What do you get if you cross young Muslims with hipsters? A group called ‘Mipsterz’. No joke! They are a group of Muslim youth based out of Brooklyn, NY who are progressive, but still honor their beliefs. While some will look at these youth and admire their tenacity, there are of course the opposition, often within their own community, who think it is pushing the boundaries too much and goes against their religion.
According to their Facebook page, the Mipsterz are people who stand at the forefront of the latest music, fashion, art, critical thinking, food, imagination, and creativity.
“A Mipster is someone who seeks inspiration from the Islamic tradition of divine scriptures, volumes of knowledge, mystical poets, bold prophets, inspirational politicians, and our fellow human beings searching for transcendental states of consciousness. A Mipster is an ironic identity… A Mipster has a social mind, and yearning for a more just order, a more inclusive community unbounded by stale categories, unwilling to plod blindly along in a world obsessed with class…The Mipster is a bold, yet humble mind, open to disparate ideas and firm enough in conviction to act, speak out and drop the hammer when the time is right.”
The “Mipsterz” first began as a satirical, thought-generating jab at corporate culture (e.g., Muppies) and evolved into a limitless collective that empowers individuals to find coolness in themselves and share their God given gifts with all.
True to the hipster mentality, they don’t want to be mainstream and even go as far as to say (in a bout of humor) that they will be forced to cancel events if they become to widely known. Their byline on the Facebook page even hilariously has a dig at hipsters saying “Wait, they hate us cuz we’re Muslims? I thought they hated us cuz we were hipsters!?”
While some have applauded the empowering nature of the video showing Muslim women riding skateboard in heels and hijabs, others say it is showing a westernization of a religion which normally shuns this very thing. Some have also criticized the use of Jay-Z’s ‘Somewhere in America’ track saying it is a juxtaposition to the video’s theme of love, friendship and empowerment.
Noor Tagouri, a 19 year old college student who was featured in the video says “I get it. This song isn’t exactly appropriate…[but] you really need to accept the fact that hijab is a personal choice and everyone interprets it differently…I’ve decided to take the positive from this video and leave the negative.” Noor wants to become the first Muslim hijabi anchorwoman in America.
We love that these young men and women are boldly declaring who they are without apology. While it may be controversial to others within their religious community, which we totally respect and understand, the fact is the world is changing rapidly and no matter what your beliefs of religious affiliations are, women are going to evolve and always be drawn to any platform which enables them to have a voice and which recognizes their worth. Sometimes we have to create our own platforms just to be heard, and this is exactly what the Mipsterz have done!
The video below was produced by a group called Sheikh & Bake productions whose aim is to produce short films which are thought-provoking, insightful, creative, and entertaining.
“We’re trying to create a culture that promotes freedom of expression, meaningful engagement with others, critical self-reflection, all while having fun doing it.” says their twitter bio.
The two male Mipsterz from the production company who made this happen are Abbas Rattani and Habib Yazdi. They say “Our goal is simple: to bring beauty and creativity into the world.
What do you think about this video and the portrayal of young Muslim hipsters? Is is a great display of progression and diversity, or is it pushing the boundaries too much in the wrong direction?
I fear for these bright young people. I don’t find it offensive at all, but I’m sure some others will. Some Muslims will not like this at all and the thing I fear is that they will do harm to these people. I respect that they have the guts to do this and when I think about it ~~ that is the only way things and thinking can change. Go for it!!
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