Smart work hijab outfit

A smart, hijab appropriate outfit idea for work.

Office look by stylishmuslimah

7 trends that should really have stayed in 2014.

The androgynous look, why was this ever a thing..?

Huge fake eyelashes. Like NM they're scary and kind of a bit cheap looking :( 

Duck face anything (expect Pringles, obvs).

Leggings as trousers. 

Big buns.. I mean bums. Also, that insane fake contouring everyone is doing.. Sorry KK. 

Turbans. Just don't get the craze.

Last and least, those ugly shoes that don't have heels. They make me sad.

Which fashion trends would you abolish?

Review: The Letter by Kathryn Hughes

Overview: The book is based on two young women, Chrissie and Tina, who live decades apart (the former in World War 2 and the other in the 1970s). Although both troubled in their own ways, their lives appear to be completely unconnected until Tina finds a letter in the pocket of an old suit jacket. This letter is the key piece in a complex puzzle that eventually intertwines the lives of the two women forever. The underpinning themes are illegitimate pregnancy, domestic abuse and the 'butterfly effect'. 

My thoughts: The story is fast paced - the writer generally spares the readers any unnecessary details and has a habit of jumping days, weeks or even months ahead in time from one paragraph to the next. I liked the plot, the twists and turns of the story but the ending was fairly predictable around halfway though the book, a satisfying ending but predictable nonetheless. 

Most of the characters in the book were pretty well developed, to the point where I hated some of them (ahem, Tina) and felt sorry for others. For me, it is a sign of a good author if he or she can write about a fictional person in such a way that it evokes any sort of strong emotional response from the reader towards that character. 

There were a few grammatical errors - a real pet peeve of mine when I see them in a published book. Apart from that the author's writing style was quite simple and enjoyable to read. 

Rating: 3.5/5 - Interesting plot, it'd make a great film!

A sickening example of the disregard to fathers rights in America

I recently came across the following secretly filmed footage on YouTube of two social workers interrogating a father about his treatment of his 7-year old daughter. The title of the video is 'CPS (Child Protective Services) interrogation and inquisition for normal parenting discretions'.

Just to summarise, the video starts with the reading out of some anonymous allegations that have been made against the divorced father of one, these are mainly based around the fact that on a day he was allowed access to his daughter he looked up the side effects of a drug he suspected his daughter was taking and read out the effects to the girl. This apparently then led the girl to become convinced that her mother was trying to kill her. The father tries to begin explaining that the mother has not told him what medication the girl is on, or that she is even taking anything at all. He says that on the day in question he became concerned when his daughter began to experience chest pain and told her father that her mother gives her pills to 'make her cooperate'. The rest of the video is excruciatingly frustrating to watch.

There are several points that I want to make about this footage and the incompetent social workers ('Blue' and 'Purple'), and put forward some of my thoughts, from the point of view of a pharmacist. 

1. Blue reads out the allegations, tripping up on pronunciation, getting words like 'psychosis' and 'psychiatric' mixed up, indicating from the outset that she is unprepared and uneducated on the case of the child in question.

2. Purple is defensive in body language and speech, right from the beginning you can tell that she is biased, she does not and will not give the father a fair chance to explain his reasoning. This may be mistaken early on as perhaps her siding with the child but if you watch the whole video you'll find that she is in fact sided with the mother. I do not believe that she has the best interests of the child at heart, actually quite the opposite.

3. Purple states that the judge has determined that the father is not entitled to have information about the girls medication, to which the father says 'the judge never said that'. She does not contest this suggesting that she is uninformed and making things up as she goes along, perhaps just saying things for effect. 

4. This part really angers me - at about 7 minutes in the father asks 'do you think it was the mothers responsibility to at least let me know (what our child is on)' to which she defiantly responds 'no'. He goes on to say 'my daughter is with me from an extended period of time on sundays', he correctly says 'the drug might have side effects, it might have contraindications..' all the while Purple is shaking her head, saying 'no'. She then shockingly says 'then you would take her to the hospital and the hospital would call the mother..'!! She repeatedly says that it is not irresponsible of the mother to not inform the father of the drugs the girl is taking because she doesn't legally have to. 

It is at this point that I start to wonder why on earth a doctor, nurse or pharmacist is not present at this meeting. This woman clearly knows nothing of the potential dangers of medications, particularly psychiatric drugs in children. I think it is massively irresponsible for the mother to not inform anyone who the child will be staying with for a prolonged period of time of the medications that the child is on - be it a school teacher, baby-sitter or (shock horror) father. In the event of an emergency it is important to ensure optimum healthcare that current conditions and medications are known by doctors and other healthcare professionals, particularly with paediatric patients. 

5. Purple claims it is normal for children to experience chest pain after dancing around because of raised heart rate. Maybe, maybe not. What she fails to consider is that many psychiatric drugs can have serious cardiac side effects, if a child on an antipsychotic or similar medication experienced chest pain, that would be a cause for concern. Of course, if the caregiver looking after the child doesn't know what side effects to look out for, this could put the child at risk of delayed treatment. But according to Purple, the mother was not being irresponsible. 

6. Purple rants at him for giving the girl a treat of zero calorie, zero caffeine fizzy drink on some of the visits. She goes from saying that the sugar substitute in the drink has the same effect on the body as sugar, then says it's empty calories, then says it empty chemicals and finishes saying 'it's just not a good idea'. She then later refers to them as 'energy drinks'. Purple hasn't got a clue what she's talking about. 

7. Purple reprimanded the father about weighing his child, apparently he should not be concerned about the fact that the girl is becoming obese. She claims that the father is perpetuating her obesity by giving her (zero calorie) sodas during the 8 hours a week that he sees his daughter. She 'highly recommends' that the father stops weighing the child and stops discussing weight with the child. I agree that weight shouldn't be made a huge issue at this point but I really don't feel that Purple is an appropriate person to be giving this advice. If she were acting with the best interests of the child at heart she would say that the issue of weight and the girls diet needs to be discussed with the mother. But she isn't, she just wants the father to be wrong.

8. Father asks if it is possible that the medication the mother is giving the child could be causing weight gain. Purple disregards this concern and says that the girl is going to have a growth spurt. If the girl is in fact on an antipsychotic (which to me looks probable), weight gain is a common side effect. So the father is 100% correct in having this concern and yet again Purple demonstrates her painful incompetence. 

9. The other diet advice that Purple gives is pretty good. The attitude in which she gives it, however, is almost patronising, seemingly disregarding the fact that she is talking to a father who knows his daughter better than she ever will.

10. Purple says that the girl is still on the medication when the father asks. She says 'these sorts of medications aren't things you can suddenly stop'. A few minutes later she contradicts herself and says something to the effect of 'you are not legally entitled to know if she is taking anything, we cannot even hint that we know'. She goes on to say 'it could be vitamins, it could be Valium, it could be birth control', when the father asks about this she justifies her statement by saying that she's making it clear that she can't indicate what the child is on even though she mentioned previously that the medication can't be stopped suddenly - this does indicate what the child is on. All of this, especially the comment about a 7-year old on birth control, indicates one thing: this social worker is a useless waste of space that clearly enjoys the discomfort and aguish that the legal situation is causing the father by leaving him in the dark. 

11. Blue now starts questioning the father, she is barely a minute in when Purple interjects with her defensive, catty attitude talking mostly a lot of rubbish. She is an unprofessional, rude and ill-informed hypocrite of a woman who clearly enjoys authority more than doing a good job protecting children.

I sincerely hope that this is not a reflection of what child protection services are like in America, or anywhere else. If it is, God help us all. 

Apologies for the wordy post, I really wanted to bring to light some of the suffering that fathers endure in today's society when a couple with children breaks up. Sadly, I feel that if it were mothers that experienced this sort of treatment, a lot more people would know about it and a lot more people would care.  

Happy new year

Insha'Allah it will be a good one for everyone :) xo xo 

6 places in the world I'd love to see!

I'm currently waiting for my Microsoft Office to hurry up and download so in the meantime I thought I'd do a little travel wish list :)

6. New York

I'd do shopping, Statue of Liberty, Gossip Girl tour, Times Square, Central Park and the museums :D

Source

5. Paris

Although I live so close in the UK, I've never actually been to France. If I went I'd go to Paris and do all the typical touristy things.

Source

4. Faroe Islands

200 miles north of Scotland, I've always found this tiny Danish island collection interesting. It has a population of 50,000 and is known for its puffins. It reminds me of a place that would be in Middle Earth. I'd love to go there one day.

3. Tianzi Mountains, China

Google the photos, they speak for themselves. Would love to see these mountains in real life, they look incredible. 

Source

2. Turkey

Love the architecture of Turkish mosques. I would definitely check out the markets and beaches too.

Source

1. Socotra

Socotra looks like its on another planet, this is my absolute number one place that I really want to visit at some point in my life. It has nearly 700 species of plants and trees found no where else on earth, amazing!

Where are the places you'd like to travel to?

InaliAllah wa inailayhi rajioon... May those children rest in peace, and their sick murderers be recompensed in this life and the next. Ameen.

No words can describe sorrow created by the destruction of a small, innocent life. 

Book review: Apocalypsis series

I recently finished reading the Apocalypsis 4 book series by Elle Casey and wanted to give it a quick review.

The books are about an apocalyptic world where a deadly, unknown virus wipes out all the adults and children leaving just adolescents on Earth. It is set in America and is written from the point of view of the main character, Bryn, a 17 year old girl and talented fighter.

As they use up the food and resources, some resort to stealing, violence and cannibalism to survive as they do not know how to sustain themselves by growing crops or raising livestock. Bryn then sets out with her neighbour, Peter, and Bodo, a German boy they meet on the road, to escape from the cannibals and start a new life somewhere else - the books follow them on their journey. 

Things I liked about the series -

- Good storyline idea

- Fairly fast-paced 

- Some very well developed characters, I was especially impressed by the way she portrayed Coli and Brittany - both girls with mental illnesses. 

- Some excellently described scenes in the book, especially books 2 and 3

Things I didn't like -

- Written in first person, I much prefer more descriptive 3rd person writing as I feel it sets the scene much better; 3rd person would have suited this storyline a lot better. 

- In some parts the writing was sloppy and rushed, I spotted a handful of grammatical errors in the 4th book.

- The author would drag out some scenes, over-describing the most mundane interactions.

- Extreme feminist undertones. 

- Perhaps the thing I disliked the most about this series was how the author developed the character Bodo over the entire 4 books, he was one of the major characters and yet she didn't tell the reader what happens to him in the end. I'm all for a good cliff-hanger but I wouldn't even call it that. She does a little '5 year later' epilogue at the end and he isn't even mentioned in it whereas the other two protagonists are, as well as some less important characters. It looks like she was in a rush to get the book out, if she'd just put a little more effort into the ending to tie everything together nicely it would have given a lot more reader satisfaction.

Overall, if you're into dystopian novels I would recommend it for the interesting storyline, but if you're expecting something beautifully written with an intricately structured storyline I wouldn't bother.

Rating 3/5

Autumn/Winter Outfit Idea :)

Shawl by stylishmuslimah 

My favourite Blair Waldorf outfits!

I've recently watched the entire series of Gossip Girl after a friend wouldn't stop raving about it and I fell in love with Blair Waldorf and her style. Here are some of my favourite outfits from the show.

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Hope you enjoyed! Now I'm in dire need of some ponchos..
xo xo StylishMuslimah

Hijab Review: Scarves Closet

Sorry for being MIA recently, my new job is shift work and I've pulled the short straw and ended up with loads of night shifts these last couple of weeks. 

I'm here today with a hijab review, not a regular thing on this blog but I liked the look of this site. It's a new site set up in England selling a range of scarves. I was sent the 'Azalea Ombre Paisley' scarf for review:

Dimensions: 180cm by 80cm. This is a pretty standard hijab size, enough to add folds etc, but not a maxi scarf. 

Material: 50% cotton, 50% viscose giving it a lightweight, soft feel. This combination makes for a great summer headscarf as it's more breathable than a fully viscose scarf (which I dread!).

Colours: Cute pastel colours that fade into each other, with a subtle paisley pattern. Nice summer scarf. So nice apparently that my mum has nicked it. 

Packaging: Loved it!

Price: £7.50. I've compared this with other ombre scarves out there and the price is reasonable.

If you want you can support this new business by checking out their fun collection of scarves here. :)

Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:

“If you see the black flags, then remain on the ground and do not move a hand or a leg (do not get involved with them). A group of weaklings will appear, their hearts like iron. They are the owners of the state. They fulfill neither a contract nor a covenant. They call to the truth, but they are not its people. Their names are a kunya (i.e. 'abu'..) and their lineage are a town (i.e. Baghdad). Their hair is like the hair of women. Do this until they differ in it between themselves; Allah will Give the right to whomever He desires.” 

[Imam Nu’aym ibn Hammad, Kitab al-Fitan]

RIP Alan Henning, a truly compassionate man who dedicated his life to helping others, ironically and sadly, Muslims. 

Samira Salih al-Nuaimi

- May this brave woman rest in peace -

Source

I recently heard of the sickening news of the 5-day torture and public murder of an Iraqi lawyer in ISIS-occupied Mousel, Iraq. She was apparently sentenced by a "SHARIA" court as a punishment for apostasy because she criticised their destruction of religious sites on Facebook. You can read more about the story here. 

What I find horrific about ISIS is that they honestly think that by killing people, controlling women and destroying everything around them that they will be rewarded with "72 virgins" in heaven. Really.....?!!!! Anyone is totally delusional if they think that is what heaven would be about, or even contain. Honestly, they really had better enjoy life while they can because they are going straight to hell, where hopefully they'll have burning hot stalagmites shoved right up their backsides. 

Office outfit idea

Can't remember source :S

For style inspiration.. loving that bag!

Office hijab look by stylishmuslimah 

Wishlist!

Well, more of a shopping list :D

A new laptop!! I'm thinking of jumping on the MacBook bandwagon as the reviews are really good and it looks cool but I'm not sure if it's worth it. Does anyone know of any good alternatives? I'm not studying anymore and have an iPad so only use my laptop for the internet, watching films and occasionally games and word processing. I've seen laptops for a couple hundred pounds with good reviews but I'm not sure. I currently have a Sony Vaio which served me well through university but it's dying on me :'(

Armani Mania perfume. One of the nicest perfumes I've ever smelt! I've re-bought it twice and need to stock up again.

Benefit They're Real mascara. If you're looking for the best mascara ever made, look no further. I've tried manyyy mascaras in my time and this is by far the best. Again, I need to repurchase.

Work clothes! Sooo alhamduli'Allah I got a job recently which insha'Allah I'll be starting in a couple of weeks (eek!). And a new job means a new wardrobe, right? I am planning to go on a *little* shopping spree next week. Maybe I'll show you guys the stuff in a haul post :D

A silver watch. I'm really liking this one. I have it in gold but it looks just as awesome in silver..

This River Island peplum jacket.. I LOVE it! Hope it's still in stock next time I'm there!

A cat ^-^ I actually really want a puppy but the rents wouldn't ever let me. Cats are the next best thing though and they're so bloody cute!

Ahhhhhh!!! Cuteness overload!!

Anyway! Does anyone have any laptop recommendations? Or shall I just get a MacBook?

Rest in peace Steven Sotloff.

The global silence of the Sunni sect is defeaning. Considering it is those of the extreme Sunni sect who are committing these atrocious acts of murder in Iraq and Syria I would have thought there would be an uproar around the world of Sunnis condemning ISIS. But apparently it's only fashionable to wear Gaza wristbands and condemn Starbucks these days.

I hope Allah (swt) grants Steven Sotloff, and everyone else murdered by ISIS, martyrdom. Insha'Allah the end is near for ISIS and all those who support them, be it openly or in their hearts.

Feminism and misandry

I've wanted to bring up this subject for a while but have held off as almost every female I speak to proclaims herself as a 'feminist', I'm starting to wonder if there are actually any females out there at all that see the massive flaw, coupled with the healthy dosing of hypocrisy, in the feminist ideology. 

Here I present a list of reasons I would never identify as a feminist in the Western world.

1. Equality Feminists believe that women do not have political, cultural, economic or social equality with men and that they must fight in order to attain this. In the Western world this goal has already been attained. To argue that women in the West don't have all the opportunities that men have and most of the time have things a lot easier, is laughable. In addition the very idea that the feminist moral compass only permits them to fight for female equality as opposed to human equality in general makes them lose even more credibility. 

2. Pay gap Feminists will often complain about the so-called 'gender pay gap'. In reality, women are more likely to choose to work fewer hours throughout their working lives, lowering the average (mean) wage of women. Women take maternity leave, and shock-horror, many choose to raise their own children. Men are twice as likely to work more than 40 hours per week as women, that is a fact. When you apply for a job the wage is fixed and advertised before interviewing, it does not change when a women gets that job. 

3. Objectification There is a belief amongst feminist that men are perverts who 'objectify' and degrade women. This viewpoint is constantly pushed everywhere in the media. What does 'objectify' mean anyway? "To reduce a person to the status of a mere object to be used" - this word is thrown around far too much by feminists to accuse men of being perverted; I see it as the result of the highly negative portrayal of male heterosexuality that has been over-taking the Western world for decades. 

It has gotten so bad that studies have found most men would be extremely reluctant to help a lost child or woman in need of help for fear of being suspected as a pervert. Simply put, if a man looks at a woman that the woman doesn't find attractive then he is a pervert, but if she thinks he is good looking then he is flattering. Who is really being objectified in this case? As for women being used to sell things in the media, they are not being forced, it is their choice to show or to cover up their bodies. Plus there are many occasions where male bodies have been used to sell things targeted at females. 

4. Media portrayal "Women are always sexual objects in the media blah blah blah wah wah wah". All you have to do is look at films and stereotypical characters in programmes to see that the vast majority of the time the 'villain' is a male, the attractive 'victim' is the female and the sweet, lovable character is the (feminine) gay guy. In addition, there is a huge about of double-standards and hypocrisy in what is acceptable for men to be portrayed as verses women. For example, it is completely normal for men to be portrayed as dirty, lazy idiots (and often, animals) in adverts and programmes and for the woman to be the sensible one that is clean and pro-active. Examples below. 

Imagine if those adverts were switched around for the woman to look like an idiot? Feminists would be the first to complain and get these adverts banned. But if men are portrayed in this way, they are expected to not complain and if they do, they're told to quit winging and 'man-up', probably by feminists. If feminists truly wanted equality, they would be just as pissed off by these sorts of negative portrayals of a single gender. 

Also, imagine having an advertising campaign for men like the Dove one for natural beauty with a bunch of overweight men in boxers talking about body-confidence? It'd be laughable. But for women, it's encouraged and woe to the man that criticizes it. 

5. Violence towards men vs. towards women If a man hits a woman he's a swine and deserves punishment. If a woman hits a man, she was probably just defending herself and she should be congratulated. Violence is never right, for either gender but feminists don't care about violence towards men. And the reality is that violence towards men committed by women is not less prevalent than the other way around, but men are less likely to report it or to be visibly injured by it. Why does society accept women's violence?

6. Value Feminists might complain that women are objectified and degraded by men and that their value is based directly on the way they look but the value of men is related directly to how 'useful' they are in society and how much they are willing to put the female life ahead of theirs. Almost everyone in the world will have heard of the phrase 'women and children', in wars, accidents, emergencies and famine the life of the woman and the child automatically takes precedence over that of the man. What's more, men are expected to put the life of females before theirs, always, and the man that doesn't he is a worthless, selfish individual. By simply being a woman, you have more of a right to life than a man. Not convinced? Who would the majority of people save first from a burning building if there was a man and a woman trapped inside?

To conclude, feminism in somewhere like Afghanistan is great but in the West feminism is just a way to promote hateful degradation of masculinity and to forge yet another group of 'victims' to be positively discriminated and given special attention. Want to be treated like a man? Stop winging like a woman then. :)