Category Archives: Student Post

Pious Athleticwear

In the West, Muslim women in modest clothing are often perceived as static figures who lack freedom of expression and exist under the thumb of an oppressive patriarchy. This assumption is generally inaccurate, troublesome, and outdated. In this post, I … Continue reading

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The Identity of Genocide: Buddhist Ethnonationalism and Arab Conspiracy Theory Laying Foundations for the Rohingya Crisis

In 2012 and 2013, deadly violence erupted in northern Myanmar between Buddhists and Muslims. Within Rakhine state, the site of the 2012 riots, the two most prominent ethnic groups are Arakanese Buddhists, who are officially recognized by the state, and … Continue reading

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Islam and Identity

Hello Readers! When given the opportunity to research any topic for #IslamModUVM, I wanted to pick a current topic centered around living, breathing, everyday Muslim folks. I wanted to get a better understanding of what it may be like to embody … Continue reading

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Reza Shah Pahlavi’s Anti-Veiling Initiative: Feminist Overture or Authoritarian Imperialism?

At various points between 1925 and 1941,  Iran’s authoritarian leader Reza Shah Pahlavi utilized state force in an attempt to transform Iran into a nation that was palatable to the West(Eastwood, 308-312).  To achieve this he enacted a series of … Continue reading

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Fashion In Indonesia: Expression and Piety

Over the past few years, the Fashion industry, specifically in Jakarta, has become a hot spot for the latest trends in Islamic fashion. Indonesia is home to the largest population of Muslims in the World. I will be looking into … Continue reading

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Mindfulness, Sufism, and “the West”: Islam as (in)Compatible with our Understandings of Mental Health Practice

Visit the University of Vermont’s Wellness Environment, and you’re sure to see students being guided through a group yoga flow on the green and practicing mindfulness through meditating in their “Healthy Brains: Healthy Bodies” class. Step inside any mental or … Continue reading

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Performative Art, But Make It Queer AND Islamic

Gender expression is inherently political, whether taboo or upholding a norm. How that expression fits into frameworks of modernity is generally a rather uncomfortable topic; it assumes a liberal and “extreme” perspective. Therefore, it gets a certain reputation in terms … Continue reading

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The Roots of Racialized Religion

In January of 2017 President Trump issued Executive Order 13769 titled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” popularly referred to as the “Muslim Ban.” This executive order banned nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, … Continue reading

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Judaism is Not Zionism

Palestinian Muslims’ perception of Zionism is often conflated with their perception of Judaism. Zionism, the support of a Jewish state usually in Israel, is disconnected from the religion of Judaism; though some individuals believe the Land of Israel was promised … Continue reading

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Racializing Queer Religiosity: LGBTQ Muslims in the Western Imagination

There is a certain conceptualization of the place of queer bodies in religious spaces in the Western imagination. Religion and queerness are often posited as existing in opposite realms, as if there are endless, inherent contradictions between individuals holding both … Continue reading

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