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The Othered Woman: How White Feminism Harms Muslim Women

By Shahed Ezaydi

An essential addition to the intersectional feminism discourse, centred on gendered Islamophobia.

Feminism | Politics

78% funded

381 supporters

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FEATURED REWARD

$35 + shipping

120 pledges

Signed Paperback

First edition paperback, signed by Shahed.

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FEATURED REWARD

$125 + shipping

5 pledges

Book Club

Five signed first edition copies to read with your book club or friends.

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$15

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First edition paperback.

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Read with a Friend

Two signed first edition paperbacks.

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Shahed's Reading List

A PDF reading list curated by Shahed, containing books and other resources to aid understanding of the issues around white liberal feminism’s impact on Muslim women.

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Journalism Masterclass

Attend a virtual one hour journalism masterclass led by Shahed, a freelance writer and journalist specialising in features and reporting on politics, race, culture, and social issues. You’ll have the opportunity to ask Shahed questions at the end of the masterclass.
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$1,250 + shipping

1 pledge

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The Othered Woman: How White Feminism Harms Muslim Women is a contemporary collection of essays that expose the harm which the white feminist movement has inflicted, and continues to inflict, upon Muslim women worldwide.

"I want this book to serve as a foundation and a tool to both gain a better insight into the insidious nature of white feminism and to learn more about the lives and experiences of Muslim women across the world. We are more than just stereotypes. We are layered, complicated, and beautiful people - just like any other group of women - and our voices deserve to be heard and listened to."

White liberal feminism has long treated Muslim women as both invisible - by actively excluding them from women’s liberation movements, and hypervisible - with the near-obsession of liberating or ‘saving’ them. Both harm Muslim women. Although more people are waking up to the problematic nature of white feminism, it very rarely stretches to the conversations around just how closely intertwined white feminism and Islamophobia are.

In The Othered Woman: How White Feminism Harms Muslim Women, Shahed Ezaydi presents an insightful analysis of the various myths that white feminism holds regarding Muslim women, including single-issue oppression, liberation politics, the inherent misogyny of Muslim men, and much more. As part of her investigation, Shahed discovers many Muslim women who are rejecting the notion of a white Western feminism, and instead are fighting for their liberation in their own way.

Enlightening, accessible and absolutely indispensable, Shahed's debut book is a necessary read, offering a nuanced perspective to the ongoing discourse on intersectional women's rights.

Image credits: Design by Mecob. Book designs, cover and other images are for illustrative purposes and may differ from final design.

Support this project

Quick select rewards

FEATURED REWARD

$35 + shipping

120 pledges

Signed Paperback

First edition paperback, signed by Shahed.

PLUS:

The ebook
Your name in the back of the book

Choose this reward

FEATURED REWARD

$125 + shipping

5 pledges

Book Club

Five signed first edition copies to read with your book club or friends.

PLUS:

Five ebooks
Up to five names in the back of the book

Choose this reward

View all 9 rewards

Shahed Ezaydi

Shahed Ezaydi is a writer and journalist focusing on political and social issues, especially those that are marginalised and under-reported. She was previously the Deputy Editor of Aurelia Magazine, a publication that platforms the thoughts and feelings of marginalised genders. Shahed has also written for major publications such as: HuffPost, Vice, Glamour, Stylist, and gal-dem. She’s also made multiple radio appearances for platforms such as BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service and Times Radio.

Shahed has previously explored the areas of feminism and Islamophobia in her writing, separately to begin with, but is now marrying the two together and delving further into the relationship between them.

The Othered Woman: How White Feminism Harms Muslim Women is her first book.
Liberation politics: Beneath the veil

The way Muslim women dress has always been a source of debate and judgement and their clothing has become increasingly politicised over the years. A veiled Muslim woman is seen as oppressed and silenced. That’s before she’s even uttered a word. The hijab (a head covering) and the niqab (a head and face covering) bring with them a multitude of racist and Islamophobic stereotypes. She is submissive. She is uneducated. She does not speak English. These are stereotypes that we have seen all too often in how the media represents Muslim women, both in fiction and non-fiction formats. Homeland, an award-winning TV show, has been widely criticised as being ridden with Islamophobia tropes, particularly with how Muslim women are depicted.

Read more...
Shahed Ezaydi has written 3 private updates. You can pledge to get access to them all.

30th June 2023 Approaching 75% funded...

Well, I can't believe The Othered Woman is very nearly three-quarters funded, truly wild and brilliant! June has involved a lot of reading, researching, and writing and I'm getting close to finishing up a fourth chapter of the book. I had writing block for so long so it feels good to finally get words down on paper (aka a word doc) and hopefully this energy will carry me through writing for the rest…

22nd May 2023 9 months of crowdfunding...

Hello again! What a difference a couple of months can make eh. The last time I updated this page was back in early March and since then we've had Ramadan and Eid in April, as well as a job loss. I was sadly let go from my job at Bustle (journalism is truly on its knees at the mo!) at the end of March and since then, the job search is *real*. However, one thing that's kept me going and has given me…

8th March 2023 Happy IWD!

And just like that, we've reached another International Women's Day. As much as the day has been commercialised and become increasingly 'girlboss' feminism heavy, it's still a day that I find spreads love and compassion through radical feminism and grassroots & community-led activism. It also serves as a much needed reminder of all the women who came before us and the shoulders of giants we stand…

30th January 2023 Reaching the halfway point

Hello again! I cannot believe it but in just over four months of the crowdfunder being live, The Othered Woman is now 50% funded. Unbelievable... I'm so grateful to each and every one of you who have pledged for the book so far and who have made the likelihood of The Othered Woman appearing in bookshops that much more of a reality. This book is really important to me but I also think it's a much needed…

3rd January 2023 A very happy new year

Hello! I can't believe we're three days into 2023 already but I for one am glad to see the back of 2022. I'm a big fan of fresh starts, resolutions, and embracing the 'new me' attitude. Even if it only lasts for a few weeks... As well as exercising more and going on social media less, I also included feeling hopeful as one of my new year resolutions. I really do think hope is a powerful thing and…

21st November 2022 Approaching a third funded, thank you!

I still cannot believe that we launched The Othered Woman's crowdfunding campaign in September and we're already SO close to being a third funded! Not only that but I've also had so many lovely conversations with people and publications about the book and why it's so needed in the world of feminist literature, and beyond. So, I'm deeply humbled and honoured. But the hard work isn't over yet! If you…

3rd October 2022 A big old thank you

Hello! I can't believe our campaign for The Othered Woman launched 3 weeks ago today and it's already nearly 19% funded. I'm still wrapping my head around it all (I'm writing a book! What!) but the biggest of thank yous to everyone who has pledged so far, who have shared links on social media, and who have sent kind messages of support. I can't express how much the belief and support for my book has…
These people are helping to fund The Othered Woman: How White Feminism Harms Muslim Women.

Stephanie Webb

Gethin Thurlow

O A

Alessandra Vescio

Elizabeth Petrichor

Sean Lin

Diana Vladutu

Sivan Sardar

Chiara Creates

Nadeem Hussain

Ashleigh Dunne

Georgina Burgess

Aisha Ali

Farah Mendlesohn

Emily Castles

Mia Bridges

Saara Chowdhury

Katrina Davies

Abi Monaghan

Lucia Osborne-Crowley

Colleen Montgomery

Summer Manning

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The Othered Woman: How White Feminism Harms Muslim Women

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get my book delivered to?

How do supporter names work?

Will the book and rewards that I receive look the same as the images shown on the Unbound website?

Quick select rewards

About the author

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