06:34 +0000

Is there an increase in stress-related illness for American Muslims (and others who are mistaken for Muslims)? I set out to answer this question, but didn’t find any hard data, to my surprise. Wondering about your own anecdotal impressions.

Remember Hijabman’s great commentary on …

Andrea Useem — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:24:25 +0000

Remember Hijabman’s great commentary on High Fructose Masjids? Muslims aren’t the only one with a problem. A prof at Purdue finds members of Southern Baptist churches are more likely than others to be obese. But a bunch of churches are kicking their congregants in the rear, promoting health and fitness. Any masjids out there doing the same? How about Muslim yoga?

How a non-Muslim hospital chaplain helpe …

Andrea Useem — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:43:57 +0000

How a non-Muslim hospital chaplain helped me out. The part I left out of the story was that I first requested a Muslim chaplain, and a salafi couple showed up in the hospital room, grilled me about my religious observance and encouraged me to take Arabic classes at their mosque. Just what you need when your four-week-old son is in the hospital! I’m sure there are better Muslim chaplains out there. Know of any?

Why does Hajj make people more tolerant? …

Andrea Useem — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:07:16 +0000

Why does Hajj make people more tolerant? (In this study, “people” = Pakistanis.) The study authors, all economist, say it’s probably because of all the social interaction with fellow Muslims with different customs, a la Malcolm X. But I wonder: maybe it’s about the religious experience itself? Having contact with God gives you a warm fuzzy feeling toward fellow man? Or that the rules of hajj encourage — maybe even force — you to be patient with others.