By blending hot topics like birth control and arranged marriages with lighter articles on fashion and travel, Azizah has become the only lifestyle magazine by and for American Muslim women.
Founded by Trinidad-born Tayyibah Taylor and Indonesia-native Marlina Soerakoesoemah, the magazine aims to be inclusive. Azizah, meaning strong and noble, was chosen as the name because it is a common Muslim moniker.
Now in its fourth issue, the Atlanta-based quarterly has a circulation of over 35,000. Its goal is to be a forum for Muslim women to celebrate achievements and discuss issues, Soerakoesoemah said.
Greater awareness about Islam after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks led to an uptick in subscriptions. University lecturers in religious or women’s studies departments have also used articles from the magazine.
“Azizah competes with other women’s magazines for reader’s dollars. However, Muslims do not have to skip fashion pages or alter recipes because our content is directly targeted at them,” Taylor says.
For more information, visit www.azizahmagazine.com.
