A hot trend for some high-end designers might come as a surprise to those eyeing the fashion radar, but for some conservative Middle Eastern women - most relevantly those living in Saudi Arabia - it comes as an exciting, long-overdue concept: designer abayas. Top European fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Nina Ricci and Blumarine have unveiled (no pun intended) a line of the traditional full-body covering, with the intention of appealing to their elite clientele who must cover in public. The initiative makes total sense for these women who shell out plenty of dough on lavish couture, only to hide under the abaya. 

“Law and Order” might be her go-to television show, but CAIR NY’s Civil Rights Director Aliya Latif asserts Jack and Abbie had nothing to do with her choice to lunge at a law degree. The tough time she endured wading through law school prepared her that much more to be dedicated and commited to organizing and mobilizing American Muslims. Plus, her work for CAIR (Council of American-Islamic Relations) has enhanced her exposure to the spectrum of discrimination cases facing the community. 

Odds are you’ve already seen him on a CNN roundtable, heard him on NPR or read his stuff in the opinion section of your hometown newspaper. He was even featured as an extra in the 2008 film Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. The question is: Where does Arsalan Iftikhar find the time to do it all? A Washington, D.C.-based international human rights lawyer by profession, Iftikhar is the self-described “snake-charming, belly-dancing Muslim Guy” for the U.S. media, spearheading his popular TheMuslimGuy.com website, all on top of his other responsibilities, including contributing posts at Islamica magazine and the Tell Me More show on NPR. Arsalan recently spoke with elan about his accomplishments, motivations and penchant for Diet Coke.

Tackling yet another field in which Muslims have not - yet - dominated are Nyla Hashmi and Fatima Monkush, the creative forces behind the most buzzed-about fashion line for Muslims, Eva Khurshid. The two have combined their passion for business and design to create an innovative concept for the modern Muslim woman. The clothing style, and even the concept behind the name, mirrors the ideas of femininity and strength, originating from the pair’s American and South Asian ethnicities. Nyla and Fatima are keeping busy these days by prepping their company to break into mainstream fashion and by reiterating the importance of making a difference within the Muslim community.