Over the past four weeks, our Pushback blog series has been offering a space for alternative voices that reject bigotry, fear and Islamophobia in Australia. We’ve been proud to publish four pieces that celebrate solidarity, inclusivity and empowerment.
Rebecca Lim reminds us to resist radical ignorance. Demet Divaroren shows us how words have the capacity to shatter stereotypes. Sarah Ayoub discusses how Australian young adult fiction is creating more diverse stories for a new generation. And Hannah Donnelly explores pathways to meaningful solidarity.
The discussion doesn’t have to end here. Below, we’ve compiled a list of resources and further reading to encourage deeper consideration and greater understanding of the complex intersections between faith, identity and feminism.
This list is not exhaustive, and was compiled for those interested in learning about the experiences of Muslim-Australians, particularly women. If you think we’ve left anything out or have any personal recommendations, please let us know in the comments below. We also welcome thoughtful responses from anyone who has had similar or contrasting experiences to those highlighted throughout the Pushback series.
Fiction and nonfiction books:
- Ali Abdul v The King: Muslim stories from the dark days of White Australia by Hanifa Deen (UWA Publishing, 2011)
- Australia’s Muslim Cameleers: Pioneers of the Inland 1860s–1930s by Philip Jones and Anna Kenny (Wakefield Press, 2007)
- Coming of Age: Growing Up Muslim in Australia edited by Amra Pajalic and Demet Divaroren (Allen & Unwin, 2014)
- Hate Is Such a Strong Word by Sarah Ayoub (HarperCollins, 2013)
- Dark Dreams: Australian Refugee Stories by Young Writers Aged 11–20 Years edited by Sonja Dechian, Eva Sallis and Heather Millar (Wakefield Press, 2004)
- Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Pan Macmillan, 2005)
- From Victims to Suspects: Muslim Women since 9/11 by Shakira Hussein (NewSouth Publishing, 2016)
- The Good Daughter by Amra Pajalic (Text Publishing, 2009)
- Good Muslim Boy by Osamah Sami (Hardie Grant, 2015)
- Leave to Remain: A Memoir by Abbas El-Zein (UQP, 2009)
- Yassmin’s Story by Yassmin Abdel-Magied (Vintage, 2016)
Videos:
- What does my headscarf mean to you? Yassmin Abdel-Magied
- Long Story Short: Islam Huffington Post
- Feminism, Veganism and Patriarchy Ruby Hamad
- Should We Ban the Burka? Dr Shakira Hussein
- What I Couldn’t Say Randa Abdel-Fattah
Audio:
- Feminism in Islam The Wire
- Understanding Islamic Feminism Public Radio International
- Feminism: What Does It Look Like? 70% Halal
Articles:
- A Guide for What to Do When You Witness Islamophobia by Ryan Broderick and Jules Darmanin for Buzzfeed, 31 August 2016
- Solidarity Isn’t Enough: Australia Needs to Hear More Muslim Voices by Aicha Marhfour for Junkee, October 2014
- Silenced: Muslim women commentators in the Australian Media by Susan Carland for The La Trobe Journal (No. 89), May 2012.
- The challenges of being a Muslim woman in a multicultural society by Ghena Krayem for Right Now, April 2013
- Muslim Women Speak by Fariha Róisín and various contributors for Medium
- What it means to be Muslim in America by Emily Kassie and various contributors for The Huffington Post, April 6, 2015.
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