On Feminism, Islam and Civil Liberties in an Era of Fear

In the west, the past year was marked by a rise in racial intolerance, xenophobia and a divisive politics about identity. As a populist streak blazes its way through North America and Europe, Muslims in particular are feeling its effects.

Ausma Zehanat Khan and Monia Mazigh have, in their writing and their academic work, explored questions about cultural identity, human rights, feminism and faith.

Khan, formerly the editor in chief of the ground-breaking Muslim Girl magazine, has long been at the forefront of creating public space for Muslim women and girls. A British-born Canadian, she holds a PhD in international human rights law, and has worked as an immigration lawyer and taught at universities in Toronto and the United States, where she now lives. Her upcoming novel, Among the Ruins, is the third in a mystery series centred on Toronto-based detective Esa Khattak.

Mazigh rose to prominence as a tireless advocate for her husband...