As a non-Muslim woman, visiting a mosque for the first time can be a little nerve-racking if you are unsure of the dress code. Last year I had the pleasure to visit two mosques, one more traditional and one small Sufi mosque. The Sufi mosque had no dress code and people showed up with all [...]
Fashion in one of the major facets of self-expression. It is the way in which we tell the world who we are, how we feel, and how we want to be received. Our identity is a large part of how we dress, and how we dress is a large part our identity. The veil Muslim [...]
Next week starts my 2- week summer teacher education program, A Reverence for Words: Understanding Muslims Cultures through the Arts. This will be my second National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute; last year I went to the Religious Worlds of New York Institute and this year I's excited back in the city that never [...]
The Andalusian region certainly has a different flavor, sound, and look than the rest of Spain. Today this region is called Andalusia but that comes from the Arabic term Al-Andalus for the Muslim-controlled regions of the Iberian Peninsula. This multi-cultural past remains very visible in the major cities of Cordoba, Granada and Seville (the three [...]
In honor of our second wedding anniversary this month, I figured this student series on catholic weddings was perfectly timed! Also all of the photos below are from our wedding photographer and good friend, Scott David Photography. Check out his website! JMF You may find yourself at a wedding this summer that celebrates customs you aren’t familiar [...]
It all started with Adam and Eve: G-d made a man and a woman for each other, starting the idea of marriage between two people. God created marriage for two people (ideally for a man and woman, according to most religious believes) to love and support each other and to help each other grow closer to [...]
In preparation for my NEH Summer Institute, Reverence for Words: Understanding Muslim Culture through the Arts, I received a package in the mail that contained your usual welcome forms and letters along with a book of poetry and a DVD, Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World. I decided to plop down while folding laundry [...]
