Teen Girl Squad, Muslim Edition

The Chronicle looks at Muslim Girl, a glossy magazine muslim teenage girls whose parents don't like the boys-beer-and-bikinis ethos of YM and suchlike. As a dad, I can't say I blame them there too much for wanting to keep the Cosmo Junior crowd out of my kid's brains.

At the same time, it enforces some fairly retrograde ideas on Muslim girls. In response to an advice column inquiry about why Muslim boys can sleep over at a friend's house, but girls can't:

The reply: "If your friends are not Muslim, then they may or may not be aware of the sensitivities important to a Muslim. For example, many non-Muslim girls may enjoy spending the time at a sleepover talking about boys and dating, on the assumption that it is normal and even expected to have a boyfriend. Since dating is not allowed in Islam, at a sleepover where there are Muslims and non-Muslims, this type of conversation might make Muslim girls feel uncomfortable, or worse, influence Muslim girls to find dating more acceptable or desirable than they should."

As for the difference between how the letter writer's parents treat her brother and her, the advice column said, "Your parents are probably more protective towards you than your brother because, although the same moral concerns apply equally to you both, the unpleasant reality is that a girl's reputation is more vulnerable and subject to scrutiny than a boy's."

The magazine tries to reflect the diversity of American Muslims, but of course it can never be conservative enough for some parents and religious leaders. The Chronicle ran it by a focus group of Bay Area Muslim girls, and I thought this exchange was interesting:

Muslim Girl is heavy on stories about strong female role models, like a feature on the first female presidential candidate in Afghanistan, and stories about how teenage Muslims, while maintaining their faith, are participating in typical American activities -- a Muslim Girl Scout troop in Mormon-heavy Utah; Muslim girls who are cheerleaders.

"I liked the cheerleading story," said Anees. "Because that's something where you usually see the typical blond girl. When I saw that, I said, 'Wow, now we're getting somewhere.' "

"But I hope none of you wants to be cheerleaders," said Sarah Azad, the youth group leader and an obstetrics and gynecology resident at a nearby hospital. They all laugh.

Ha. Nurse Ratched squelched that one in a hurry, didn't she? Don't get any ideas, girls.

You only think you're getting somewhere. You're still fighting a culture that's trying to make sure you don't.

Interesting story. I wonder whether this magazine will ultimately help Muslim girls feel more a part of American culture, or less.