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agirlandabook85's review
5.0
Perceived as the visual representation of Islam, hijab-wearing Muslim women are often harangued at work, at home and in public life yet are rarely afforded a platform on their own terms. Cut from the Same Cloth? seeks to tip the balance back in their favour. 21 middle- and working-class women of all ages and races look beyond the tired tropes, exploring the breadth of their experience and spirituality.
What I particularly liked about this anthology is that there was not preset brief or direction provided to those wishing to contribute other than write what you wish to say. This has resulted in a wide range of topics covered within the collection and it is clear that the chosen subject had a deep and visceral connection to each author who articulated their words with passion and purpose.
I was going to list a few of the pieces which were (for want of a better word) my favourite but as I refreshed my memory of the contents page to compile said list it felt an impossible task. Each essay has its own strength and message to deliver in not including one it felt I was doing that author a disservice and the Instagram word count would not allow me to say much else if I was to list all 21 essays. I will say however On Therapy broke my heart in so many ways.
I am aware this book’s primary intention was not to educate, it was to provide a platform and amplify women’s voices who wished to speak about their experience of being a British Muslim Woman in today’s world. However as with all books and especially true with anthologies I did learn a huge amount from reading these essays and the accompanying glossary. It challenged and highlighted my own understanding forcing me to reflect and reevaluate the potential bias I may have unconsciously held through stereotyping in the media coupled with a lack of knowledge.
I will be strongly recommending this book to anyone who will listen to me.
What I particularly liked about this anthology is that there was not preset brief or direction provided to those wishing to contribute other than write what you wish to say. This has resulted in a wide range of topics covered within the collection and it is clear that the chosen subject had a deep and visceral connection to each author who articulated their words with passion and purpose.
I was going to list a few of the pieces which were (for want of a better word) my favourite but as I refreshed my memory of the contents page to compile said list it felt an impossible task. Each essay has its own strength and message to deliver in not including one it felt I was doing that author a disservice and the Instagram word count would not allow me to say much else if I was to list all 21 essays. I will say however On Therapy broke my heart in so many ways.
I am aware this book’s primary intention was not to educate, it was to provide a platform and amplify women’s voices who wished to speak about their experience of being a British Muslim Woman in today’s world. However as with all books and especially true with anthologies I did learn a huge amount from reading these essays and the accompanying glossary. It challenged and highlighted my own understanding forcing me to reflect and reevaluate the potential bias I may have unconsciously held through stereotyping in the media coupled with a lack of knowledge.
I will be strongly recommending this book to anyone who will listen to me.
khairun_atika's review
4.0
"We unmute the voices of our sisters by giving ear to their words, by taking the time and energy to seek them out and read their works for ourselves, and then to start talking with one another; and then, finally, to embody the practice of Islam we wish to see manifested. And all of this takes courage, because nothing is more resisted than change." - The Gift of Second-Sight by Sofia Rehman, from Cut from the Same Cloth: Muslim Women on Life in Britain, edited by Sabeena Akhtar
Cut from the Same Cloth is an illuminating and insightful collection of essays written by remarkable Muslim women in Britain. While this book promotes diversity in the form of representation of Muslim women, it delves deeper by focusing on the diversity of Muslim women itself. Muslim women from Pakistan, Nigeria and even Somalia, who find solace and life in Britain. While their experiences are vast and meaningful, there is a common factor in all of these essays - the struggle of living as a Muslim woman in Britain.
The identity of a Muslim woman is always a point of discussion. From her supposed constant submissiveness to her male counterparts, to her expected meek behaviour, and the hijab on her head. The women in the essays here explain about the significance, intent and impact of the hijab. Some are empowered, while some are weakened due to its repercussions - of being discriminated and even incriminated for showing their faith. The accounts in this book highlights the perception of the masses towards Muslim women, which usually shows how they struggle to be accepted in the community, and not to be stereotyped based on the internalised colonialism in the country.
I loved how the essays marked various issues faced by the Muslim women in different voices. There is the voice of a wistful woman yearning for a safe space in her community. There is the voice of someone angered for being stereotyped due to being a Muslimah with a disability. There is the voice of a confused young woman who is expected to flourish in a relationship when she had no prior interaction with men. Ultimately, this collection of essays is an outlet for Muslim women to find their place in their world, to be given a space to voice out their grievances and to share their aspirations with the world. What makes this even more heartwarming is the constant reference to the Quran and the hadith, which reflects the faith that these women possess and strive to hold on to in their struggle to find a place in this chaotic world.
We simply want to create our own narrative, and to conform to the misrepresentation in mass media. We want to tell the world of our origins, our stories and our legacies, just like any other woman in the world.
Cut from the Same Cloth is an illuminating and insightful collection of essays written by remarkable Muslim women in Britain. While this book promotes diversity in the form of representation of Muslim women, it delves deeper by focusing on the diversity of Muslim women itself. Muslim women from Pakistan, Nigeria and even Somalia, who find solace and life in Britain. While their experiences are vast and meaningful, there is a common factor in all of these essays - the struggle of living as a Muslim woman in Britain.
The identity of a Muslim woman is always a point of discussion. From her supposed constant submissiveness to her male counterparts, to her expected meek behaviour, and the hijab on her head. The women in the essays here explain about the significance, intent and impact of the hijab. Some are empowered, while some are weakened due to its repercussions - of being discriminated and even incriminated for showing their faith. The accounts in this book highlights the perception of the masses towards Muslim women, which usually shows how they struggle to be accepted in the community, and not to be stereotyped based on the internalised colonialism in the country.
I loved how the essays marked various issues faced by the Muslim women in different voices. There is the voice of a wistful woman yearning for a safe space in her community. There is the voice of someone angered for being stereotyped due to being a Muslimah with a disability. There is the voice of a confused young woman who is expected to flourish in a relationship when she had no prior interaction with men. Ultimately, this collection of essays is an outlet for Muslim women to find their place in their world, to be given a space to voice out their grievances and to share their aspirations with the world. What makes this even more heartwarming is the constant reference to the Quran and the hadith, which reflects the faith that these women possess and strive to hold on to in their struggle to find a place in this chaotic world.
We simply want to create our own narrative, and to conform to the misrepresentation in mass media. We want to tell the world of our origins, our stories and our legacies, just like any other woman in the world.
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