February 2010 took the cake for most happening month ever! Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, President’s Day, Black History Month, Worldwide Fashion Weeks. Here’s another: last month (and into the early days of March), Muslims around the world are celebrating the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (born in 570 CE). 

Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at a forum at the all-women’s college Dar Al Hekma, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that showed her in the newly flattering light she has enjoyed since becoming an Obama CHANGE-ling.

Ah it’s that time of year again, Spring is around the corner, love is in the air. Well, maybe love is in the air. Or maybe I can’t smell anything because it’s freakin’ freezing here. Anyway - something to melt the wintry cold is the heartwarming rituals and melted chocolate of Valentine’s Day. And how will single Muslims be spending it?

He has performed for Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Queen Elizabeth. He has collaborated with global, Grammy-award winning artists. His music combines East and West as never before, in an effort to hijack the world stage (and a considerable amount of teenage girl wallspace) as a musical response to terrorists who “hijack my religion.”

Christmas is such a special time of year. The window displays on Fifth Avenue in New York City are bedecked with fake snow and elaborate arrangements of diamonds, dresses, and other things that make you say, “Recession who?” I personally love Christmas - the charitable spirit, the joy, the presents, the cookies, the singing, the family gathering, the neat wrapping paper, the beautiful trees...the cookies...the plush stockings...stuffed with cookies....

Lindsay Lohan has worn a lot of hats in recent years - child star, mean girl, tabloid darling, It-girl, rehab candidate… and, how now, here’s a new one:  BBC-approved documentary filmmaker on child trafficking. 

Out of 800,000 cold calls made to non-Muslims in Saudia Arabia, nearly 5,500 conversions to Islam resulted.

WTF! Hunh? Here’s how it works. The “Bring Me to Islam” cell phone service allows texters to enlist their friends as potential converts. Then a cleric or preacher would call to ascertain the person’s interest in converting. 5,500 people. While that’s a little less than 1%, that’s still staggering. 

Muslim generally = big on meat. Eid animal sacrifice, inventors of kebabs etc. - we do meat well (or medium-well). As a Muslim vegetarian though, it’s a constant battle to justify your lifestyle to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Enter: PETA, to save the day.

Put away the gladiator boots, ruched bodices, and off-the-shoulder chiffons, ladies. The Fashion Police seem to have fallen in love with something totally unprecedented: the niqab!

Friends, I’m super confused. One article on BBC news shows that a Muslim cleric has called on women to wear the niqab. Meanwhile, Egypt is about to issue a ban on the same garment, according to another BBC article.