Hijab Butch Blues

Lamya (she/they) presents a memoir of her life as a queer hijabi Muslim, blended with her recollections and interpretations of stories in the Qur'an.

Born in South Asia, at 4 her parents move to a rich Arab state where she is immersed in readings of the Qur'an and sits at the bottom of the informal racial hierarchy. They realise they are queer at 14 after they feel a strong connection to the story of Maryam and has a crush on their teacher that manifests through persistent pranking to get her attention. She later starts college in the US as most of her family move to America and she faces battles with racism and the immigration system.

It’s a beautiful exploration of seeing your faith through feminist and queer lenses, the racism in the queer community, and discovering yourself and your vulnerability with others. It’s refreshing to see such a dauntless …

Very very impressed by the beautiful writing in this book. An often heartbreaking, often inspiring, revision of hegemonic interpretations of the Quran to enrich them with new perspectives that consider queerness, womanhood, and overall the "other" that has been forgotten, e.g. women in the Quran that are mentioned just in passing.

It's beautiful to see the Quran, a text that is open to being reinterpreted over and over again, being looked at from the perspective of a queer Muslim woman. What is beautiful is that now queer Muslim women are starting to have a voice, a platform; they're starting to emerge from the darkness of oppressive history. Slowly, they are allowed to exist - enough to give their own interpretation of their sacred text, to reconcile their being and their faith. More of this please!!!

Last and also least... (white woman voice) As a white woman,,,,,, it is ALWAYS good …