About myself
I am a twenty-something Malaysian woman/feminist writer/blogger/classical pianist/premature curmudgeon. During my free time, I write for Muslimah Media Watch, Feminist Review and Bitch Magazine. I also serve on the editorial board of the Feminist Review blog. When I’m bored I look at food porn on the internet.
I live in London where I can be seen lurking around SOAS.
Drop me a hello
aliciaa90099 [at] yahoo [dot] com
good blog.
Thank you! I am trying my best to keep this blog going this time.
All the best in your studies and take good care.
PS : Saya mahu link kamu.
Terima kaceh.
ps: boleh
Discovered you through Muslimah Media Watch. DEFINITELY bookmarking you.
Salaam alaikum Cycads,
You ought to have a email link on your site somewhere so people can communicate with you administratively.
Along those lines, I figured you might be interested in speaking out against the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia’s fatwa against tomboyism (assuming you disagree with it).
Story is here:
http://www.progressiveislam.info/showDiary.do?diaryId=900
My own denunciation of it here:
http://www.progressiveislam.info/showDiary.do?diaryId=905
By the way, love your site. I too found it through MMW and now check in regularly to see what’s new. Yours is a very cool voice in the mix of the Islamsphere.
Wassalaam
Salaam,
Thanks for the link! I find it outrageous that there’s even fatwa against so-called ‘tomboy-ism’! Firstly, being a tomboy is completely subjective – from having really short hair, liking sports, finding boys smelly, not liking pink and make-up, or generally just being a little on the rough side can all go into the tomboy basket.
Secondly, perhaps fear of women behaving like men, and thus possessing qualities undeserving of women i.e. defying authority/patriarchy underlies this fatwa.
And lastly, this idea that tomboy-ism and alleged lesbianism is really about the intolerance towards this evil and non-existent thing called female sexuality. This reminds me about the case many years ago of two women, Rohana and Azizah, getting married in Malaysia. Before they made the headlines, the ‘tomboy’ of the two (can’t remember which one) disguised as a man in order to get married.
Their marriage was eventually annulled, the tomboy was ‘rehabilitated’ into becoming a ‘normal’ woman, and later made the news again after declaring that she intends to marry a man and confessed that she had led her former partner on. All of this got a lot of attention unlike a quickly forgotten news story soon after about two men getting married in secret.
Great blog.
Had to comment after reading the comments above and your post on mail order brides.
My wife is Asian (Japanese). She’s not subservient, not demure, totally the opposite of the “Asian-woman stereotype.” She also happens to be a tomboy.
Thought you might be interested in my most recent post, “Life with a Japanese Wife” at japaninsight.wordpress.com
Aloha!
Tim
Thanks for the kind comments, Tim. “Life with a Japanese wife” does sound interesting! My boyfriend should write something like that. But I’m quite sure that it’ll read like a Gothic horror story.
I appreciate your post about Malaysian mail-order brides. I…tend to be a very vocal opponent of mail-order marriage. Nothing could be more mercenary and delusional. To me, it’s a sign of incompetence and cowardice.
Anyways, good day to you.
[smile]…I found your little blog during a good search for clothing style of egyptian and arabic women for a story I’m creating.
Great blog. I love your point of view.