by Alveena Salim

What would you do if you were subjected to extreme physical, sexual, and emotional abuse by the one who claimed to love you? What would you do if your husband came home one night drunk and abusive? What would you do if he sexually abused you coz you accidentally burnt his shirt?

What would you do if your husband thought it was ok to use you as a punch bag for ten years? Would you accept your fate? Or would you be provoked into hurting your husband the way he hurt you?

These were some of the dilemmas faced by Aishwarya Rai when she played the role of a victim of domestic violence in the film ‘Provoked’. Directed by Jag Mundra, the film is loosely based on a true story.

So what is domestic violence?

By Sara Salim and "Imaani" Aslam

Jameela: Asalaam Alaikum Sis, I see you've dyed your hair again?

Aliyah: Yep. Looks good don't it? What do you think?

Jameela: Erm... I think you may have overdone it with the blonde highlights, not too sure if it suits your skin tone... but hey, what's with the makeover anyway?

Aliyah: Well, you're looking at the new me. I've decided I'm through with all this being a Muslim girl thing. Now people know that I ain't one of those girls they can order about. I've decided I ain't taking no crap any more.

Jameela: Well that's great, respecting yourself is really important, but what's taking crap got to do with being and looking like a Muslim?

Salamun alaik,

What do I think of the mag... great stuff masha'Allah. It's very hard hitting covering topical issues in a manner which will engage your target audience- spot on Masha'Allah.

The niqab article was in particular a very good read and in fact I'm going to leave a few issues in our staff room at school coz the way the sister countered J. Straws comments was very effective and I think my colleagues will finally understand the wisdom behind it.

Rayhana, Oxford

Asalmz

By Sajid Iqbal

Who are you? What are you? Are you a leader or a follower?

Do you follow society or does society follow you? Are you scared to be different or proud to be you? Do you stick to your guns?

Or do you say what people wanna hear? So the question is... ARE YOU A SHEEP?

"...I ain't no sheep, orite!..."

is what y'all sayin' yeah?

So tell me, are you proud to be a Muslim or embarrassed to be labelled one? Do you stick to your Islamic beliefs at home as well as when you're at college/uni/work?

Is it permissible for a Muslim to ‘go out’ with a prospective marriage partner in order to find out if they are compatible? What about going out with your fiancé?

Meera had an incurable brain tumour. The villains found where she lived and shot her in the head. Luckily for her the bullet passed through her ears taking away the tumour along with it, thus curing her in the process…

To what extent are Muslims allowed to take part in non–Islamic festivals such as Christmas, Halloween, Easter etc?

For example, can Muslims give Christmas cards to non-Muslim neighbours, colleagues and friends or attend Christmas dinners if invited by the local church?

“...and then one day when the air is still and the night has fallen, they come for you. It’s only then you realise while you are talking about organising and committees, the extermination has already begun. Make no mistake my brothers, they will draw first blood. They will force their cure upon us. The only question is will you join my brotherhood and fight? Or wait for the inevitable genocide? Who will you stand with...?”

I would never have thought a piece of cloth could cause so much fuss. But Jack Straw decides to pull a publicity stunt, Holland does away with the Human Right’s Act, and the next thing you know, pictures of veiled women are plastered across the front pages of almost every newspaper in England.

Well the car, phatt whip, ride, ma wheels or ‘gadhi’ is the star. To have a mad bad car is THE priority coz on the streets true respect is born by the badness of ya car. The faster, the higher the brake horse power, the bigger the wheels, the meaner the better.