“100 of the savviest, smartest, most motivated, and influential Muslim women” have met this month in New York for the first ever Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equity (WISE) conference.
The way in which the western landscape has formed a crucible for the birth of Muslim feminism, and also broader calls for “Islamic Reformation” is interesting.
It seems appropriate that the most powerful catalyst for change will come from the “smart, savvy and influential Muslim women” that have flourished and achieved power and position within the west. The location of New York seems symbolic of this melding of cross-currents.
The way these women navigated the differences of opinion was laudable. They seemed to recognise their goal in the end was the same- empowerment and recognition of the basic human rights and dignity of the female person within both secular and religious contexts. Which is feminism at it’s basic really.
The question is can they work to effect real-world change in the places that really need it?
The speech of Mukhtaran Mai, a gang-rape survivor who now dedicates her life to building schools for girls in her village seemed to remind everyone where it was all at.
“Our only hope is the fight for justice. End oppression with education. To remain ignorant is a crime. To remain apathetic is a crime. It is a crime to avoid oppression. To remain silent about a crime is a crime.â€
Change can only come from within and it seems western muslim women in particular, have the skills and knowledge to challenge authority, the opportunity to support activists; and the freedom to engage in serious lobbying efforts internationally.
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When (women) stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!
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