New Magazine in Vogue With Islamic Teenagers

May 31, 2007

Author: Michelle Keller

Source: Chicago Tribune

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The glossy pages of most teen mags feature articles on dating, celebrities' jaunts to and from rehab, and the latest miniskirt trend -- topics of little relevance to girls who grow up practicing Islam, which frowns upon such things.

But inside Muslim Girl magazine, which premiered its first issue this year, readers will not find "Guys: Decode His IMs" or "585 Sexy New Looks."

Rather, the magazine offers a profile of a professional woman (Mishal Hussain, a BBC broadcast journalist), a fashion spread in which models sport cute-yet-conservative clothes, and advice on dealing with crushes in a culture that looks down on dating.

Started by Ausma Khan, a former lawyer who taught international human rights law at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., Muslim Girl is aimed at 12- to 19-year-olds and is sold by subscription and at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide.

"I wanted to provide girls with an alternative to Cosmo Girl! and Seventeen, where they would see fun stories about popular culture but ... also provide guidance and information to boost their self-esteem, develop their self-confidence," said Khan, who lives in Evanston. "We wanted to tell the stories of real American Muslims."