Writing on her own terms

Blogger and best selling author Shelina Zahra Janmohamed talks about the challenges facing the Asian Muslim woman.

Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is a woman who wears many head scarves! Award-winning blogger, widely-read columnist and popular television and radio commentator, this attractive and articulate U.K.-based writer was named as one of the UK's Muslim Women Power 100 list by The Times. Winner of the Muslim Writers' Awards 2008 for Best Published Non-Fiction, the writer is currently riding a wave with her debut novel. In a voice that rises above the cacophony of clichés, the author discusses her plunge into writing her first book (a huge milestone for any writer) and other matters close to the heart....

How easy or difficult is it being a writer in a headscarf?
I find that, in the cold winter air in London, it keeps my head warm while I think! Hmm, perhaps I should give a more serious answer. The challenge for any writer is to have their voice heard on their own terms. For a Muslim woman who wears a headscarf, my greatest challenge in writing Love in a Headscarf was to persuade publishers that a (Muslim Asian) woman who wears a headscarf can in fact have a positive, funny and honest story to tell.

Full report here Hindu

Tibetan blogosphere is vibrant and empowering

As a place to meet, share and exchange, the Tibetan blogosphere has created opportunities for Tibetan netizens that would be unimaginable in the offline world. Keeping in mind the state of internet censorship in the People’s Republic of China today, these new spaces can be seen as new outlets but also as new areas involving personal risk. Tibetan cyberspace has opened up a new opportunity for expression, which has also brought new risks to this community.

There are several blog-hosting sites, both Tibetan and Chinese, that are favoured by Tibetans in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) today. One of the of the most popular Chinese language sites is called Tibetan Culture Net or simply TibetCul. TibetCul was started by two brothers, Wangchuk Tseten and Tsewang Norbu, and their head office is in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province. According to Alexa, the web Information Company, TibetCul receives over 400,000 hits every month. TibetCul is primarily a news and blog-hosting site but there are many different sections on the site related to Tibetan music, literature, films and travel. There is a BBS forum (bulletin board) and there is even a section dedicated to “overseas Tibetans”.

For all Tibet related news, blogs and cultural activities, TibetCul is an invaluable resource and source of information. Many posts translated into English by High Peaks Pure Earth come from TibetCul, such as the translation of the popular Tibetan hip-hop song “New Generation” by Green Dragon that was first featured on the group’s TibetCul blog in February 2010 in which a gang of Amdo rappers boldly proclaimed:

“The new generation has a resource called youth
The new generation has a pride called confidence
The new generation has an appearance called playfulness
The new generation has a temptation called freedom”

Full report here thecommentfactory

Revolution from within

Meera Vijayann meets Anindita Sengupta, an enthusiastic blogger who attempts to redefine the title ‘feminist’ through the online medium

Female foeticide. Dishonour. Dowry deaths. Sexual harassment. Eve-teasing. Sixty three years after independence, these words continue to appear often in everyday conversation in India. Young women respond to these issues in different ways. Many have taken to voicing their opinion  and creating awareness online. The growing popularity of  blogs by women who write about their lives and their thoughts on social change is an example of this trend.

Bangalore-based writer and poet Anindita Sengupta’s blog provides her the forum to discuss issues which mean a lot o her. What started off as an idea is today one of India’s well-known feminist blogs — www.ultraviolet.in.

“Three years ago, I quit my corporate job after fighting a case of sexual harassment in the workplace. I realised that there weren’t enough resources for women to share their experiences of unfair treatment. I began blogging about my experiences and found that it generated substantial discussion,” she says.

Full report here Deccan Herald