An anonymous guerilla artist known as Princess Hijab has been drawing dark veils, or “hijabizing,” the scantily clad and sexualized women who appear on advertising around Paris. “Princess Hijab knows that L’Oréal and Dark&Lovely have been killing her little by little,” according to the artist’s website. Her response is more anti-corporate than religious, but in a city with a history of tension surrounding headscarves, the religious implications are inevitable.

“There’s no way of knowing if Princess Hijab is a hijabi. Or even a Muslim,” Ethar wrote for the excellent Muslimah Media Watch blog back in December. That aspect makes the project more intriguing. The artist describes herself as “not involved in any lobby or movement be it political, religious or to do with advertising.” In fact, if she’s not a Muslim, Ethar writes that she could lend “credibility to the idea that the dislike of being exposed to ‘visual aggression’ is not necessarily rooted in religious belief.”

Since she was profiled on the Muslimah Media Watch blog, her Flicker page and her Art Review profiles have been taken down, but more information is available from an interview with Menassat.

(Thanks, the Scoop.)

Image courtesy of Princess Hijab.

Sources: Princess Hijab, Muslimah Media Watch, Menassat

A new, English-language translation of the Quran by Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar is causing controversy in some Muslim communities. The Sublime Qur’an (Kazi Publications, 2007) is the first English-language translation of the Islam's holy text by an American woman. Muneer Fareed, the Canadian secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), said he would consider banning it.

Though attempts to ban the book have been thwarted, the controversy continues. One passage is getting the majority of the heat: chapter 4 (Surah), verse (Ayah or Sign) 34. Sikeena Karmali, who interviewed Bakhtiar for Ascent, tries to clarify the issue:

Dr. Bakhtiar reverts the translation of the Arabic word dharhaba, translated for centuries by Muslim clerics as “to beat,” back to its original meaning of “to go away.” This is nothing short of revolutionary for empowering Muslim women in traditional societies, where a system of patriarchy cites the absolute authority of the Qur’an as the legitimizing factor for domestic abuse.

Bakhtiar says she wanted the translation to be as inclusive as possible. In the interview with Ascent she says, “Arabic is so rich that there are many different words you can use for [the translation of] a word. I always chose the word that would be most inclusive of people of all faiths.” Her translation is based on an understanding of the language as poetic, rather than didactic. In her reading, each passage is open to many interpretations, which “creates a diversity of belief that necessitates tolerance and openness.” Rather than putting her own interpretive spin on it, Bakhtiar tried consistently to translate each word throughout the text, leaving much of the interpretation to the reader.

Image by  el7bara , licensed under  Creative Commons .

Last fall, Muslim leaders from around the world released an open letter to Christian leaders about the common ground shared by the two religions. Yale Divinity School’s Center for Faith and Culture spearheaded a warm response, which was signed by many Christian leaders.

Last month, another international group of Muslim leaders issued a letter—this one to the Jewish community. The letter, facilitated by the Woolf Institute’s Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relations, calls for increased understanding and bridge building between the two faiths. The gesture has been well received by Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Jewish leaders from North America, as well as by the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations.

Admittedly, it will take more than open letters by scholars and clerics to end religious strife. Still, these are unprecedented steps and encouraging signs.

(Thanks, Blogging Religiously.)

—Steve Thorngate 

For many African Muslims on their annual pilgrimage to Mecca, being stranded for days at an airport isn’t just an inconvenience. It is a test from god. This year, the BBC reports that more than 1,100 Tanzanians were stranded in a Dar es Salaam airport for ten days before finally receiving the go-ahead to travel to Mecca for the Hajj. A devout traveler quoted in by the BBC echoed the sentiments of many in the group saying, “Anyone who gets angry because of flight delays at this time of year does not know Islam.".

Spiritually, the story helps put that ten-hour delay at the Atlanta airport in perspective.

—Brendan Mackie

With no burning bushes available, many people of faith are turning on their cell phones to stay in touch with God.  Muslims are using cell-phone software to help find the direction toward Mecca for prayer, Elizabeth Biddlecome writes for Wired. Christians organizations are trying out the mobile technology too, according to Biddlecome, with Bible verses available via text message,  or a “Thought of the Day” from the Pope sent directly to Catholics' pockets. Not to be outdone, the Associated Press (via MSNBC) reports that Orthodox Jews can now buy “kosher” cell phones, able to block both text messages and phone sex lines.

As religious groups embrace technology, major changes are occurring in the way the devout worship. In the future, people may begin to turn their phones on, rather than off, when entering places of worship. And when theologians struggle with technological problems, the question becomes, “Can God get cell reception in my basement?”

—Morgan Winters 

 (Thanks, LarkNews.)