VOICE OF GLOBAL UMMAH
Volume 52, November 3, 2008
St. Louis, Missouri
Editors: Mohamed and Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
St. Louis, Missouri
Editors: Mohamed and Rashida Ziauddin
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent and the Most Merciful
CONTENTS:
1) Assassination plot targeting Obama disrupted
2) Astronauts to Vote From Space Station: 220 miles above Earth.
3) Ugly election incidents show lingering US racism
4) Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Action Alert
5) Voices of Obama resound from far (Gaza Strip)
6) Third International Congress on Islamic Feminism- Fighting for Muslim Women's Rights
(1) Assassination plot targeting Obama disrupted
(Yahoo News, Oct 27, 2008)
(Yahoo News, Oct 27, 2008)
Associated Press Writer Lara Jakes Jordan
WASHINGTON – Federal agents have broken up a plot by two neo-Nazi skinheads to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives said Monday.
In court records unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn., federal agents said they disrupted plans to rob a gun store and target a predominantly African-American high school in a murder spree that was to begin in Tennessee. Agents said the skinheads did not identify the school by name.
In court records unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn., federal agents said they disrupted plans to rob a gun store and target a predominantly African-American high school in a murder spree that was to begin in Tennessee. Agents said the skinheads did not identify the school by name.
Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of ATF's Nashville field office, said the two men planned to shoot 88 black people and decapitate another 14. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.
The men also sought to go on a national killing spree after the Tennessee murders, with Obama as its final target, Cavanaugh told The Associated Press.
"They said that would be their last, final act — that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," Cavanaugh said. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying."
The men also sought to go on a national killing spree after the Tennessee murders, with Obama as its final target, Cavanaugh told The Associated Press.
"They said that would be their last, final act — that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," Cavanaugh said. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying."
An Obama spokeswoman traveling with the senator in Pennsylvania had no immediate comment.
The men, Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of West Helena, Ark., are being held without bond. Agents seized a rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and three pistols from the men when they were arrested. Authorities alleged the two men were preparing to break into a gun shop to steal more.
Attorney Joe Byrd, who has been hired to represent Cowart, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.
The men, Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of West Helena, Ark., are being held without bond. Agents seized a rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and three pistols from the men when they were arrested. Authorities alleged the two men were preparing to break into a gun shop to steal more.
Attorney Joe Byrd, who has been hired to represent Cowart, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.
Cowart and Schlesselman are charged with possessing an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer, and threatening a candidate for president.
The investigation is continuing, and more charges are possible, Cavanaugh said.
The court records say Cowart and Schlesselman also bought nylon rope and ski masks to use in a robbery or home invasion to fund their spree, during which they allegedly planned to go from state to state and kill people.
For the Obama plot, the legal documents show, Cowart and Schlesselman "planned to drive their vehicle as fast as they could toward Obama shooting at him from the windows."
The investigation is continuing, and more charges are possible, Cavanaugh said.
The court records say Cowart and Schlesselman also bought nylon rope and ski masks to use in a robbery or home invasion to fund their spree, during which they allegedly planned to go from state to state and kill people.
For the Obama plot, the legal documents show, Cowart and Schlesselman "planned to drive their vehicle as fast as they could toward Obama shooting at him from the windows."
"Both individuals stated they would dress in all white tuxedos and wear top hats during the assassination attempt," the court complaint states. "Both individuals further stated they knew they would and were willing to die during this attempt."
Cavanaugh said there's no evidence — so far — that others were willing to assist Cowart and Schlesselman with the plot.
He said authorities took the threats very seriously. "They seemed determined to do it," Cavanaugh said. "Even if they were just to try it, it would be a trail of tears around the South."
Cavanaugh said there's no evidence — so far — that others were willing to assist Cowart and Schlesselman with the plot.
He said authorities took the threats very seriously. "They seemed determined to do it," Cavanaugh said. "Even if they were just to try it, it would be a trail of tears around the South."
(2) Astronauts to Vote From Space Station (220 miles above Earth)
Tariq Malik, Senior Editor
Yahoo News 11/03/08
Yahoo News 11/03/08
While most Americans will flock to the polls Tuesday - Nov 4, 2008 to cast their vote for the next U.S. President, two U.S. citizens will beam their ballots down from the International Space Station as they fly 220 miles (354 km) above Earth.
Like all U.S. spaceflyers since 1997, NASA astronauts Michael Fincke and Gregory Chamitoff can vote in their local and national elections, thanks to a handy Texas state law that ensures their ballots can be counted, EVEN FROM SPACE.
"So, I'm going to exercise my privilege as a citizen and actually vote from space on Election Day", Fincke, the space station's Expedition 18 commander told SPACE.com before he left Earth.
Like all U.S. spaceflyers since 1997, NASA astronauts Michael Fincke and Gregory Chamitoff can vote in their local and national elections, thanks to a handy Texas state law that ensures their ballots can be counted, EVEN FROM SPACE.
"So, I'm going to exercise my privilege as a citizen and actually vote from space on Election Day", Fincke, the space station's Expedition 18 commander told SPACE.com before he left Earth.
"VOTING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENT AMERICANS CAN MAKE IN FULFILLING A CHERISHED RIGHT TO SELECT ITS LEADERS," FINCKE SAID IN A NASA TV VIDEO WITH CHAMITOFF.
"SO THIS ELECTION DAY, TAKE TIME TO GO TO THE POLLS AND VOTE. IF WE CAN DO IT (FROM SPACE), SO CAN YOU".
"SO THIS ELECTION DAY, TAKE TIME TO GO TO THE POLLS AND VOTE. IF WE CAN DO IT (FROM SPACE), SO CAN YOU".
(3) Ugly election incidents show lingering U.S. racism
By Carey Gillam Carey Gillam
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – Two weeks before an election that could install the first black U.S. president, scattered ugly incidents have reflected a deep residue of racism among some segments of white America.
A cardboard likeness of Barack Obama was found strung from fishing wire at a university, the Democratic presidential nominee's face was depicted on mock food stamps, the body of a black bear was left at another university with Obama posters attached to it.
Though the incidents are sporadic and apparently isolated, they stirred up memories of the violent racial past of a country where segregation and lynchings only ended within the last 50 years.
And some feared that Obama could be a target for people who reject him on racial grounds alone. The Illinois senator leads Republican rival John McCain in polls ahead of the November 4 election and has a big following in many sections of Americans, from liberals to conservatives, black and white, poor and wealthy.
And some feared that Obama could be a target for people who reject him on racial grounds alone. The Illinois senator leads Republican rival John McCain in polls ahead of the November 4 election and has a big following in many sections of Americans, from liberals to conservatives, black and white, poor and wealthy.
"Many whites feel they are losing their country right before their eyes," said Mark Potok, who directs the Southern Poverty Law Center that monitors hate groups. "What we are seeing at this moment is the beginning of a real backlash."
Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said the incidents were disappointing but he said there were fewer than some had predicted.
"We've always acknowledged that race is not something that's been eradicated from our politics," said Axelrod. "But we've never felt that it would be an inseperable barrier and I don't think that it will be."
Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said the incidents were disappointing but he said there were fewer than some had predicted.
"We've always acknowledged that race is not something that's been eradicated from our politics," said Axelrod. "But we've never felt that it would be an inseperable barrier and I don't think that it will be."
The latest incident occurred on Monday when the body of bear cub was found on the campus of Western Carolina University in North Carolina. Obama campaign signs were placed around the dead animal's head. School officials said it was a prank.
Earlier a cardboard likeness of Obama was strung up with fishing wire from a tree at a university in Oregon and an Ohio man hung a figure bearing an Obama sign from a tree in his yard. The man told local media he didn't want to see an African-American running the country.
ANGRY INDIVIDUALS
Potok said the displays of racism did not appear orchestrated as part of a campaign of racial intimidation, but were rather the acts of angry individuals. Their voices are often heard in radio call-back shows or letters to editors.
Many Americans "see the rise of minority rights, gay rights, women's rights as a threat to the world they grew up in and that their parents grew up in. They see huge demographic changes," he said.
Many Americans "see the rise of minority rights, gay rights, women's rights as a threat to the world they grew up in and that their parents grew up in. They see huge demographic changes," he said.
"They see jobs disappearing to other countries, and now they see a man who is African American and who will very likely become president of the United States. For some of those people that symbolizes the end of the world as they know it."
He estimated there were as many as 800 white supremacy or nationalist groups in the United States, with at least 100,000 as "an inner core" of membership and many more on the fringes.
One such group, the League of American Patriots, last month distributed literature about why a "black ruler" would destroy the country.
Michigan State University professor Ronald Hall, writing in his new book "Racism in the 21st Century," said racism remains one of the most pressing U.S. social problems, though it now takes forms that are more subtle than the lynchings and mob violence seen decades ago in some parts of the country.
Some groups tagged with racist acts deny the charge.
In California, a Republican group said it intended no racial overtone when its October newsletter depicted a fake food stamp bearing a likeness of Obama's head on a donkey's body surrounded by fried chicken, watermelon and other images evoking insulting stereotypes about African-Americans.
Some acts have targeted not Obama's black heritage -- his father was Kenyan and his white mother was from Kansas -- but the false notion that he is a Muslim.
A derogatory billboard in West Plains, Mo., went up last month showing a caricature of Obama wearing a turban.
A derogatory billboard in West Plains, Mo., went up last month showing a caricature of Obama wearing a turban.
"There are a lot of Republicans and McCain supporters who find it hard to believe that a black guy whose middle name is Hussein is going to be the next president of the United States," said David Bositis, senior research associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.
David Wolff, a 52-year-old white Pennsylvania voter who plans to cast his ballot for Obama, said he commonly hears racist comments and thinks such sentiments are deeply rooted across America.
"One thing that could speed up the eradication of racism would be to have a charismatic, inspirational, transformational, generational black president," he said.
ACTION REQUESTED
1. GO TO THE POLLS on Tuesday and VOTE!
2. TAKE A MUSLIM friend or family member along with you to vote.
3. REPORT any incidents of voter intimidation, harassment or denial of the right to vote to CAIR. Contact CAIR by calling 202-488-8787, or by e-mailing csaylor@cair.com
4. DISTRIBUTE this alert on your personal e-mail list.
1. KNOW WHERE TO GO. In many states, you will NOT be allowed to vote if you show up at the wrong polling place. Your board of elections can tell you where to vote. Call today to locate your polling place. If you can't reach your board, call 1-866-OURVOTE.
Whether it's problems registering, accessing the polling station, missing absentee ballots, or operating a voting machine, the Voter Hotline on the political ticker provides reporting on the latest voting problems across the country. If you have a problem voting or see one, please call the CNN Voter Hotline at 877-GOCNN-08
or 877-462-6608 or visit www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/voter.hotline where you can submit an ireport.
David Wolff, a 52-year-old white Pennsylvania voter who plans to cast his ballot for Obama, said he commonly hears racist comments and thinks such sentiments are deeply rooted across America.
"One thing that could speed up the eradication of racism would be to have a charismatic, inspirational, transformational, generational black president," he said.
(4) COUNCIL OF AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS (CAIR) ACTION ALERT #552
MUSLIMS URGED TO VOTE IN RECORD NUMBERS
Exercise your rights, defend your future
Exercise your rights, defend your future
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/3/2008) CAIR is urging every eligible Muslim voter to go to the polls on November 4 and vote for the candidates of their choice.
To help get out the Muslim vote nationwide, CAIR:
1) held candidate forums
2)distributed voter guides
3) organized voter registration drives
4) hosted political participation workshops in mosques
5) sponsored meetings with elected representatives
6) participated in get-out-the-vote (GOTV) drives, and
7) urged American Muslims to vote as a positive response to Islamophobia in the election campaign.
To help get out the Muslim vote nationwide, CAIR:
1) held candidate forums
2)distributed voter guides
3) organized voter registration drives
4) hosted political participation workshops in mosques
5) sponsored meetings with elected representatives
6) participated in get-out-the-vote (GOTV) drives, and
7) urged American Muslims to vote as a positive response to Islamophobia in the election campaign.
"As a vocal minority seeks to marginalize the Islamic community, it is more important than even for American Muslims to turn out on Tuesday to vote," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad said CAIR will conduct an exit poll of Muslim voters.
ACTION REQUESTED
1. GO TO THE POLLS on Tuesday and VOTE!
2. TAKE A MUSLIM friend or family member along with you to vote.
3. REPORT any incidents of voter intimidation, harassment or denial of the right to vote to CAIR. Contact CAIR by calling 202-488-8787, or by e-mailing csaylor@cair.com
4. DISTRIBUTE this alert on your personal e-mail list.
WHAT TO DO ON ELECTION DAY
1. KNOW WHERE TO GO. In many states, you will NOT be allowed to vote if you show up at the wrong polling place. Your board of elections can tell you where to vote. Call today to locate your polling place. If you can't reach your board, call 1-866-OURVOTE.
2. BRING PROPER IDENTIFICATION. Proper forms of ID can include a driver's license, a utility bill or another document that includes your name and address. Make sure the ID matches your address.
3. READ SIGNS AT POLLING PLACES for instructions on how to vote and how to file a complaint if you believe your rights have been violated.
3. READ SIGNS AT POLLING PLACES for instructions on how to vote and how to file a complaint if you believe your rights have been violated.
4. REVIEW THE SAMPLE BALLOT BEFORE VOTING. Ballots are often confusing, and their designs can change considerably from election to election. If you have questions about how to vote on your ballot, ask a poll worker or poll monitor for help.
5. CHECK YOUR BALLOT BEFORE CASTING YOUR VOTE. If you are having a problem understanding instructions, or if you just want to make sure you are voting in the correct manner, ask to speak to a poll worker
6. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CONCERNING "PROVISIONAL BALLOTS." No voter can be turned away in any state without being allowed to vote. If there is a question about your eligibility, you must be allowed to vote on a provisional ballot, the validity of which will be determined later. But if you are entitled to vote on a regular ballot, you should insist on doing so, since a provisional ballot may be disqualified later on a technicality.
5. CHECK YOUR BALLOT BEFORE CASTING YOUR VOTE. If you are having a problem understanding instructions, or if you just want to make sure you are voting in the correct manner, ask to speak to a poll worker
6. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CONCERNING "PROVISIONAL BALLOTS." No voter can be turned away in any state without being allowed to vote. If there is a question about your eligibility, you must be allowed to vote on a provisional ballot, the validity of which will be determined later. But if you are entitled to vote on a regular ballot, you should insist on doing so, since a provisional ballot may be disqualified later on a technicality.
7. KNOW WHERE TO TURN FOR HELP. It is a good idea to bring a cell phone and phone numbers of nonpartisan hotlines such as 1-866-OURVOTE and 1-866-MYVOTE1.
8. BE PREPARED FOR LONG LINES. Try to get to your polling place very early in the morning, or between the before-work and after-work rushes. As long as you are in line before the polls close, you are legally entitled to vote. Do not let poll workers close the polls until you have voted.
CNN Voter Hotline8. BE PREPARED FOR LONG LINES. Try to get to your polling place very early in the morning, or between the before-work and after-work rushes. As long as you are in line before the polls close, you are legally entitled to vote. Do not let poll workers close the polls until you have voted.
Whether it's problems registering, accessing the polling station, missing absentee ballots, or operating a voting machine, the Voter Hotline on the political ticker provides reporting on the latest voting problems across the country. If you have a problem voting or see one, please call the CNN Voter Hotline at 877-GOCNN-08
or 877-462-6608 or visit www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/voter.hotline where you can submit an ireport.
(5) "PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING THE MOST IN THE WORLD"
- BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA
- BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA
"Voices for Obama resound from afar,"
By Carolynne Wheeler
"Globe and Mail"
October 27. 2008
"Globe and Mail"
October 27. 2008
NUSSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, GAZA STRIP
For every point that U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama gains ahead of the Nov. 4 election, a young student in a sparsely furnished room an ocean away is taking enormous satisfaction.
For months, Ibrahim Abu Jayyab has been working through the night, telephoning American voters at random to plead in broken English that they support his favourite candidate. Never mind that most of the people Mr. Abu Jayyab calls don't even know where the Gaza Strip is, much less understand why this man with heavily accented English crackling down the phone line should care about the U.S. presidential race. "Obama is the best candidate. He has leadership qualities, he is charismatic. Once he said the Palestinian people are suffering most in the world,"
Mr. Abu Jayyab says, his eyes heavy after another late night, already back at the computer that is his pride and joy in a life otherwise dominated by poverty. On screen is an enormous photo of Mr. Obama in a classic pose - which has, perhaps, inspired Mr. Abu Jayyab's recurring dreams, of Mr. Obama putting a hand on his shoulder and promising peace.
A media student at Gaza's al-Aqsa University, Mr. Abu Jayyab, 23, has chafed at the strict religious rule enforced since the Islamist Hamas organization took control 17 months ago. A heavy economic embargo, imposed by the international community after Hamas's refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence, has collapsed Gaza's economy and squelched any hope of finding a decent job after graduation.
Like most in Gaza and across the Arab world, the young man blames U.S. President George W. Bush for the mess, in part for his unwavering support of Israel. So when a young, black American senator emerged as the front-runner in the Democratic primaries, he found himself hoping for change, even here in the never-changing Middle East.
Mr. Abu Jayyab, who speaks little English and at first left only practised messages on telephone answering machines, has since enlisted the help of 15 friends to use computer VOIP programs, including iCall, to randomly call U.S. telephone numbers. They frequently meet in a nearby Internet café, where they work in fear that Hamas forces or even more radical groups will burst in.
Of the dozens of calls they'll make each night between midnight and 4 a.m. - early evening in most of the United States - Mr. Abu Jayyab and his friends say they may only speak to one out of every 10 households. They've encountered answering machines, small children, and often people impatient with their Arabic-accented English....
For every point that U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama gains ahead of the Nov. 4 election, a young student in a sparsely furnished room an ocean away is taking enormous satisfaction.
For months, Ibrahim Abu Jayyab has been working through the night, telephoning American voters at random to plead in broken English that they support his favourite candidate. Never mind that most of the people Mr. Abu Jayyab calls don't even know where the Gaza Strip is, much less understand why this man with heavily accented English crackling down the phone line should care about the U.S. presidential race. "Obama is the best candidate. He has leadership qualities, he is charismatic. Once he said the Palestinian people are suffering most in the world,"
Mr. Abu Jayyab says, his eyes heavy after another late night, already back at the computer that is his pride and joy in a life otherwise dominated by poverty. On screen is an enormous photo of Mr. Obama in a classic pose - which has, perhaps, inspired Mr. Abu Jayyab's recurring dreams, of Mr. Obama putting a hand on his shoulder and promising peace.
A media student at Gaza's al-Aqsa University, Mr. Abu Jayyab, 23, has chafed at the strict religious rule enforced since the Islamist Hamas organization took control 17 months ago. A heavy economic embargo, imposed by the international community after Hamas's refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence, has collapsed Gaza's economy and squelched any hope of finding a decent job after graduation.
Like most in Gaza and across the Arab world, the young man blames U.S. President George W. Bush for the mess, in part for his unwavering support of Israel. So when a young, black American senator emerged as the front-runner in the Democratic primaries, he found himself hoping for change, even here in the never-changing Middle East.
Mr. Abu Jayyab, who speaks little English and at first left only practised messages on telephone answering machines, has since enlisted the help of 15 friends to use computer VOIP programs, including iCall, to randomly call U.S. telephone numbers. They frequently meet in a nearby Internet café, where they work in fear that Hamas forces or even more radical groups will burst in.
Of the dozens of calls they'll make each night between midnight and 4 a.m. - early evening in most of the United States - Mr. Abu Jayyab and his friends say they may only speak to one out of every 10 households. They've encountered answering machines, small children, and often people impatient with their Arabic-accented English....
(6) Fighting for Muslim Women's Rights
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Oct 27, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk
Oct 27, 2008
Some of the world's leading Islamic feminists have been gathered in Barcelona for the Third International Congress on Islamic Feminism, to discuss the issues women face in the Muslim world. Some of the women taking part in the conference explained the problems in their home countries, and where they hoped to make progress.
Islam is influenced by the culture of the country it enters
ASMA BARLAS, Author, Pakistan
Religions always come into cultures, they don't come into abstract and pure spaces. Islam came into a very patriarchal, tribal and misogynistic culture. One of the deepest damages to Islam has been its reduction to "Arabisation". Pakistani women protest Islam is influenced by the culture of the country it enters I'm not going to say that the Arabs are particularly misogynistic in a way that nobody else is, but I do think there are very particular traits and attitudes towards women that have crept into Islam.
I have a friend who has been studying the interface between what he calls the Persian models and the Arabist models of Islam in the subcontinent and surprise, surprise: the Arabist models are misogynistic, authoritarian, unitarian and the Persian models are much more plural and tolerant.
This is a fight on two fronts - on the one hand we are struggling against the kinds of oppression dominant in Muslim patriarch societies and, on the other, Western perceptions of Islam as necessarily monolithic, and confusing the ideals of Islam with the reality of Muslim lives. If we read the Koran as a totality rather than pulling out random verses or half a line, that opens all kinds of possibilities for sexual equality.
RAFIAH AL-TALEI, journalist, Oman
Oman is relatively liberal, women are free to choose what to wear, and can choose their jobs and education. And the law does not require us to wear any particular form of clothing. But there are strong social and cultural factors - coming from the fact that we are in Arabia - that limit women. Sharia is fair, but it is the wrong interpretations that are the problem. Male judges often don't understand the principal goals of sharia As a journalist, it has not been hard for me to work among men, but it has been hard for some of my colleagues whose families told them this was not "appropriate" work for them.
The biggest difficulties are the social and cultural factors, and some aspects of law. For example, women who marry a foreigner cannot pass on their nationality to their children, whereas men in that situation can. Religion is not an issue in our struggle, although there are problems with family law about divorce and marriage status.
Omani laws are based on sharia law. Sharia is fair, but it is the wrong interpretations that are the problem. Male judges often don't understand the principal goals of sharia. We feel the law is fair, but ends up being unfair for women because of how judges interpret it. Cultural and social factors often get mixed up with religion. Educated women can be more empowered and separate the two, but many don't dare challenge the conventions.
A Muslim woman in Malaysia in a textiles shop
Asian Muslim states have very different traditions to Middle Eastern countries
NORANI OTHMAN, Scholar-activist, Malaysia
I don't think it is any more difficult to be an Islamic feminist than a non-Muslim, or secular feminist. Asian Muslim states have very different traditions to Middle Eastern countries Feminists in general have to face up to political and cultural obstacles, to achieve our objectives of women's rights. Even Western feminists have had a similar history - having to engage with certain religious beliefs not conducive to gender equality.
Perhaps the only distinctive difference peculiar to Muslim feminists is that we are caught in the cross-currents of modernisation and a changing society, due to a modern economy on the one hand and the global resurgence of political Islam on the other. Political Islam wants to impose a world view about the gender order that is not consistent with the realities and the lived experiences of Muslim men and women in contemporary society.
Our detractors would hurl empty accusations at us - calling us Western, secular or anti-Islamic There is a difference between South East Asian Muslim countries and the ones in the Middle East - culturally we are less patriarchal, we can always respond to our detractors by pointing out we don't have the cultural practices that they do. Our arguments are rooted within Islam - we want renewal and transformation within the Islamic framework. They don't like that. We have a holistic approach, seeking gender equality within the Islamic framework, supported by constitutional guarantees.
We see that these are not inconsistent with the message of the Koran, particularly during its formative stages. We have to understand the history and cultural context and extract the principle that will be applicable in modern times.
SITI MUSDAH MULIA, Academic, Indonesia
In my experience, I find that it is very difficult to make Indonesian Muslim women aware that politics is their right. In Indonesian society, politics is always conceived as cruel and dirty, so not many women want to get involved, they think it is just for men. According to the [radicalist] Islamic understanding, women should be confined to the home, and the domestic sphere alone. We try to make women understand that politics is one of our duties and rights and they can become involved without losing their femininity.
Personally, I'm non-partisan, I'm not linked to one political party because, in Indonesia, the political parties often discriminate against women. I struggle from outside the political sphere to make it women-friendly, to reform political parties and the political system. One day, I hope to be involved more directly, if the system becomes more women-friendly. We have passed a law about affirmative action and achieving 30% female representation, but we won't see if it is implemented until after 2009 elections. We are waiting.
In Indonesia, some groups support us, but some radical groups oppose what we are trying to achieve. They accuse me, accuse feminist Muslims, of being infidels, of wanting to damage Islamic affairs. According to their Islamic understanding, women should be confined to the home, and the domestic sphere alone.
AMINA WADUD, Academic, United States
There are many more conversations going on today between different interpretations of Islam. Some interpretations are very narrow, some are more broad, principled, ethically-based. Unless we have sufficient knowledge about Islam, we cannot bring about reform of Islam. I am not talking about re-interpretation, I am talking more about gender-inclusive interpretation.
Islam and feminism are not mutually exclusive
Turkish woman protesting for headscarf. We have a lot of information about men's interpretations of Islam, and of what it means to be a woman in Islam. We don't have equal amounts of information about what women say it means to be a good woman in Islam. Now it's time for men to be active listeners, and after listening, to be active participants in bringing about reform.
There is a tendency to say that it is Islam that prohibits women from driving a car, for example, when women drive cars all over the world except in one country. So then you know it is not Islam. Islam has much more flexibility, but patriarchy tends to have the same objective, and that is to limit our ability to understand ourselves as Muslims.
I have always defined myself as pro-faith and pro-feminism. I do not wish to sacrifice my faith for anybody's conception of feminism, nor do I sacrifice the struggle and actions for full equality of women, Muslim and non-Muslim women, for any religion. Islamic feminism is not an either/or, you can be Muslim and feminist and strive for women's rights and not call yourself a feminist.
FATIMA KHAFAJI, Consultant, Egypt
In Egypt, Islamic feminism is a way for women activists to reach a large number of ordinary women in the villages and in urban low-income areas, using a framework of Islam. So there would be a reference to Islam when talking about women's rights. Experience has shown that that is an easy way to get women to accept what you're saying. Not many women get information about women's rights easily, so you have to counter what has been fed to them, to both men and women, from the strict, conventional, religious people who have more access to women.
They have their own idea of women's rights in Islam - that is, patriarchal, still limiting opportunities for women. But women have been receiving this concept for ages, through the radio, TV, mosques, so the challenge is how to give them another view, of enlightened Islam, that talks about changing gender roles. It's not an easy job. Sexual harassment is happening because men think the control of women's bodies is a matter for them.
Historically, in Egypt in the feminist movement, there have been both Muslim and Christian women. It has never been a problem. Unfortunately nowadays, it has become a problem. Religious discrimination has been dividing people very much. We have to think carefully about how to supersede the differences. With family law, we're aiming to change the philosophy of the law itself.
Traditional family law puts women down. I can see this whole notion of "women do not have control over their bodies" in so many laws, in the penal code and family law. Even the decision whether to have children is the decision of men. This whole notion has to be changed in a dramatic way if we are really going to talk about women's rights in Egypt.
Islam is influenced by the culture of the country it entersASMA BARLAS, Author, Pakistan
Religions always come into cultures, they don't come into abstract and pure spaces. Islam came into a very patriarchal, tribal and misogynistic culture. One of the deepest damages to Islam has been its reduction to "Arabisation". Pakistani women protest Islam is influenced by the culture of the country it enters I'm not going to say that the Arabs are particularly misogynistic in a way that nobody else is, but I do think there are very particular traits and attitudes towards women that have crept into Islam.
I have a friend who has been studying the interface between what he calls the Persian models and the Arabist models of Islam in the subcontinent and surprise, surprise: the Arabist models are misogynistic, authoritarian, unitarian and the Persian models are much more plural and tolerant.
This is a fight on two fronts - on the one hand we are struggling against the kinds of oppression dominant in Muslim patriarch societies and, on the other, Western perceptions of Islam as necessarily monolithic, and confusing the ideals of Islam with the reality of Muslim lives. If we read the Koran as a totality rather than pulling out random verses or half a line, that opens all kinds of possibilities for sexual equality.
RAFIAH AL-TALEI, journalist, Oman
Oman is relatively liberal, women are free to choose what to wear, and can choose their jobs and education. And the law does not require us to wear any particular form of clothing. But there are strong social and cultural factors - coming from the fact that we are in Arabia - that limit women. Sharia is fair, but it is the wrong interpretations that are the problem. Male judges often don't understand the principal goals of sharia As a journalist, it has not been hard for me to work among men, but it has been hard for some of my colleagues whose families told them this was not "appropriate" work for them.
The biggest difficulties are the social and cultural factors, and some aspects of law. For example, women who marry a foreigner cannot pass on their nationality to their children, whereas men in that situation can. Religion is not an issue in our struggle, although there are problems with family law about divorce and marriage status.
Omani laws are based on sharia law. Sharia is fair, but it is the wrong interpretations that are the problem. Male judges often don't understand the principal goals of sharia. We feel the law is fair, but ends up being unfair for women because of how judges interpret it. Cultural and social factors often get mixed up with religion. Educated women can be more empowered and separate the two, but many don't dare challenge the conventions.
A Muslim woman in Malaysia in a textiles shopAsian Muslim states have very different traditions to Middle Eastern countries
NORANI OTHMAN, Scholar-activist, Malaysia
I don't think it is any more difficult to be an Islamic feminist than a non-Muslim, or secular feminist. Asian Muslim states have very different traditions to Middle Eastern countries Feminists in general have to face up to political and cultural obstacles, to achieve our objectives of women's rights. Even Western feminists have had a similar history - having to engage with certain religious beliefs not conducive to gender equality.
Perhaps the only distinctive difference peculiar to Muslim feminists is that we are caught in the cross-currents of modernisation and a changing society, due to a modern economy on the one hand and the global resurgence of political Islam on the other. Political Islam wants to impose a world view about the gender order that is not consistent with the realities and the lived experiences of Muslim men and women in contemporary society.
Our detractors would hurl empty accusations at us - calling us Western, secular or anti-Islamic There is a difference between South East Asian Muslim countries and the ones in the Middle East - culturally we are less patriarchal, we can always respond to our detractors by pointing out we don't have the cultural practices that they do. Our arguments are rooted within Islam - we want renewal and transformation within the Islamic framework. They don't like that. We have a holistic approach, seeking gender equality within the Islamic framework, supported by constitutional guarantees.
We see that these are not inconsistent with the message of the Koran, particularly during its formative stages. We have to understand the history and cultural context and extract the principle that will be applicable in modern times.
SITI MUSDAH MULIA, Academic, Indonesia
In my experience, I find that it is very difficult to make Indonesian Muslim women aware that politics is their right. In Indonesian society, politics is always conceived as cruel and dirty, so not many women want to get involved, they think it is just for men. According to the [radicalist] Islamic understanding, women should be confined to the home, and the domestic sphere alone. We try to make women understand that politics is one of our duties and rights and they can become involved without losing their femininity.
Personally, I'm non-partisan, I'm not linked to one political party because, in Indonesia, the political parties often discriminate against women. I struggle from outside the political sphere to make it women-friendly, to reform political parties and the political system. One day, I hope to be involved more directly, if the system becomes more women-friendly. We have passed a law about affirmative action and achieving 30% female representation, but we won't see if it is implemented until after 2009 elections. We are waiting.
In Indonesia, some groups support us, but some radical groups oppose what we are trying to achieve. They accuse me, accuse feminist Muslims, of being infidels, of wanting to damage Islamic affairs. According to their Islamic understanding, women should be confined to the home, and the domestic sphere alone.
AMINA WADUD, Academic, United States
There are many more conversations going on today between different interpretations of Islam. Some interpretations are very narrow, some are more broad, principled, ethically-based. Unless we have sufficient knowledge about Islam, we cannot bring about reform of Islam. I am not talking about re-interpretation, I am talking more about gender-inclusive interpretation.
Islam and feminism are not mutually exclusiveTurkish woman protesting for headscarf. We have a lot of information about men's interpretations of Islam, and of what it means to be a woman in Islam. We don't have equal amounts of information about what women say it means to be a good woman in Islam. Now it's time for men to be active listeners, and after listening, to be active participants in bringing about reform.
There is a tendency to say that it is Islam that prohibits women from driving a car, for example, when women drive cars all over the world except in one country. So then you know it is not Islam. Islam has much more flexibility, but patriarchy tends to have the same objective, and that is to limit our ability to understand ourselves as Muslims.
I have always defined myself as pro-faith and pro-feminism. I do not wish to sacrifice my faith for anybody's conception of feminism, nor do I sacrifice the struggle and actions for full equality of women, Muslim and non-Muslim women, for any religion. Islamic feminism is not an either/or, you can be Muslim and feminist and strive for women's rights and not call yourself a feminist.
FATIMA KHAFAJI, Consultant, Egypt
In Egypt, Islamic feminism is a way for women activists to reach a large number of ordinary women in the villages and in urban low-income areas, using a framework of Islam. So there would be a reference to Islam when talking about women's rights. Experience has shown that that is an easy way to get women to accept what you're saying. Not many women get information about women's rights easily, so you have to counter what has been fed to them, to both men and women, from the strict, conventional, religious people who have more access to women.
They have their own idea of women's rights in Islam - that is, patriarchal, still limiting opportunities for women. But women have been receiving this concept for ages, through the radio, TV, mosques, so the challenge is how to give them another view, of enlightened Islam, that talks about changing gender roles. It's not an easy job. Sexual harassment is happening because men think the control of women's bodies is a matter for them.
Historically, in Egypt in the feminist movement, there have been both Muslim and Christian women. It has never been a problem. Unfortunately nowadays, it has become a problem. Religious discrimination has been dividing people very much. We have to think carefully about how to supersede the differences. With family law, we're aiming to change the philosophy of the law itself.
Traditional family law puts women down. I can see this whole notion of "women do not have control over their bodies" in so many laws, in the penal code and family law. Even the decision whether to have children is the decision of men. This whole notion has to be changed in a dramatic way if we are really going to talk about women's rights in Egypt.
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