#Mideast African Films
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Mideast/North African Films Jostle for Oscar Shortlist Attention
By Alissa Simon
Although this year’s Middle Eastern/North African Oscar submissions have yet to generate a strong buzz, there are titles among the 10 films that could be contenders for the international feature short list.
Chief among them is “Sun Children” from veteran Iranian helmer Majid Majidi, whose 1997 “Children of Heaven” landed a foreign-language film nomination. This gripping drama about exploited urban street kids is cast with charismatic, non-pro performers and earned an acting award at the Venice fest for its resilient young protagonist. Strand Films will release.
A possible dark horse is “Broken Keys,” the feature debut of Lebanese multi-hyphenate Jimmy Keyrouz. It marks an expansion of his 2016 Student Academy Award-winner “Nocturne in Black” about a musician in a Syrian town controlled by ISIS. Sporting the Cannes Label, this tense drama, with a score by Keyrouz’s famous compatriot Gabriel Yared, shares the combination of real-life crisis and sweeping emotion that characterizes some past nominees.
If sundry festival awards could make an Oscar winner, then Sudan’s visually assured drama “You Will Die at 20” and Israel’s poignant, mother-daughter study “Asia” would have the inside track. The former, the feature debut of Amjad Abu Alala, premiered at the 2019 Venice fest where it bagged the prestigious Lion of the Future kudo. Set in an isolated village where superstition constrains the population, it follows the difficult coming of age of a young man who received a disturbing prophecy at birth.
“Asia,” from debuting helmer Ruthy Pribar, was a multiple winner at the Jerusalem and Tribeca festivals.
It centers on an attractive Russian émigré nurse and single mother, and her relationship with her ailing teen daughter, played by Emmy nominee Shira Haas (“Unorthodox”). Menemsha Films is releasing this quiet, emotionally acute drama.
Also boasting several festival awards are two films about the cruel absurdity of life in the Palestinian territories. Simple but enraging, the Jordanian entry “200 Meters” marks the feature debut of Palestine-born Ameen Nayfeh. The title signifies the distance between the home of the protagonist, Mustafa, in the Occupied Territories, and the dwelling of his wife and children in Israel, behind the border wall. Unlike the rest of his nuclear family, Mustafa is not an Israeli citizen, and requires a work permit in order to cross the border. When his permit expires and an emergency requires his presence in Israel, he is forced to deal with people smugglers.
In the droll Palestinian entry “Gaza Mon Amour,” the sophomore feature of twin brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser (“Dégradé”), the minimalist action unfolds against a backdrop of the many limitations governing life in Gaza.
The performances of top Palestinian stars Salim Daw as a grumpy bachelor and Hiam Abbas (“Succession”) as a pious widow elevate the piece.
In contrast, a more hopeful look at life and love comes from the compelling Egyptian entry “When We’re Born,” a tender, humanist drama from indie helmer Tamer Ezzat that makes innovative use of music. Three stories of when everyday life and ambitions conflict, forcing hard choices, find counterpoint and connection in a musical narration composed by Amir Eid, lead singer-songwriter of the popular Egyptian band the Cairokees. The lanky Eid also makes a convincing acting debut as the sensitive protagonist of one of the episodes.
Tunisia’s provocative entry, “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” from writer-director Kaouther Ben Hania (“Beauty and the Dogs”), combines the humanitarian crisis in Syria with the vagaries of the international art market to ask some uncomfortable questions about the price of a human life. “Skin’s” plot involves a displaced Syrian who lets a cryptic art world guru tattoo his back with a Schengen visa, then finds it easier to travel to Europe as an artwork than as a refugee. This ambitious international co-production, which some may find a tad too long and a tad too far-fetched, nevertheless confirms Ben Hania as a talent to watch.
Also signaling important new director-writer talents are Morocco’s “The Unknown Saint” from Alaa Eddine Aljem and Saudi Arabia’s “Scales” from Shahad Ameen, which is set for a Variance Films release. “Saint” is an entertaining, absurdist fable about spirituality and greed. It follows a thief who buries a bag of loot near a derelict desert village, disguising the spot as a grave. Years later, when he returns to retrieve his booty, he is astonished and frustrated to find that a mausoleum honoring an “unknown saint” credited with performing healing miracles now covers the site.
“Scales” is set in an isolated village where families must sacrifice a daughter to monstrous sea maidens and draws an elemental power from Arabic folklore using imposing black-and-white visuals. Distaff helmer Ameen believes that the film acts as a catalyst for wider conversations about gender roles, beliefs and feminism in the Arab world. It represents the desert kingdom’s fourth Oscar submission and third by a female director.
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Friday, September 24, 2021
Travel in Canada is a prize for the vaccinated and vigilant (AP) Americans wanting to experience Canada’s vibrant autumn or its winter landscapes can do so again. But getting here means jumping through hoops before you go. Those hoops? To get into Canada as a tourist you must be fully vaccinated. You must have a PCR-variety COVID test taken no more than 72 hours in advance, with results ready to present at the border if driving or at the airport of departure before you can board. You have to pre-register with the Canadian government and get a code. You must present the basics of a backup quarantine plan in advance, in case you are randomly tested again upon arrival and found to be positive. You can’t be like the man from Atlanta whom border guards were talking about when I crossed. He’d pulled up a few nights earlier, unvaccinated, no test, no pre-registration and no hope of getting into Canada, more than 16 hours from home.
COVID-19 creates dire US shortage of teachers, school staff (AP) One desperate California school district is sending flyers home in students’ lunchboxes, telling parents it’s “now hiring.” Elsewhere, principals are filling in as crossing guards, teachers are being offered signing bonuses and schools are moving back to online learning. Now that schools have welcomed students back to classrooms, they face a new challenge: a shortage of teachers and staff the likes of which some districts say they have never seen. Public schools have struggled for years with teacher shortages, particularly in math, science, special education and languages. But the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the problem. The stress of teaching in the COVID-19 era has triggered a spike in retirements and resignations. Schools also need to hire staffers like tutors and special aides to make up for learning losses and more teachers to run online school for those not ready to return.
Sad perspective (Vanity Fair/NextDraft) In 2020, more than 5,100 kids under 18 were shot ... and more than 1,300 died. And yet, you’ve heard less about all of those deaths combined than the killing of Gabrielle Petito. Petito was a social media star and the pieces of her case are rolling out in real time. It’s understandable why internet users became obsessed. More worrisome is the way that what’s popular on social media drives what makes headlines. Every editor knows the endless and exhaustive coverage of a single murder case, in a country where murder is the national pastime, is beyond absurd. But they just can’t stop themselves.
After fence-mending Biden-Macron call, French envoy to return to U.S. (Reuters) The U.S. and French presidents moved to mend ties on Wednesday, with France agreeing to send its ambassador back to Washington and the White House saying it had erred in cutting a deal for Australia to buy U.S. instead of French submarines without consulting Paris. In a joint statement issued after U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone, the two leaders agreed to launch in-depth consultations to rebuild trust, and to meet in Europe at the end of October. The call, which was requested by Washington, was an attempt to mend fences after France accused the United States of stabbing it in the back when Australia ditched a $40-billion contract for conventional French submarines, and opted for nuclear-powered submarines to be built with U.S. and British technology instead.
Pope jokes he is ‘still alive’ despite some bishops wishing him dead (Washington Post) Pope Francis has a message for his haters: “Still alive. Even though some people wanted me dead.” Hundreds of Italians cheered for him under a Rome hospital balcony this summer. But not everybody was happy that he made it out of colon surgery, the pontiff has quipped. In his eight-year tenure, Francis’s more liberal overtones than the popes before him—from his invitation of LGBT advocates to the Vatican to his calls to welcome refugees—have stirred tensions with conservatives, and drew pushback. The post-op papal joke about bishops wishing him ill marked a frank acknowledgment of the forces within the church who are at odds with him. In answering questions about the challenges the church faces—and the divisions within—one detractor Francis mentioned was “a large Catholic television that constantly gossips” about him. Still, the pontiff said, “I just go forward without entering into their world of ideas and fantasies.”
Ambush in Ukraine (Washington Post) A top Ukrainian presidential aide, Serhiy Shefir, narrowly survived assassination when one or more attackers opened fire on his car with a barrage of at least 18 bullets Wednesday. The attack took place on a forested stretch of road near Lesnyky village, outside Kyiv, the country’s capital. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was in New York, announced he would return to Kyiv after addressing the United Nations General Assembly later Wednesday. Police are pursuing three main lines of investigation—that Shefir was attacked because of his state duties, that it was an attempt to put pressure on the country’s top leadership or that it was an effort to destabilize the political situation in the country.
Tensions grow as US, allies deepen Indo-Pacific involvement (AP) With increasingly strong talk in support of Taiwan, a new deal to supply Australia with nuclear submarines, and the launch of a European strategy for greater engagement in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and its allies are becoming growingly assertive in their approach toward a rising China. China has bristled at the moves, and the growing tensions between Beijing and Washington prompted U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the weekend to implore President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to repair their “completely dysfunctional” relationship, warning they risk dividing the world. As the U.N. General Assembly opened Tuesday, both leaders chose calming language. But the underlying issues have not changed, with China building up its military outposts as it presses its maritime claims over critical sea lanes, and the U.S. and its allies growing louder in their support of Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, and deepening military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Myanmar junta abducting children of people targeted for arrest, says UN expert (Guardian) Myanmar’s military junta is systematically abducting the relatives of people it is seeking to arrest, including children as young as 20 weeks old, according the UN special rapporteur for the country. Tom Andrews told the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday that conditions in the country had continued to deteriorate. His speech was followed by the release of a report by the UN Human Rights Office on Thursday, which warned of a “human rights catastrophe” and said abuses perpetrated since the coup may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The military and its forces have killed more than 1,100 people, according to the UN report. It details systematic, targeted killings by the junta, including the use of semi-automatic rifles and snipers against pro-democracy protesters. Weapons designed for military confrontation, such as grenade launchers and artillery shells, have also been used against protesters and fired into residential areas, it said.
Mideast in shambles, but the world has moved on for now (AP) There was a time not long ago when uprisings and wars in the Arab world topped the agenda at the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York. With most of those conflicts in a stalemate, the world’s focus has shifted to more daunting global challenges such as the still raging coronavirus pandemic and climate change, as well as new crises in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region and the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. But the situation in the Middle East has deteriorated significantly in more countries and in more ways in the last two years. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen are teetering on the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, with skyrocketing poverty and an economic implosion that threatens to throw the region into even deeper turmoil. “The region’s been crowded out by other global crises, but there’s also a sense of Western hopelessness after so many years of crisis,” said Julien Barnes-Dacey, the director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
Cinema returns to Somalia after decades of shut-downs and strife (Reuters) Dozens of Somalis posed for selfies and chattered excitedly in rows of red, plush seats as they waited for the start of their country’s first movie screening in three decades. After the overthrow of president Siad Barre in 1991, clan-based warlords blasted each other with anti-aircraft guns and fought over the National Theatre, which they used as a base. The building was hit so many times that the roof collapsed a year into the conflict. Islamist militants who seized control in 2006 took over the building. They banned all forms of public entertainment—from concerts to football matches—that they considered sinful. African Union peacekeeping troops clawed back control of the capital in 2011 and the new Western-backed Somali government reopened the venue the following year. But just three weeks after that, a suicide bomber from the Islamist al Shabaab insurgency struck during a ceremony, killing six people. The building reopened again in 2020. Mogadishu resident Hassan Abdulahi Mohamed remembered spending half a Somali shilling on a movie ticket and one shilling on snacks at the theatre in the 1960s. “Last time I watched films in the cinema, it was 1991,” he said.
Books (Pew Research Center) A new study from Pew Research Center found 23 percent of Americans said they hadn’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, including print, digital and audiobooks. An interesting component is that younger adults—with TikTok and their awful attention spans—were in fact considerably more likely to have read one book than older respondents, with 28 percent of those 50 and up forgoing books compared to just 19 percent of those 18 to 49. Overall, 23 percent didn’t read a book, 5 percent read one, 25 percent read two to five books, 15 percent read six to 10 books, 11 percent read 11 to 20 books and 18 percent of people said they read more than 20 books.
Shifting Sands (Hakai Magazine) Two studies looking at how islands in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Gilbert Islands have changed amid sea level rise found that among 175 sparsely populated or uninhabited islands, while lots of them have shrunk, lots of them have also expanded since the 1940s. Micronesia increased its land area by approximately 3 percent since the ‘40s and the Gilberts are 2.45 percent larger. It clarifies the simplistic idea that all islands are all just going to be sucked under amid sea level rise, which is true in many cases but misses the reality that the complex relationship between tides and waves and surges makes things more complicated to forecast than “water go up, island sinks down.”
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Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
0 notes
Text
Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
0 notes
Text
Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
0 notes
Text
Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
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Text
Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
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Text
Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
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Text
Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
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Text
Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
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Text
Pregnant Syrian-American Woman Debuts Fire Rap Video 'Hijabi'
Mona Haydar is launching her music career in a big way.
On Monday, Haydar, a Syrian-American poet and artist, debuted “Hijabi,” her first rap music video ― which she filmed when she was eight months pregnant. The video’s style is reminiscent of Beyoncé’s visual album “Lemonade,” and Muslim women in particular may find it just as empowering.
Consider its opening lyrics:
What that hair look like? Bet that hair look nice. Don’t that make you sweat? Don’t that feel too tight?
Yo, what your hair look like? Bet your hair look nice. How long your hair is?
You need to get your life.
Haydar’s song isn’t just an anthem for Muslim women. It’s an ode to diversity and a clapback to the haters who reject it.
“Given our current administration’s insistence on demonizing and maligning the bodies of women and Muslims, among others, I wanted to get this song out as soon as possible,” Haydar, who now lives in New York, told The Huffington Post. “I hoped that a pregnant woman who is obviously Muslim [and] creating art and speaking truth would inspire people and offer some levity, joy and hope.”
After “Hijabi” debuted Monday, many people became instant fans.
#hijabiXmona THAT SONG CALLED HIJABI MADE HIJAB SOOO LIT. ✨
— سماا. عاآتييف. ✨ (@sama_tommo) April 1, 2017
THAT. HIJAB. FLIP. #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/L5UayfuY2N
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
ok ok ok last one (even tho i gif'd those two babes dancing like whoa) #hijabiXmona http://pic.twitter.com/uo5KBXgf0g
— Syar S. Alia ✊ (@syarsalia) March 28, 2017
For Haydar, hip-hop and Islam are intertwined.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, listening to the likes of Mos Def, A Tribe Called Quest and Rakim ― hip-hop artists and groups with members who, as she pointed out, have identified as Muslim. (Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest practices Islam and often discusses his faith during interviews.)
“The immigrant Muslim community owes so much to the black community, which has been here, practicing Islam, since the time when Africans were kidnapped and enslaved here in America,” Haydar told HuffPost.
“You cannot separate Islam from blackness or blackness from hip-hop or hip-hop from Islam,” she added.
Haydar is grateful for black American Islam and its contributions to hip-hop. “What a blessing it is to me that I can even be a small part of a great legacy in creating culture,” she said.
Last year, Haydar and her husband, who is a white American Muslim, made headlines when they hosted public “Ask A Muslim” booths, compete with free doughnuts, in response to Islamophobia after terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
Her latest song is a similar attempt to bring about a positive discussion of diversity and acceptance.
“I want to be able to inspire young girls and let them know that they can look and dress any way they want to and still be relevant and current,” she told HuffPost.
Not everyone, however, has welcomed her efforts.
Haydar says that more conservative Muslims have reached out to her and dismissed her music as “haram,” or forbidden. Those people, she says, believe that women shouldn’t sing or perform. However, that’s not what Haydar believes.
Some people on Twitter have even called her music cringe-worthy, while others have accused her of cultural appropriation.
Ngl Love the concept... but the cringe is real #hijabiXmona
— Tiba (@Tiba_Hx) March 28, 2017
Part of Mideast #Islamists plan to expropriate #AfricanAmerican culture to justify women oppression.#hijabiXmona https://t.co/QxSCcVTkZa
— Taj (@Taj_Shoosh) April 1, 2017
Haydar maintains that hip-hop has always been a part of her life.
“The cultural language I was brought up in, and my first real love, was hip-hop,” she told HuffPost. “I didn’t choose to fuse hip-hop with my faith. It is simply how my heart is expressing itself.”
As for the Muslims who believe her music is forbidden by their faith, Haydar believes they will eventually come around ― and she sends them her love.
“I’ve studied [Islam]. I’m not a kid rushing into my art. I’m a grown woman who believes that art can change the world,” she said. “I’m not worried about the haters.”
“They’ll get on board eventually and I will welcome them with all my love when they do,” she added. “In the meantime, I still love them dearly.”
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
from DIYS http://ift.tt/2opYmfU
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__ of: done with Zeros Wide shoe widths Truly Tree's sticky output Traditional Hindu retreat The USA's 50 The Judds, e.g Taking the place (of) Suffuse (with) Suffix with pay State without proof Spitball need Slowing, on a music score: Abbr Skating leap Silly sort Sick __ dog Series of related emails Samoan capital Razor name R&B singer Baker Queried Prefix with -lithic Postwar British prime minister Polish port where Solidarity was founded Pay with plastic Ornamental pin Numbered musical piece Not at home Not accented, as syllables Nissan model Next of __ Neck mark from necking Music producer Brian Move in the wind Migration formation Lustrous fabric Luau instrument Little point to pick Layered cookie Ivory in the tub Irish county bordering Limerick Infantile vocalizations, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 37- and 50-Across Illegal parker's risk Help with a heist Have a good laugh Guffaw Grunting female Fort Bragg mil. branch Formal pronouncements Fermented honey drink FDR agency Facial expression Face adversity well Eyelid sore Ex-GIs' gp Dueling sword Doofus Disputed Mideast territory Delivers a lecture Dates one person exclusively Dandelion, e.g Curved molding Cries of triumph Confined, as a bird Bridal attire Boston hrs Bogart film set in a California range Bell hit with a padded mallet Baja vacation spot Avocado dip, for short Autumn blossom Anniversary celebration at the Met, say Address for a noblewoman Actor Erwin 'That's all __ wrote' 'Hannah and __ Sisters': Woody Allen film 'Come again?' sounds - See more at: http://crosswordssolver.net/clue/L.A.-Times-Daily-Crossword-Answers—Jan-17-2017#sthash.1L9brcz4.dpuf
___ de Triomphe ___ Aviv, Israel Word with 'flotation' or 'mnemonic' Where to let your fingers do the shopping? Where to find Santiago Wheel shafts Wet marshy place Was picturesque? Turn tail Tree part used for timber The Inuit, old-style Temporary property holder Taking a personal day Supply the food Spiral-horned African creature Some missing soldiers Soccer mom's org Soaked up some rays Shoe type Sheepish expanse See 32-Across Sang 'Silent Night' here and there Royal Indian woman (var.) Resist a roaming charge Ran its course Ramble on Plumber's pipe material (Abbr.) Part of an English exam, often Part of a willow tree Not a st Neptune is one Name tag, essentially Muzzleloader accessory Miner's valuable discovery MacKenzie of old beer ads Long, broad strips Like some islands Like Count Basie's 'Doll' Least wild It's far from the point? It knows which way the wind is blowing Infra's opposite Honey relative? Hit the horn on a subcompact Handy pencil holder Greek lyric poet Glide high Flat back muscle, briefly Flaps the gums Feature of a building in Oz? Fairy-tale beast Eye part Equipped and trained for the job Eggs, in a lab Drummer's forte Dressy trousers feature Dentist's directive Den newcomer Comedy, sci-fi or drama, e.g Columbus' state Cleans oneself Chisel for a stonemason Cancel, as a law Butting heads Bracket-braced window Blooper originating in an alley? Batting practice structures Bad thing to have at a housewarming? Atty's. group Athletic supporter? Alfred Hitchcock-shaped fruit Achieve victory 90-degree joint 'It doesn't matter which' 'Here!' 'Eight ___, and all's well!' - See more at: http://crosswordssolver.net/clue/Universal-Crossword-Answers—Jan-17-2017#sthash.tQWCMrrj.dpuf
World Series official With 61- and 37-Across, famous line by 53-Across in [see circled letters] With 51-Down, late, beloved actress When Polonius says 'Brevity is the soul of wit' Tusked beast Turnoff for drivers Tree-lined walkway, in France The 'E' in HOMES Tennis champ Agassi Swoon Swindles Squeak stopper Speak with a gravelly voice So far, informally Sign of things to come See 2-Down See 18-Across See 18-Across Renaissance Faire instrument Reference in 'Treasure Island' Real head-turners? Rae Sremmurd, e.g Puppy sounds Place where trials are conducted Online crafts seller Nubian heroine of opera Not deceived by Nosedive Non's opposite Mont Blanc, e.g., to locals Modern lead-in to space or security Michelangelo masterpiece Merit badge displayer Makeup of the planet Hoth Make slo-o-o-ow progress Like old, neglected sweaters, maybe Knock 'em dead Kind of threat Is victorious in Influence In fine ___ (healthy) Iconic role for 2-/51-Down Hitting blackjack after blackjack, say Hell-bent (on) Heeds Having four sharps Hairstyle for 53-Across, colloquially Formerly named Figure on an Aussie Xing sign, perhaps Family member who was probably adopted Essential point Entitled sorts? Drag Deviate during flight, as a rocket Deal with a broken teleprompter, say Cripple Country singer Judd Concealed mike Coffee container Chant after a fútbol goal Certain marketing gimmicks British derrière Brand of artificial fat Beer barrel Amy Adams's 'Man of Steel' role Ambience Alan who played Captain Pierce Agree to a proposal Agonizes (over) A few '___ late!' '___ a trap!' 'What have we here?!' 'Same here!' 'Harrumph!' 'Doctor Faustus' novelist Thomas - See more at: http://crosswordssolver.net/clue/New-York-Times-Crossword-Answers—Jan-17-2017#sthash.5SfJNoYV.dpuf
___ Minor (Polaris setting) World's longest river Without charge Winter Olympian Winning hand, and a hint to the puzzle theme Williams of 'Game of Thrones' Wax-coated cheese Two-time role for Jim Carrey Ticklish Muppet Tap Take home Take advantage of Supporting vote Source Snake-haired monsters of myth Small bills Skilled in Skating sites Singer DiFranco Salad bar item RuPaul, notably River through Florence Pressing need? President before Hayes Poker ploy Pleasant Place to get pampered Pile Ocean off Calif Not barefoot Musical sound Movie beast billed as 'the Eighth Wonder of the World' Mother who was sainted in 2016 Monsoon weather Miles away McGregor of 'Moulin Rouge!' Malleable metal Mah-jongg piece Lip curls Like cigars and enchiladas Like an old cuss Lamb's mother Knotted mass Headache helper Halliwell also known as Ginger Spice Glacier National Park locale Generous General Bradley Fraternity letters Former Yankees slugger, familiarly Fast-running bird Fashion designer Michael Farrow of 'Rosemary's Baby' Even so Drink cooler Deteriorate Danny of 'Moonstruck' Cut, as hay Countless Coffee dispensers Chamber group Busy hosp. areas Bullring cry Bullring beast British flag Bread for a Reuben Bloomingdale's rival Bicycle type Bearded antelope Bauxite and magnetite Banned insecticide Asian entertainer Army address Archipelago unit 'Yo!' 'Scarface' star 'Oh, got it!' 'Maple Leaf Rag' composer - See more at: http://crosswordssolver.net/clue/Wall-Street-Journal-Crossword-Answers—Jan-17-2017—Good-Deal#sthash.4y4sGb49.dpuf
Words on a box of dishes, maybe Word after black or photo West Virginia resource URL suffix for AA or AARP Triumphs over Trade verbal jabs Tex-Mex snacks Ten C-notes Tabloid twosomes St. Louis landmark Sporty auto, for short Spock, in part Sell, as an automat does Score before ad in Ready to serve Rash symptom Rail rider Put on hold Princess Fiona, for one Picnic contest, perhaps Parkinson's treatment Paleontologist's find Origami bird Off one's rocker O, on a greeting card Norman who created the Bunkers Minnesota state bird Merchant's supply Memory unit Luau greeting Like some family history Like Mayberry Like die-hard fans Level or bevel Leprechaun land, in poetry Kitchen allure Kept back Jury member, in theory Judgment slip-up Jawbone source, in the Bible Jagger and McCartney, for two It's on the house Inherited item In a funk Honor ___ thieves Henry VIII's house Hefty volume Heart chamber Hard to rattle Goes to seed Gathering clouds, to some Fraternal fellows Flipped item Fifth-century sacker of Rome Fairy tale starter Destinations of some errant drives Deejay's smooth transition Dark ___ (Hogwarts subject) Cruiser driver Cross to bear Come-on Cat calls Carbon monoxide's lack Calculus pioneer Leonhard Brief time, briefly Baskin-Robbins implement Barley brew Bake sale sponsor (Abbr.) Arabian Peninsula sultanate Any of the Dionne quints Aerie babies ABM part 44-Down, e.g 41-Across multitude 1933 Erskine Caldwell novel 1-Down et al 'Sully,' for one 'Frozen' snowman - See more at: http://daily-crossword.com/clue/USA-Today-Crossword-Answers—Jan-17-2017#sthash.J15TgIzV.dpuf
__ monster (Arizona lizard) __ Major (Big Dipper locale) When planes should leave: Abbr Vote in Vocal inflections Veggies in minestrone Urgent Unruly kid Unable to move Traffic tie-up Tango or waltz Talks and talks Takes advantage of Take to court Swelled heads Squeaking rodents Spherical hairdo South Pole's region Small citrus fruits Singing star Lady __ Side order with eggs Short golf stroke Second-year student School attendee Sandwich fish San Francisco baseballers Sacred music genre Remove chalk from Read electronically Ram of the zodiac Racing bikes Postpones Players who are paid Pellet shooter Pay-__-view movie Pacific or Atlantic Overwhelmingly Offer for purchase Movie excerpt More elegant Loch __ monster Likes a lot Less common Laundry appliance Japanese money Japan's continent Informal talk Huff and puff Hoofbeat sound Honey source Greek liqueur Great poker cards Get a glimpse of G sharp alias Furniture to sleep on Football arbiters Fly high
'Come again?' sounds
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