The Other Muslimah

Abstract

Websites like Altmuslimah, which are run by women and focused on issues of salience to women’s lives, can offer a perspective that differs greatly from the discourse found on widely visited Islamic information sites. Online counter-narratives produced by women instead of about women call for a fresh look at orthodox traditions and interpretations of religious texts that limit the acceptable experiences of the diverse Muslim women worldwide, especially concerning converts and those living in non-Arab communities. As one of the most frequently contested issues for Muslim women, the hijab offers a way into how the dominant Muslim narrative frames what it means to be a believing woman in Islam and how counter-narratives provide women with ways to create their own meaning.