Articles by Umm Salihah

Monday, May 21st, 2012

Can You be Muslim and English?

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Can You be Muslim and English?
We recently celebrated St. George’s Day here in England, the day of the country’s patron saint.  My children dressed in red, white and blue for their schools’ St. George’s celebrations.  For most people this is no longer a celebration tied to religion, but about celebrating all things English.  I have always felt very conflicted about my identity—am I English, British, Pakistani, Punjabi or none of these?  Can you be more than one? Growing up, my parents made it very clear to me that we were Pakistani.  Read more »

Islam’s Take on Children and Kinship Ties

Preserving kinship ties is considered to be a very important part of Islam.  Read more »

What’s an Asian? Race and Identity for a New Generation

My eight-year-old daughter did something a few weeks ago that surprised me.  Read more »

The Dangers of Consumerism and the Muslim Child

I suspect those who celebrate Christmas will be familiar with the way I felt a day or so after last Eid.  Read more »

Ramadan Recipe: Chicken Kebabs

I can remember when I was little my parents would feed us early and send us to bed to get some peace during iftar (the daily breaking of the fast during Ramadan). We then spent all evening sitting on the stairs trying to find ways to come downstairs and eat all the nice things everyone else was having. I am now having to deal with the same from my children  Read more »

Children’s Experience of Ramadan

Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, is the time for healthy adult Muslims’ to spend the day abstaining from food and water and the nights in hours of worship and contemplation. Although Muslim children do not usually fast, this does not mean that Ramadan, the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar, is not important for them. In Ramadan, a family and community’s routines are completely changed.  Read more »

Islam and Child Discipline: Is Hitting Ever Ok?

In the past, when I have written about Islam’s perspective on child discipline, I described it as one where gentleness is preferred according to the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the examples set during his own life.   I feel that taking the time to explain, exercising patience and making an effort to try to see things from your child’s point of view are the strategies that are most conducive to producing good behaviour and a calm child.  Read more »

Separating Faith From Culture in Islam

I had an interesting conversation with my sister-in-law recently about an old friend of hers who had moved to the States and become a Christian, despite being raised in a practicing Muslim household. It made me think about what aspect of her former faith led her to believe that Islam was not for her.   I have come across a small number of former Muslims who have converted to a different religion or become atheist.  Read more »

The Big Question—Sex Education and Islam

Sex education is a bit of a minefield for me as a Muslim mother, as I am sure it is for most parents, whether Muslim or not. How much to tell? At what age? Who should do the telling? I have been adamant that I will be honest with my children and expect them to have the courage to be honest. By never lying, I hope my children would be able to trust me and believe what I say to them and to understand that there is never anything to fear from when they are honest with me (oh the things they have gotten away with just by honestly owning up!) My determination to be an honest mum has been challenged now that my oldest daughter is at an age when she is curious about the “birds and the bee’s” and in particular where baby’s come from.  Read more »

Rights of the Child in Islam

I have a small poster on my fridge, now old and slightly yellowed, which my children love. It's called the "Children's Rights and Responsibilities" and lists all of the basic things to which every child is entitled. They love seeing it and having it read to them—it makes them feel that as children they matter in their own right, and knowing that it is the duty of adults to provide these things is empowering to them.  Read more »

The Status of Mothers in Islam

After the birth of my first child, there was a thought that kept crossing my mind regarding the status of mothers in Islam. Growing up I had heard of hadith (Prophetic sayings) such as, "Your paradise lies under the feet of your mother," and not given much thought to them. Once I became a mother myself, I started to wonder what this meant. I was no one special, why would paradise lie under my feet?   Then I thought back to the sickness, discomfort and exhaustion I suffered during my pregnancy.  Read more »

Being a Working Muslimah Mother

Guilt seems to be an integral part of modern motherhood. It sometimes seems that no matter what you do, you are not good enough as a mother. Stay at home mothers sometimes feel they miss out on things they want to do and are accused of living through their children, going into overkill mode with every birthday party and milestone, turning their children into spoilt, selfish little monsters.  Read more »

An Islamic Perspective on Child-Rearing and Discipline

Thanks to a small number of Muslims and large chunks of the mainstream media, Islam has gained a reputation for severity and harshness. When it comes to the way we raise our children this can often be true, but usually due to our cultural backgrounds more than our faith. My parents and grandparents grew up in Pakistan where it was the norm to be smacked by your parents, extended relations and anyone else that happened to be around and in a bad mood.  Read more »

Languages of the Mind and Heart: Growing up Trilingual in the UK

As someone who loves to write and read, a love of language and words fits naturally. My family is of Punjabi origin, hailing from Jhelum, Pakistan and therefore speaks a Patwari dialect of Punjabi. Growing up, I spoke Patwari with my mother and grandparents; this was the language they scolded us in (Danger! Animals!) and loved us in. The dialect they used is exactly the one they brought with them from Pakistan to the UK forty years ago.  Read more »

Muslim Children and Christmas

Christmas is a favourite time of year for most people, parties, gifts, special foods and family traditions--what is not to like? But for most Muslims, this time of year always brings with it a host of issues to consider: should we participate? Should we join in the office parties and games of Secret Santa? Or should we avoid the celebration totally, writing it off as not part of our faith? For those with children, the decisions we have to make require even more consideration.  Read more »

Eid-ul-Adha Family Traditions

With the approach of Eid-ul-Adha this year, it felt like a good time to reflect on some of the family traditions that we had begun as a family and some of the ones that my husband and I had brought with us from our own childhoods. Eid-ul-Adha is one of two Eids that Muslims celebrate around the world. The first is Eid-ul-Fitr which celebrates the fact that we have fasted for a month during the Muslim month of Ramadan.  Read more »

Raising Good Muslims

I am facing one of the biggest challenges I have ever met: how to raise good Muslims. I have always found progress very easy in my academic and working life and have enjoyed the feeling of sailing through these spheres most of the time. This leads a person to the feeling, especially when you are young, that you are oh-so-clever. Having children puts that whole mindset into perspective.  Read more »
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Ecuadorian Pan de Yuca Recipe

One of the best snacks ever.

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Make a traditional craft from Papua New Guinea with everyday household materials!

Cute Kids and Their Dogs around the World

It doesn't get any more adorable than this.

Lessons from Ecuador on Raising Multicultural Kids

A fight between cousins turns into something unexpected

Yogi in the Mexican Desert

Adjusting to life in a "five-minute," male-dominated Mexican town as a former New Yorker.

Thailand Solo with Two Kids: Where Homesickness Set In

Here's how this mom overcame self doubt on her solo adventure

3 Fun Global Kids' Games to Music

Kids love these songs and games!

Is My Daughter Singing in Korean?

Someone tell me, is this really Korean?

China Bumps & Triumphs: What Ties This Expat to China

That one little thing that is the bridge between Canada and China

Real Intercultural Family: Carmen and Whitney

This trilingual family offers some truly awesome advice we all can benefit from.

Best Asian-American Children’s Books

Celebrate Asian-American heritage month with our top book picks

Best Curried Red Lentil Soup Recipe

Your new go-to soup recipe

"Mom I Think I'm Gay:" Are You as Prepared as You Think?

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How to Talk to Kids About Race: What’s Appropriate for Ages 3-8

Why colorblind is all wrong and a guide to what's right

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Fashion in the Arab World

Why I love the abaya

Traveling to Ecuador for Two Months of Immersion

My yearly pilgrimage to my homeland where I no longer feel at home

Cross-Cultural Parenting in Guatemala: Rethinking Cultural Norms

Why you shouldn't judge a mom giving coffee to her infant

How Immersion Travel Helped My Kids Progress in Spanish

I couldn’t wait to see how my kids would do with their new Spanish when we got to Mexico.

Preparing our Children for Racism — Part 1

Important tips for parents and kids of all colors

Speak Up for the Animals, Mama! A Vegetarian in Africa

Foregoing meat in a land where no one does

7 Tips for Parents with Inflexible Travelers

What to do when your child doesn't love travel like you do.

The Sleep Habits of Orphans

This mom never knows how she'll find her kids in the morning

Korean Children's Day: May 5

A holiday just to celebrate children-how cool!

My Native Son’s Search for Identity

How he began to find his heritage

Kids Playing Around the World

See the magic and universality of play
[...] via InCultureParent | How Many Languages Are Too Many for a Child?. [.....
From How Many Languages Are Too Many for a Child?
I already copy the recipe and soon I will cook the yuca bread. Very very nice artic...
From Ecuadorian Pan de Yuca Recipe
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From Ramadan Craft: Star and Moon Banner
[...] 10 Tips for Starting a Family Yoga Practice [.....
From 10 Tips for Starting a Family Yoga Practice
I just read this post since I was trying to see if someone had written something about breastfeeding an 18 month old. My son suddenly stopped drinking any other milk other than mine - feels like he ...
From Why African Toddlers Don’t Have Tantrums
I am from India, but live in the US and we have a similar culture like the moon-month. When my MIL was here for about 5 months during my sons birth, I had the same problem (or excellent service, if ...
From How My Chinese Mother-in-Law Replaced my Husband
[...] have previously written about how I would rather my daughter only say thank you and please from the heart, rather than because of societal enforced politeness. Well, I lost that battle and I h...
From Do manners really matter? Why I hate making my daughter say please and thank you
Thanks for sharing this experience. I have lived something similar to this maybe my experience can bring up some new elements. My father is from Bahrain and my mother is originally from Morocco, ...
From How Bilingualism Can Fail in Multilingual Families
[...] I have a little obsession with maps and globes. This was my latest find I loved from a seller on etsy! Here’s a bunch of others maps that would be fun in a child’s room: http://...
From 10 Best World Maps for Your Children’s Room
I am an American living and married to a German for over 13 years. Yes, they are a rude group, so rude to include my soon to be ex husband, that I can not take it any more and am ready to get out of...
From Are Germans Really Rude?
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hello Jan, I am living in Germany since last 4 years now and i feel sorry to say that i cant agree with you more.... there are so many nice and positive sides of Germany that i absolutely love.. ho...
From Are Germans Really Rude?
Can you please recommend some Hindi children's books or a resource list of Hindi books? Thank yo...
From Invisible Interpreter: The Grandmother – Child Language Divide
I love Giselle's blog and it has inspired me to start practicing yoga with my daughters. So much fun! Thanks for these great tip...
From 10 Tips for Starting a Family Yoga Practice
[...] Japanese onigiri. These are hands down one of my kids all time favorite [.....
From My Attempt at a Bento Lunch
[...] Brazilian Pão de Queijo (cheese [.....
From Carnival Recipe: Pao de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)
Great article. Thanks. Check out these guys http://grassrootsplay.com/ They're a British company and do some really inspiring natural stuf...
From Top 10 Most Imaginative Playgrounds Around the World
[...] children to speak the minority language isn’t always easy. You may encounter resistance or face kids who understand the minority language but prefer to speak in the majority language. To boo...
From How Bilingualism Can Fail in Multilingual Families
[...] your children to speak the minority language isn’t always easy. You may encounter resistance or face kids who understand the minority language but prefer to speak in the majority language. T...
From Help! My Bilingual Child Won’t Speak My Language
This is great! I would love to give my son a third language. I may just have to work on that... :) Je...
From Real Intercultural Family: Carmen and Whitney
What a journey! My kids really miss their dad when we aren't with him, even when we are doing something fun and exoti...
From Thailand Solo with Two Kids: Where Homesickness Set In
[...] them courage by trying something new.  If your child has already been exposed to another language, immersion travel – and particularly connecting with other kids – can give a trem...
From How Immersion Travel Helped My Kids Progress in Spanish
Hi Jeffrey! Mexico is such a fantastic country. That's great your parents were able to go and realize their stereotype wasn't valid. I have to work on getting mine to go to Morocco :) Un saludo, S...
From Our Trip to Mexico: Drugs, Cartels and Violence?
Great article! My wife is from Mexico and we just went there for a week and took my parents from North Dakota. They were expecting drug cartels, violence, and decapitations however they were pleasan...
From Our Trip to Mexico: Drugs, Cartels and Violence?
[...] up in my newsfeed, reposted from like ALL the parenting pages I was following. It was called “Why African Babies Don’t Cry“. I read the article, thinking it might give me som...
From Why African Babies Don’t Cry
Thanks so much for both of your comments. Let me know if any of those work out on the plane and for how many minutes Cordelia! The plane is always a game of how many minutes an activity can last, ri...
From 5 Games to Get Your Bilingual Child Talking
Love these. And of course have my head in hands on how what took me an entire post to write, you managed to include in a couple of perfectly succinct sentences. LOL. Definitely going on my list of p...
From 5 Games to Get Your Bilingual Child Talking
Great, thoughtful article! Thank you for sharing your family's experienc...
From “Mom I Think I’m Gay:” Are You as Prepared as You Think?
Wow Carmen, I so needed to read this today. I do battle daily living in North America and trying to connect my kids to their Moroccan father's culture. As we prepare to relocate to Morocco in a fe...
From Lessons from Ecuador on Raising Multicultural Kids
[...] year I go on a two-month pilgrimage from San Francisco to Quito, Ecuador with my two kids, ages nine and five, so they can practice Spanish and get immersed back into my culture. I’m [.....
From Traveling to Ecuador for Two Months of Immersion
It sounds like she jumbled up some words and its hard to make out what she is saying but it is definitely suppose to be Korea...
From Is My Daughter Singing in Korean?
Looking forward to learning more about how a Mexican displaced in her own country eventually makes a home in it for herself...
From Yogi in the Mexican Desert
Hi, I love your blog posts and can't thank you enough for sharing your sharp insights in such warm and elegantly written posts. As a first-time mom, I read much about the benefits of African tra...
From Why African Toddlers Don’t Have Tantrums
What a great resource! This is already bookmarked and I'm definitely going to come back to it again. I'm soon moving back to the UK where I'll need every trick, tip and game up my sleeve to keep Chi...
From 5 Games to Get Your Bilingual Child Talking
Thank you so much for this! It is a rare perspective. We too try hard to bring our son's culture into our home - art, food, Amharic classes, friends, etc. - but I am constantly reminded that so mu...
From Is it Possible to be Too Multicultural?
Hola! I've been following your site for a long time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from Dallas Texas! Just wanted to mention keep up the good job! I enjoyed th...
From Why African Babies Don’t Cry
[...] Try this delicious curry red lentil soup to introduce your kids to bursts of [.....
From Best Curried Red Lentil Soup Recipe
It sure isn't easy but it is worth it if it's a good fit. We actually live in Berkeley, CA. Good luc...
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Thanks Gena, glad you are enjoying the...
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"Maps for kids" was the search that brought me to your website. But I'm really glad it di...
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