Gender Equality in Islam

[♪♪♪] ISLAM HAS SOME 1.6 BILLION FOLLOWERS AROUND THE WORLD MAKING IT THE WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST RELIGION AFTER CHRISTIANITY.

THAT SAID, A NEW CROP OF FEMALE ISLAMIC SCHOLARS SAYS THERE IS NOTHING IN THE KORAN THAT TREATS WOMEN UNEQUALLY.

INSTEAD THEY ARGUE THROUGH THE YEARS, MUSLIM WOMEN HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED BY CULTURAL PRACTICES AND PATRIARCHAL INTERPRETATIONS.

THESE REFORMERS SAY QURANIC VERSES HAVE BEEN WRONGLY INTERPRETED TO FAVOR MEN.

AND NOW IS THE TIME TO OBSERVE ITS TRUE MEANING AND TREAT MUSLIM WOMEN THE SAME AS MUSLIM MEN.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IS - ARE WOMEN EQUAL TO MEN OR NOT RIGHT, THAT IS THE MOST BASIC QUESTION.

IN MANY SURROUNDINGS I HEARD MEN ARE SUPERIOR TO WOMEN.

THAT OF COURSE BOTHERED ME BECAUSE I KNEW THEY ARE NOT-, I MEAN, I KNOW ME, I KNOW THEM, AND INTELLECTUALLY I WAS AT LEAST AS GOOD AS SOME OF THEM AND BETTER THAN OTHERS.

GOD KNOWS THIS.

DR. AZIZAH AL-HIBRI IS A LAW PROFESSOR AND ISLAMIC SCHOLAR.

SHE STARTED HER JOURNEY UNDERSTANDING THE QURAN AS A CHILD.

YEARS LATER SHE BEGAN LOOKING DEEPER INTO THE MEANING OF THE TEXT WITH WHAT SHE SAYS ARE EYES SENSITIVE TO PATRIARCHAL DISTORTION OF EACH MEANING.

I STARTED LOOKING AT THE QURAN AND FOUND OUT THAT IT REALLY DOESN'T SAY WHAT SOME MEN HAD TOLD US IT SAYS.

AND I THOUGHT I AM FORTUNATE I'VE HAD A RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING, I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITY TO READ THE QURAN AND UNDERSTAND IT OTHERS DON'T AND THEREFORE I FELT I HAD A MISSION I HAVE AN OBLIGATION PART OF MY PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE WOMEN OF MY COMMUNITY IS TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT I SEE IN THE QURAN WHICH IS DIFFERENT.

ONCE DR. AL- HIBRI BEGAN RESOLVING USING HER SCHOLARLY AND SHE SAYS READING CORRECT VERSUS IN THE QURAN SHE CONCLUDED THAT THE JUSTICE OF THE QURAN DOES EXTEND TO WOMEN.

WANTING TO SHARE THIS CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHER WOMEN, SHE STARTED A NON- PROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED KARAMAH - A NAME THAT COMES FROM THE QUR'ANIC VERSE WHICH READS: "WE HAVE GIVEN DIGNITY TO THE CHILDREN OF ADAM."

THE VERSE WHICH THEY CLAIM SAYS MEN ARE SUPERIOR TO WOMEN; WELL THERE IS NO WORD SUPERIOR IN THE VERSE.

THE WORD AND I WILL SAY IT IN ARABIC QAWWAMUN.

WHAT DOES QAWWAMUN MEAN, WELL LET'S FIND OUT.

THAT'S WHERE THE ANALYSIS COMES IN.

AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT AT ALL IT TURNS OUT.

AND IN FACT THERE IS ENOUGH IN THE QURAN TO SPEAK ABOUT THE EQUALITY OF MEN AND WOMEN, FOR EXAMPLE WE'RE ALL CREATED FROM THE SAME SOUL.

KARAMAH'S GOAL IS TO ADVANCE THE GENDER-EQUITABLE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM TO MUSLIM WOMEN IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD AND TO SUPPORT THE RIGHTS OF MUSLIM WOMEN THROUGH EDUCATION PROGRAMS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND A NETWORK OF MUSLIM JURISTS AND LEADERS.

OUR SPECIAL OBJECTIVE IS TO PUT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PURE RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS GENERALLY AND WOMEN RIGHTS ESPECIALLY.

SINCE 2003, KARAMAH HAS BEEN OFFERING MUSLIM WOMEN THE TOOLS AND SKILLS THEY NEED TO BECOME LEADERS AND ADVOCATES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

THE TRAINING PROGRAMS RANGE FROM THREE-DAY WORKSHOPS, TO A THREE-WEEK LAW AND LEADERSHIP SUMMER PROGRAM.

OVER THE YEARS, KARAMAH HAS HOSTED WOMEN OF DIFFERENT CULTURES AND SOCIETIES FROM DOZENS OF COUNTRIES.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2014 AFTER ONLY A FEW DAYS OF ATTENDING KARAMAH' S LAW AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THESE WOMEN SAY THEIR EYES HAVE BEEN OPENED ABOUT THEIR FAITH.

EVEN WITHIN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY THERE IS SO MUCH MISINFORMATION AND MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT ISLAM IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T.

1500 YEARS AGO WE ACTUALLY HAD MORE RIGHTS THAN WE HAVE NOW AND THE REASON THAT WE FEEL OPPRESSED OR WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT DON'T GIVE US EQUALITY IS NOT BECAUSE OF OUR RELIGION, IT'S SOME OF IT IS CULTURE AND SOME OF IT IS THE PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY THAT WE LIVE IN.

LIVING IN EGYPT I REALIZED ISLAM IS NOT ONE ISLAM ALL OVER, AND THAT IS WHY YOU SEE IN THE LIGHT OF CURRENT EVENTS DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPENING IN ALL THESE COUNTRIES AND ALL THE TURMOIL.

IT'S BECAUSE IT'S PRACTICED SO DIFFERENTLY IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO AND DIG DOWN TO THE ROOT TO REALLY TRULY UNDERSTAND IT AND DISTINGUISH WHAT IS CULTURAL AND WHAT IS RELIGIOUS.

WHAT IS INFORMED AND WHAT IS UNINFORMED.

A LOT OF THE LAWS WE LIVE BY ARE NOT BASED ON THE QURAN AND ARE NOT BASED ON THE TEACHING OF ISLAM AND NOW WE KNOW THAT AND NOW WHEN SOMEONE TELLS US SOMETHING IS NOT ALLOWED WE CAN ACTUALLY SAY YES IT IS.

IT'S GETS VERY PERSONAL WHEN YOU HEAR BASICALLY NONSENSE STATEMENTS BEING SPOKEN ON BEHALF OF YOUR OWN RELIGION.

WHEN YOU HEAR THE STORIES FROM THESE WOMEN COMING FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES, DIFFERENT COUNTRIES YOU JUST LEARN THAT THIS KIND OF WAR, IF YOU ALLOW ME TO CALL IT, JUST STARTED.

YOU WILL HAVE TO GET THERE, STEP UP AND SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.

ONE WOMAN WHO STARTED TO SPEAK UP FOR HERSELF IS ZARA IQBAL FROM WESTCHESTER COUNTY NEW YORK.

SHE WAS INTRODUCED TO HER HUSBAND THROUGH HER FAMILY.

THE MARRIAGE BECAME EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE WITH WHAT SHE SAYS WAS HER HUSBAND HIDING BEHIND ISLAMIC LAW.

I HAD BEEN IN A FORCED ARRANGED MARRIAGE AND AFTER THAT I COULDN'T SPEAK UP AS MUCH AS I COULD ANY MORE SO I WANTED TO COME TO KARAMAH TO SEE IF IT WOULD EMPOWER ME.

I WAS TAUGHT THAT ISLAMICLY I DO HAVE RIGHTS HOWEVER THERE IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY FAITH, MY RELIGION AND SOME CULTURAL VALUES.

THERE WERE CULTURAL ASPECTS IN WHICH THOSE RIGHTS BECAME RESTRICTED AND THEY BECAME CONFUSED MORE THAN IT BEING THAT IN ISLAM YOU DON'T HAVE RIGHTS, - KARAMAH BECAME A SUPPORT GROUP FOR ME WITH A SYSTEM THAT WAS BEING USED AND MISUSED TO MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT CERTAIN ABUSE TACTICS ARE OKAY.

MANY OF KARAMAH' S ALUMNAE TAKE BACK WHAT THEY LEARN ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN RELIGIOUS LAW TO THEIR COUNTRIES AND COMMUNITIES AND TRY TO ENACT CHANGE.

AISHATH IFADHA IS A STATE ATTORNEY IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE IN THE MALDIVES.

SHE ATTENDED KARAMAH'S PROGRAM AS WELL AS SERVED A 6 MONTH LEGAL INTERNSHIP AT THE ORGANIZATION.

DEFINITELY KARAMAH CHANGED ME, I YES ME GOING BACK AND TEACHING EVERYTHING I HAVE LEARNED TO MY FAMILY AND TO MY COMMUNITY YES, IT'S LIKE KARAMAH HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING.

THE MALDIVES IS 99% MUSLIM .THE ISLAND NATION IS PLAGUED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

ACCORDING TO A LANDMARK STUDY, 1 IN 3 WOMEN IN THE MALDIVES EXPERIENCES PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

TO HELP END THE GENDER VIOLENCE THE UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND CREATED A 16 DAY PUBLIC SERVICE CAMPAIGN CALLED NO EXCUSE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVES, IN MALDIVES EVEN, AND REST OF ISLAMIC COUNTRY SAY THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT BEATING AND THINGS ARE IN ISLAM, BUT WHEN I CAME TO LLSP AND I CAME TO LEARN THAT IT IS NOT LIKE THAT.

ISLAM DOES NOT ADVOCATE FOR THAT.

THOSE ARE THE NEW THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED WHEN I CAME HERE.

IN 2012, THE MALDIVES PASSED THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACT.

MAKING ANY KIND OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

ONCE THE LAW WAS PASSED, IFADHA ALONG WITH KARAMAH'S LEGAL TEAM GAVE THE NATION ADVICE ON HOW MAKE IT AFFECTIVE.

BY GOING BACK AND DOING WORKSHOPS AND DOING EDUCATIONAL THINGS, SO PEOPLE ARE NOW TALKING ABOUT IT, PEOPLE ARE COMING FORWARD ABOUT IT.

I NEVER THOUGHT THAT ANYTHING LIKE THAT WOULD HAPPEN, FOR ME IT'S LIKE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A MUSLIM/.

I WAS BORN MUSLIM BUT COMING TO KARAMAH AND LEARNING THESE THINGS IS LIKE BEING BORN AGAIN AS A MUSLIM TO ME.

AS IN THE MALDIVES, WOMEN IN MANY ISLAMIC COUNTRIES ARE SUFFERING FROM SOCIAL OPPRESSION PRESENTED AS ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS LAWS.

ACCORDING TO A 2013 THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION SURVEY OF GENDER EXPERTS EGYPT HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, AND HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SINCE THE ARAB SPRING.

IN WAR- TORN IRAQ THE LITERACY RATE, ONCE AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE ARAB WORLD, IS NOW AMONG THE LOWEST AS FAMILIES FEAR KIDNAPPING AND RAPE IF THEY SEND THEIR GIRLS TO SCHOOL.

ALTHOUGH SAUDI ARABIA HAS HAD SOME SMALL ADVANCES FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS UNDER ITS STRICT WAHABI INTERPRETATION OF ISLAMIC LAW, WOMEN STILL CAN'T DRIVE, AND NEED MALE GUARDIANS FOR PERMISSION TO TRAVEL, WORK, OR GO TO SCHOOL.

AND ACCORDING THE AURAT FOUNDATION IN PAKISTAN -HONOR KILLINGS IN PAKISTAN ARE RAMPANT.

WOMEN ARE KILLED PUBLICLY AND BRUTALLY, BECAUSE THEY ARE PERCEIVED AS DISHONORING THEIR FAMILIES BY VIOLATING CULTURAL OR RELIGIOUS NORMS.

HONOR KILLINGS CLAIM THE LIVES OF MORE THAN 1000 PAKISTANI WOMEN EVERY YEAR.

YET IN ISLAMIC LAW, IT IS DISTORTED BY MANY CLAIMING THIS IS NOT MURDER.

RELIGION THROUGHOUT THE YEARS HAS BEEN HIJACKED BECAUSE IT HAS PANDERED TO A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE USED IT FOR THEIR POSITION OF POWER.

CERTAINLY THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE AS YOU SAY HIDE BEHIND THE QURAN, WHO USE IT TO MEAN WHATEVER THEY LIKE AND THERE ARE SOME FAIRLY ABSURD IDEAS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THESE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE QURAN.

IDEAS THAT SAY WOMEN SHOULDN'T GO TO WORK, THAT WOMAN SHOULDN'T GO TO SCHOOL THAT WE SHOULDN'T WEAR HIGH HEELS OR WEAR MAKEUP- THERE IS NONE OF THAT IN THE QURAN.

IN THE 21 ST CENTURY I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL TEXT, THE ORIGINAL SCRIPTURES IN ORDER FOR THE RELIGIOUS EQUITY TO COME THROUGH.

IN 2014, MOROCCO HOSTED A WOMEN'S INTERFAITH SYMPOSIUM.

DR. AL- HIBRI OF KARAMAH, OTHER RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS AND WOMEN OF DIFFERENT FAITHS CAME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS WOMEN'S ROLE IN RELIGION AND TO EXPLORE INTERPRETATIONS OF TEXT IN THE QURAN AND THE BIBLE.

IT IS THE FIRST TIME IN ARAB COUNTRY WE HAVE THIS KIND OF EVENT.

AND IN THE CONTEXT OF CONFLICT, OF WAR, OF STRUGGLE AND TERRORISM IN THE ENTIRE ARABIC WORLD.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SHOW ALSO WE WOMEN, WE ARE, WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DEBATE.

EVEN WITH THIS CONFLICT, EVEN WITH E RELIGIOUS PROBLEMS ALL THAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO EXCHANGE AND DEBATE VERY PEACEFULLY.

I'M HERE AT THIS CONFERENCE BECAUSE IT IS A VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL THE SCHOLARS OF DIFFERENT FAITHS TO GATHER TOGETHER AND TO THINK AND REFLECT ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN IN THE HISTORY, BUT ALSO IN CONTEMPORARY TIMES ON QUESTIONS RELATED TO FAMILY, RELATED TO POLITICS RELATED TO THE INTERPRETATION OF TEXT.

AS FOR EQUALITY IN THE HOLY QURAN; IT IS A CLEAR ISSUE, IN THE FIRST VERSE OF THE HOLY QURAN: AND HE GOD IS NOT A BIGOT, IS NOT A RACIST, AND NOT A MISOGYNIST OR ANTI WOMAN..

THIS IS THE MAIN ARGUMENT.

WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE TEXT AND HAVE A LOOK AND STUDY THE TEXT.

UNFORTUNATELY WOMEN DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT IN CENTURIES BEFORE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND THE ONLY ONES WHO HAD ACCESS WERE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS.

SO THEREFORE THEIR INTERPRETATION DOESN'T MEAN TO SAY IT IS THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION.

THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO IS ALMOST ENTIRELY MUSLIM.

THE COUNTRY IS RULED BY A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY.

WHICH MEANS THE KING ACTS AS BOTH THE SECULAR POLITICAL LEADER AND THE "COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL," ALTHOUGH MOROCCO IS A MODERN KINGDOM, I ITS PEOPLE COME FROM MANY ANCIENT CULTURES AND MAINTAIN SOME ANCIENT TRADITIONS.

THE CITY OF FEZ IS HOME TO THE LARGEST MARKETPLACE.

ITS LEATHER TANNERY DATES BACK AT LEAST NINE HUNDRED YEARS.

AND NARROW ALLEYS HOUSE HUNDREDS OF MERCHANTS AND CRAFTSMEN SELLING EVERYTHING FROM FOOD TO HANDMADE COPPER POTS.

FEZ WAS ALSO ONCE REGARDED AS A SEAT OF ARAB LEARNING, AND A HOLY CITY.

THE UNIVERSITY OF AL-QARAWIYYIN THE OLDEST UNIVERSITY LOCATED THERE WAS FOUNDED BY FATIMA AL-FIHRIYA IN THE NINTH CENTURY AND ATTESTS TO MUSLIM WOMEN'S ANCIENT LEADERSHIP IN SOCIETY AND EDUCATION.

RABAT IS THE 4TH LARGEST CITY IN MOROCCO AND IS PERCEIVED AS VERY PROGRESSIVE IN TERMS OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

FOR EXAMPLE: THE MUDAWWANA OR FAMILY CODE WAS REVISED SO THAT THE COURT HAD A GREATER ROLE IN DIVORCE ENSURING ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE WIFE AND CHILDREN.

IT ALSO RAISED THE MINIMUM MARRIAGE AGE FOR WOMEN FROM 15 TO 18.

AND IN 2011, THE CONSTITUTION WAS CHANGED TO GUARANTEE, (QUOTE) "MEN AND WOMEN ENJOY ON AN EQUAL FOOTING CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS".

DESPITE THESE CHANGES IN THE LAW, ACCORDING TO UNICEF 16% OF MOROCCAN GIRLS ARE MARRIED BEFORE THE AGE OF 18, MAINLY IN RURAL AREAS.

AND FIGURES RELEASED BY THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE IN 2012 SHOW THAT MORE THAN FORTY THOUSAND UNDERAGE MARRIAGES TOOK PLACE IN 2010, AN INCREASE OF 23% SINCE 2007.

THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT ALSO REPORTED THAT AS OF LATE 2012, THERE HAD BEEN "LITTLE OR NO PROGRESS...

IN PASSING THE ORGANIC FUNDAMENTAL LAWS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE ADVANCES, SUCH AS GENDER EQUALITY AND PARITY, PROVIDED FOR IN THE 2011 CONSTITUTION."

IN THE RURAL AREAS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO DON'T' KNOW THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW OR WHO ARE POWERLESS EVEN IF THEY ARE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE RIGHTS, THEY ARE POWERLESS TO DO ANYTHING TO ENFORCE THEM BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL THESE ENTRENCHED SOCIAL HIERARCHIES.

UNLESS YOU GET AT THE PROBLEM OF EXISTING CLASS HIERARCHIES.

ETHNIC DIFFERENCE, THESE DIVIDES THAT ESSENTIALLY ENFRANCHISE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY AND DISENFRANCHISE THE VAST MAJORITY YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE GENDER JUSTICE.

CHANGING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN RELIGIOUS LAWS AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS IS DIFFICULT AND SLOW ACCORDING TO THOSE WHO ARE IN THE FOREFRONT.

WHEN YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE QURAN AND YOU SAY WOMEN ARE NOT EQUAL, OF COURSE THIS IS SUCH A GENERALIZATION AND ESSENTIALISM CENTRALISM AND THIS IS PART OF THE PROJECT OF ISLAMIC FEMINISM.

FOR INSTANCE TO GO BEYOND THAT ESSENTIALISM CENTRALIZATION AND STEREOTYPING AND TRY TO DIG DEEP INTO INTERPRETIVE TRADITION.

IF THE MAJORITY OF MEN AGREED WITH WHAT WE SAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM.

SO THERE IS A LOT OF RESISTANCE.

THE TRADITION IS SO STRONG AND IT'S SO EMBEDDED IN THEIR THINKING THAT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT THAT'S DISCRIMINATION, THAT WHAT THEY SAY OR DO IS DISCRIMINATION.

SO THE THING IS THAT WE HAVE TO SENSITIZE AND WE CANNOT GO ALWAYS WITH THE CONFRONTATION CAUSE WE CANNOT THEN WORK TOGETHER.

AND WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER AND WE HAVE TO BRING THE MEN INTO THE BATTLE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS.

IF WE DO NOT HAVE SETTLED INTERPRETATIONS, RECOGNIZED INTERPRETATIONS THEN WHO WOULD COME AND SAY WHAT THEY LIKE AND PRETEND THAT THIS IS RELIGION AND THUS THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY THAT BANDITS HAVE BEEN WALKING UNDER RELIGIOUS CLOAKS PRETENDING THEY ARE SPREADING THE WORDS OF THE LORD.

EVEN WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A SIMPLE RELIGIOUS GESTURE SUCH AS WEARING THE HIJAB OR HEADSCARF LEADS TO MUCH INTERPRETATION WHEN IT COMES TO WOMEN'S RIGHT UNDER THE QURAN.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REFERENCES IN THE QURAN ABOUT A WOMAN COVERING HERSELF.

BUT THE HIJAB IS OFTEN SEEN IN THE WEST AS A SYMBOL OF MUSLIM WOMEN'S SUBORDINATE POSITION IN SOCIETY.

IT HAS ALSO LED TO DISCRIMINATION IN MANY COUNTRIES INCLUDING THE U.S. AND CANADA.

WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK ON MORE DEEP ISSUES BUT SINCE SOCIAL CONTEXT ALWAYS BRINGS US TO THIS ISSUE OF THE HEADSCARF.

IT FORCES AN AGENDA ON US.

THAT'S A PITY ACTUALLY BECAUSE WE ARE ALL INTERESTED IN WORKING ON ISSUES ACTUALLY THAT ARE THE BASIS OF DISCRIMINATION AND ISLAM.

4;12 THE THING IS THAT IF THE TEXT ARE THERE AND IF THERE IS AN INTERPRETATION OF THE TEXT THAT SAYS THAT WOMEN HAVE TO WEAR THE HIJAB - THE HEADSCARF THEN IT'S UP TO THE WOMEN TO CHOOSE TO FOLLOW THAT INTERPRETATION OR NOT AND THAT IS THE DIMENSION OF THE CHOICE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

DESPITE HOW OUTSPOKEN THESE RELIGIOUS SCHOLARS AND MUSLIM WOMEN - THEY ALSO KNOW THAT THEY ARE FIGHTING AN UPHILL BATTLE.

THE IDEA OF GENDER EQUALITY IS VERY PROBLEMATIC ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE QURAN; IT'S NOT EXACTLY A BLACK AND WHITE QUESTION.

IF BY GENDER EQUALITY YOU MEAN THAT MEN AND WOMEN HAVE EQUAL CAPACITIES, EQUAL INNATE CAPABILITIES, EQUAL INCLINATIONS AND PREDILECTION THEN I WOULD SAY IT IS VERY HARD TO MAKE A CASE THAT THE QURAN IS GENDER EGALITARIAN.

BUT IF YOU UNDERSTAND GENDER EQUALITY MEANING TO MEAN RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW THEN AGAIN I WOULD SAY IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAKE IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE THAT CASE FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN THE QURAN.

IF ON THE OTHER HAND YOU UNDERSTAND GENDER EQUALITY TO MEAN THAT MEN AND WOMEN HAVE AN EQUAL CAPACITY FOR PIETY FOR UNDERSTANDING GOD'S WILL AND FOR UPHOLDING THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF MORAL BEHAVIOR THEN I WOULD SAY ABSOLUTELY THE QURAN IS GENDER EGALITARIAN.

"THE PROBLEM IS COMPLEX; YOU HAVE EDUCATION, YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE BUT YOU HAVE POLITICS.

RELIGION EVERYWHERE AND DURING ALL OUR HISTORY AS A HUMAN, IT WAS INSTRUMENTED AS POLITICS.

SO WE NEED A SEPARATION BETWEEN POLITICS AND RELIGION.

AS FOR THE CHANGE, TO CHANGE THE IDEA THAT WOMEN ARE INFERIOR TO MEN AND THAT THEY'RE EQUAL, THIS NEEDS TIME.

BECAUSE THE ANALYSTS AND THE SCHOLARS, ACROSS 14 CENTURIES, CONSIDER THAT EQUALITY BETWEEN A WOMAN AND A MAN DOESN'T EXIST, BASING THEIR ARGUMENT ON STATUS AND CLASS.

SOME MUSLIM WOMEN ALSO BELIEVE THEIR BATTLE FOR WOMEN'S EQUALITY IS BEING FOUGHT AGAINST OTHER WOMEN.

THE BIGGEST DIFFICULTIES IN MOROCCO IS COMING FROM THE WOMEN THEMSELVES, BECAUSE THEY DON'T DISCOVER, THEY DON'T LOOK AFTER THEIR RIGHTS AND THEY DON'T PRACTICE THEM.

SOME WOMEN AND I WOULD EVEN ARGUE MANY WOMEN ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM PATRIARCHY.

IN SOME CASES SOCIALLY SPEAKING RIGHT, THEIR STATUS IS ELEVATED WHEN THEY CAN SHOW FOR INSTANCE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND WORK, IT'S NOT AN OPTION FOR POOR WOMEN, YOU HAVE TO GO OUT AND WORK AND EARN MONEY.

TO DO THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX PROCEDURE, YOU DON'T JUST GO OUT AND SAY TO THE MUSLIM WOMEN YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS AND LIST THEM, THEY WON'T BELIEVE YOU BECAUSE THEY HAVE HEARD OTHERWISE, AND OTHERS THE MEN WOULD THINK HERE IS A FEMINIST RADICAL SPEAKING OUT OF TURN.

WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO GO BACK TO THE KORAN TO THE WORDS AND EXAMPLE OF THE PROPHET TO THE ANCIENT WORKS ON ISLAM EXPLAINING THIS TRADITION AND SHOW THAT EVEN IN THOSE DAYS ABOUT 1500 YEARS AGO WOMAN HAD THOSE RIGHTS AND THAT THEY LOST THEM OVER TIME AS SOCIETY BECAME EVEN MORE PATRIARCHAL.

WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING ALL MUSLIM WOMEN GO AROUND WITH T SHIRTS SAYING WE ARE FEMINIST.

FEMINISM IS NOT THE POINT.

BUT THE POINT IS TO DEVELOP AN AWARENESS AND BELIEF IN GENDER JUSTICE AND GENDER FAIRNESS.

I WANT TO BUILD A STRONG MUSLIM SISTERHOOD AROUND THE WORLD.

DR. AL-HIBRI AND THOSE THAT STUDY WITH HER BELIEVE THAT NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES, CHANGE WILL HAPPEN.

EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO THERE IS GOING TO BE CHALLENGES BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T OVERCOME THEM.

AND CHANGE IT IS A PROCESS, CHANGE I THE BEGINNING YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT AND WE SHOULD DO IT BECAUSE THIS IS OUR GENERATION WHO ARE WE GOING TO WAIT FOR, WHO IS GOING TO DO IT, OUR PARENTS OR OUR CHILDREN.

SO IT'S OUR DUTY.

THE KEY IS FOR WOMEN WHO ACCESS TO EDUCATION THEMSELVES THEN THEY HAVE THIS HUGE RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS ON THAT EDUCATION TO THOSE WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD AND IN THE U.S. THAT MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THAT EDUCATION.

YOU CANNOT PUSH SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, SO YOU HAVE TO KNOW IT YOURSELF THEN YOU EXPLAIN TO THEM BECAUSE FOR ME IT HAS TAKEN TIME FOR ME TO LEARN I HAVE TO BE PATIENT WITH PEOPLE I WANT TO LEARN.

SOMEBODY SAID IT WAS A SILENT REVOLUTION, YES IT IS A SILENT REVOLUTION BUT WE WILL WIN IN THE END - I AM SURE.

THE PROGRAM IS VERY STRONG BUT IN THE END I THINK YOU WILL ALSO BENEFIT JUST AS MUCH FROM BEING WITH EACH OTHER.

AND I THINK YOU ARE STARTING TO FEEL IT.

JUST LOOK AT THIS TABLE, JUST LOOK AT THOSE 4 WOMEN THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT AND THEY ALL TRUST EACH OTHER LOVE EACH OTHER NONJUDGMENTAL.

THERE IS RESPECT OF DIFFERENCES REGARDLESS OF THAT'S WHAT WE TEACH.

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