Awesome New Website: Hijab and the City

Last updated on: September 7, 2010 at 12:00 am by nicole

Awesome New Website: Hijab and the City 2010-09-07T00:00:45-04:00 nicole

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Founded by two sisters in 2008, the French webzine Hijab and the City has a unique place in the French cultural landscape. In an interview given to the online news outlet Rue89, one of Hijab and the City’s stated goals was to “give a voice to those who are often talked about but never talked to.”

As one blogger friend summed up succinctly, Hijab and the City is “a blog for girls who happen to be Muslim and not a Muslim blog for girls.” The “girly” content follows suit, with the usual rubrics one would find in a mainstream French magazine: fashion, love, cooking. The difference is that Hijab and the City also addresses issues of interest to Muslim women or women of Muslim culture in France, with articles like “You Know Eid’s Coming When...” Another article, “Prepare Your Vacation Well” address common issues before going on vacation- how to pack, what to bring, but with a Muslim twist: readers are enjoined to find cat or dog sitters for their animals, because “not taking care of your pet all the way is mistreatment, condemned in Islam” and “we all know what happened [in the hadith] to the woman who didn’t feed her cat.”

“Dumped by texto” is not what you would normally see on a “Muslim” site for girls, but—newsflash, people!—some Muslim girls date! Some are more serious topics related to Muslimahs treated with aplomb, like “She doesn’t fast,” an examination of the reasons and justifications for those who don’t fast and the people who condemn them. It asks the question, “Is it really shocking for us, as Muslims and westerners, to know that someone in our family, a friend or a stranger at a cafe isn’t doing Ramadan? People who don’t fast often cite the respect of their private life, but is that really the case as often we consider we have the right to say something to someone coming from the same community?” And finally, because it is a “girl” blog after all, the Fashion rubric is French with a Muslim twist, with articles like “Head Scarf Tutorial” (in English, natch), but also “What to Pack,” which could have easily been a spread in Marie Claire.

As a Muslimah and a self-fashioned tech blogger with her foot in social media, Hijab and the City impresses me. The language and the tone of their articles is in keeping with the way young French women view their world. Unlike insta-fatwa sites run by men and straight-outta-1998 masjid websites, Hijab and the City is sets itself apart with its sleek design and “web 2.0 compliant” full frontal social media platform (Facebook, Twitter and Youtube). Hijab and the City, with its decidedly French flair, is on trend and in keeping with its time, both in its platform and content.

Previous Post

September 6, 2010

More female Saudi TV stars this Ramadan

Next Post

September 8, 2010 Striking the Wrong Note: Melody TV's Sexist Ads

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advertisements Art/Theater Books/Magazines Cinema Comics/Cartoons Culture/Society Events Fashion Film Friday Links Merchandise/Commodities MMW Announcements MMW Highlights Music/Radio News Photography Politics Profile Ramadan 2012 Ramadan 2013 Ramadan 2014 Ramadan 2015 Roundtable Satire Social Media Sports Technology/Science Television Uncategorized Video Web

Select a Month November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Isaiah tell Hezekiah to use as a remedy for his illness?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Wine A poultice of figs Olive oil River water