What Islam really says about women | Alaa Murabit

Summary

In this powerful talk, a young Muslim woman shares her journey as a peacebuilder, emphasizing the vital role of women in peace processes and conflict resolution. She highlights the misrepresentation of religious scriptures and the necessity of reclaiming religion to ensure women's full participation globally. Reflecting on her experiences growing up in a large family, moving to Libya, and her involvement in the Libyan revolution, she underscores the importance of women being at the decision-making table to drive lasting change. She calls for challenging distorted religious messages to transform societies and uphold women's rights.

Takeaways

• ✈️ Interesting conversation with a fellow passenger about unique job titles.
• 👩‍💼 The speaker identifies as a peacebuilder, amplifying women's voices in peace processes.
• 🕌 As a young Muslim woman, the speaker values her faith but recognizes its misuse.
• 👪 The speaker grew up in Canada, as one of 11 children in a devout, patient, and fair family.
• 📚 The speaker's research uncovered strong female leaders in Islamic history.
• 💪 Questioning the role of women in religion led the speaker to focus on equality.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Religious institutions are male-dominated, affecting women's participation.
• 💼 The Libyan revolution temporarily increased women's roles in decision-making.
• 📖 The speaker used Islamic scripture to support women's rights in Libya.
• 🌍 Promoting women's rights through religious messaging can lead to societal transformation.

Q & A

What was the context of the conversation the speaker had with the passenger on the flight?

The speaker had an interesting conversation with a passenger who joked about the United States creating jobs like 'cat psychologist' and 'dog whisperer' due to a lack of real jobs.

What is the speaker's profession and what is their daily work focused on?

The speaker is a peacebuilder who works to amplify the voices of women and highlight their experiences and participation in peace processes and conflict resolution.

Why is reclaiming religion important to the speaker?

Reclaiming religion is important to the speaker to ensure the full participation of women globally. The speaker recognizes the damage done in the name of religion and aims to address misrepresentation and manipulation of religious scripture.

How did the speaker's upbringing influence their perspective on religion and gender?

The speaker's parents were devout and spiritual, treating their children equally and teaching them that God does not judge differently based on gender. This upbringing shaped the speaker's understanding of fairness and equality.

What challenges did the speaker face when moving from Canada to Libya at the age of 15?

The speaker faced challenges adapting to the cultural aspects of religion in Libya, where terms like 'haram' (religiously prohibited) and 'aib' (culturally inappropriate) were used interchangeably, leading the speaker to question their own role and aspirations.

What did the speaker discover about the role of women in their faith during their research?

The speaker found that women in their faith were historically leaders, innovators, and strong figures politically, economically, and militarily, but these contributions were not being taught or recognized.

How does the speaker view the role of women in religious institutions?

The speaker believes that religious institutions are dominated by men and that this male leadership creates policies that do not reflect women's equality. The speaker advocates for women's participation in decision-making processes to ensure equal rights.

What significant event in 2011 influenced the speaker's views on women's participation?

The Libyan revolution in 2011 allowed the speaker and other women to be involved in decision-making and information sharing, highlighting the importance of women's roles in such processes.

What strategy did the speaker use to promote women's rights in Libya?

The speaker used Islamic scripture to promote women's rights, citing verses from the Quran and sayings of the Prophet to support their arguments. This approach led to widespread campaigns and policy changes in Libya.

What challenges does the speaker mention about advocating for women's rights and religion?

The speaker faces criticism from both liberals and conservatives, with some viewing the use of religion for women's rights as problematic. The speaker also receives personal insults and threats but remains committed to the cause.

What is the speaker's ultimate message about women's rights and participation?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of women being at the decision-making table and not remaining silent, as this silence allows for the continued persecution and abuse of women. The speaker believes that reclaiming the message of human rights and religious principles is essential for transforming societies.

Outlines

00:00

✈️ A Conversation on Jobs and Peacebuilding

The speaker recounts a conversation with a fellow passenger who humorously commented on unusual jobs like 'cat psychologist' and 'tornado chaser.' When asked about her job, she responded with 'Peacebuilder,' drawing laughter from the audience. She emphasizes her work in amplifying women's voices in peace processes and conflict resolution, highlighting the importance of reclaiming religion to ensure global participation of women. The speaker reflects on her pride in her Muslim faith and the challenges posed by the misuse of religious scripture in shaping societal norms.

05:01

👪 Growing Up in a Large Family and Cultural Lessons

The speaker shares her upbringing as one of 11 children in a devout Muslim family that immigrated from Libya to Canada. She describes her parents' fairness and patience, emphasizing that she was not subjected to gender biases in religious teachings. Her family life taught her diplomacy, power structures, and the importance of being present in decision-making. She discusses her move to Libya at 15 and the cultural shock she experienced, leading her to question women's roles in her faith and research the significant contributions of women in Islamic history.

10:02

📜 Women's Roles in Religion and the Libyan Revolution

The speaker reflects on the misalignment between religious teachings and women's roles in society. She points out that men dominate religious institutions and create policies that exclude women. During the Libyan revolution, she and other women were actively involved in decision-making, but this change was short-lived as traditional roles were quickly reinstated. She decided to use religious scripture to advocate for women's rights, leading widespread campaigns in Libya to promote gender equality. Despite resistance, she remains committed to integrating women's rights with religious values.

Keywords

💡Peacebuilder

A peacebuilder is someone who works to promote and sustain peace in conflict areas. In the video, the speaker describes herself as a peacebuilder who amplifies the voices of women and highlights their participation in peace processes and conflict resolution, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming religion to ensure women's full participation globally.

💡Religion

Religion refers to a set of beliefs, practices, and systems that relate humanity to spiritual and moral values. The speaker discusses the impact of religion on social and cultural norms, laws, and daily lives, as well as the misrepresentation and manipulation of religious scripture. She emphasizes the need to reclaim religion to ensure the full participation of women in society.

💡Women’s Participation

Women’s participation involves the active involvement of women in various aspects of society, including political, economic, and social spheres. The speaker stresses the importance of women being at the table in decision-making processes, highlighting how their exclusion has hindered societal progress. She also shares her experiences promoting women's rights in Libya.

💡Cultural Norms

Cultural norms are the shared expectations and rules that guide the behavior of people within social groups. The speaker points out how cultural norms, often influenced by misinterpreted religious teachings, dictate gender roles and limit women's opportunities. She advocates for challenging these norms to achieve gender equality.

💡Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation refers to the act of giving a false or misleading account of something. The speaker addresses the misrepresentation of religious scriptures that has contributed to gender inequality. She argues that such misrepresentations have shaped cultural and social norms that discriminate against women.

💡Islamic Scripture

Islamic scripture includes the Quran and Hadiths, which are the religious texts of Islam. The speaker uses Islamic scripture to advocate for women's rights, citing verses and sayings that promote equality and justice. She highlights how religious texts have been used both to oppress and to empower women.

💡Libyan Revolution

The Libyan Revolution refers to the 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi's regime. The speaker describes her and her family's involvement in the revolution, noting how it temporarily shifted cultural norms to allow women greater participation in decision-making processes.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment is the process of gaining freedom and power to do what you want or to control what happens to you. The speaker focuses on the economic and political empowerment of women, aiming to create lasting social and cultural change. She describes her efforts to use religious scripture to support women's rights in Libya.

💡Human Rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world. The speaker emphasizes the need to reclaim the message of human rights within the framework of religion to combat the persecution and abuse of women. She underscores the importance of integrating human rights principles into religious teachings.

💡Dialogue

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people or groups, especially one aimed at resolving differences. The speaker learned the importance of dialogue from her upbringing as one of 11 children, which taught her about power structures and alliances. She uses dialogue in her work to promote understanding and change cultural norms.

Highlights

Interesting conversation about unique jobs in the United States during a flight.

Peacebuilder works to amplify women's voices and highlight their participation in peace processes and conflict resolution.

Reclaiming religion is essential to ensure the full participation of women globally.

The speaker's pride in her Muslim faith provides strength and conviction for her work.

Misrepresentation and misuse of religious scripture impact social and cultural norms, laws, and daily lives.

The speaker's upbringing in a religiously devout family that did not differentiate based on gender.

Growing up with 10 siblings taught lessons in diplomacy, power structures, alliances, and the importance of being at the table.

The move from Canada to Libya at age 15 introduced the speaker to the cultural aspects of religion.

The speaker's research on women leaders in her faith revealed significant historical figures like Khadija.

Religious institutions are dominated by men, affecting policies and women's roles.

The Libyan revolution in 2011 provided a temporary cultural shift, allowing women to be involved in decision-making.

Economic and political empowerment of women requires addressing religious and cultural foundations.

Using Islamic scripture to promote women's rights in Libya led to widespread acceptance and policy changes.

Challenging distorted religious messaging is difficult but necessary for the transformation of societies.

The importance of remaining at the table to ensure continued advocacy for women's rights and societal transformation.

Transcripts

So on my way here,

the passenger next to me and I had a very interesting conversation

during my flight.

He told me, "It seems like the United States has run out of jobs,

because they're just making some up:

cat psychologist, dog whisperer, tornado chaser."

A couple of seconds later, he asked me,

"So what do you do?"

And I was like, "Peacebuilder?"

(Laughter)

Every day, I work to amplify the voices of women

and to highlight their experiences

and their participation in peace processes and conflict resolution,

and because of my work,

I recognize that the only way to ensure the full participation of women globally

is by reclaiming religion.

Now, this matter is vitally important to me.

As a young Muslim woman, I am very proud of my faith.

It gives me the strength and conviction to do my work every day.

It's the reason I can be here in front of you.

But I can't overlook the damage that has been done in the name of religion,

not just my own, but all of the world's major faiths.

The misrepresentation and misuse and manipulation of religious scripture

has influenced our social and cultural norms,

our laws, our daily lives,

to a point where we sometimes don't recognize it.

My parents moved from Libya, North Africa, to Canada

in the early 1980s,

and I am the middle child of 11 children.

Yes, 11.

But growing up, I saw my parents,

both religiously devout and spiritual people,

pray and praise God for their blessings,

namely me of course, but among others. (Laughter)

They were kind and funny and patient,

limitlessly patient, the kind of patience that having 11 kids forces you to have.

And they were fair.

I was never subjected to religion through a cultural lens.

I was treated the same,

the same was expected of me.

I was never taught that God judged differently based on gender.

And my parents' understanding of God as a merciful and beneficial friend

and provider shaped the way I looked at the world.

Now, of course, my upbringing had additional benefits.

Being one of 11 children is Diplomacy 101. (Laughter)

To this day, I am asked where I went to school,

like, "Did you go to Kennedy School of Government?"

and I look at them and I'm like, "No,

I went to the Murabit School of International Affairs."

It's extremely exclusive. You would have to talk to my mom to get in.

Lucky for you, she's here.

But being one of 11 children and having 10 siblings

teaches you a lot about power structures and alliances.

It teaches you focus; you have to talk fast or say less,

because you will always get cut off.

It teaches you the importance of messaging.

You have to ask questions in the right way to get the answers you know you want,

and you have to say no in the right way to keep the peace.

But the most important lesson I learned growing up

was the importance of being at the table.

When my mom's favorite lamp broke, I had to be there when she was trying

to find out how and by who, because I had to defend myself,

because if you're not, then the finger is pointed at you,

and before you know it, you will be grounded.

I am not speaking from experience, of course.

When I was 15 in 2005, I completed high school and I moved

from Canada -- Saskatoon --

to Zawiya, my parents' hometown in Libya,

a very traditional city.

Mind you, I had only ever been to Libya before on vacation,

and as a seven-year-old girl, it was magic.

It was ice cream and trips to the beach and really excited relatives.

Turns out it's not the same as a 15-year-old young lady.

I very quickly became introduced to the cultural aspect of religion.

The words "haram" -- meaning religiously prohibited --

and "aib" -- meaning culturally inappropriate --

were exchanged carelessly,

as if they meant the same thing and had the same consequences.

And I found myself in conversation after conversation with classmates

and colleagues, professors, friends, even relatives,

beginning to question my own role and my own aspirations.

And even with the foundation my parents had provided for me,

I found myself questioning the role of women in my faith.

So at the Murabit School of International Affairs,

we go very heavy on the debate,

and rule number one is do your research, so that's what I did,

and it surprised me how easy it was

to find women in my faith who were leaders,

who were innovative, who were strong --

politically, economically, even militarily.

Khadija financed the Islamic movement

in its infancy.

We wouldn't be here if it weren't for her.

So why weren't we learning about her?

Why weren't we learning about these women?

Why were women being relegated to positions which predated

the teachings of our faith?

And why, if we are equal in the eyes of God,

are we not equal in the eyes of men?

To me, it all came back to the lessons I had learned as a child.

The decision maker, the person who gets to control the message,

is sitting at the table,

and unfortunately, in every single world faith,

they are not women.

Religious institutions are dominated by men

and driven by male leadership,

and they create policies in their likeness,

and until we can change the system entirely,

then we can't realistically expect to have full economic

and political participation of women.

Our foundation is broken.

My mom actually says, you can't build a straight house on a crooked foundation.

In 2011, the Libyan revolution broke out, and my family was on the front lines.

And there's this amazing thing that happens in war,

a cultural shift almost, very temporary.

And it was the first time that I felt it was not only acceptable

for me to be involved, but it was encouraged.

It was demanded.

Myself and other women had a seat at the table.

We weren't holding hands or a medium.

We were part of decision making.

We were information sharing. We were crucial.

And I wanted and needed for that change to be permanent.

Turns out, that's not that easy.

It only took a few weeks before the women that I had previously worked with

were returning back to their previous roles,

and most of them were driven by words of encouragement

from religious and political leaders,

most of whom cited religious scripture as their defense.

It's how they gained popular support for their opinions.

So initially, I focused on the economic and political empowerment of women.

I thought that would lead to cultural and social change.

It turns out, it does a little, but not a lot.

I decided to use their defense as my offense,

and I began to cite and highlight Islamic scripture as well.

In 2012 and 2013, my organization led the single largest

and most widespread campaign in Libya.

We entered homes and schools and universities, even mosques.

We spoke to 50,000 people directly,

and hundreds of thousands more through billboards and television commercials,

radio commercials and posters.

And you're probably wondering how a women's rights organization

was able to do this in communities which had previously opposed

our sheer existence.

I used scripture.

I used verses from the Quran and sayings of the Prophet,

Hadiths, his sayings which are, for example,

"The best of you is the best to their family."

"Do not let your brother oppress another."

For the first time, Friday sermons led by local community imams

promoted the rights of women.

They discussed taboo issues, like domestic violence.

Policies were changed.

In certain communities, we actually had to go as far

as saying the International Human Rights Declaration,

which you opposed because it wasn't written by religious scholars,

well, those same principles are in our book.

So really, the United Nations just copied us.

By changing the message, we were able to provide

an alternative narrative which promoted the rights of women in Libya.

It's something that has now been replicated internationally,

and while I am not saying it's easy -- believe me, it's not.

Liberals will say you're using religion and call you a bad conservative.

Conservatives will call you a lot of colorful things.

I've heard everything from, "Your parents must be extremely ashamed of you" --

false; they're my biggest fans --

to "You will not make it to your next birthday" --

again wrong, because I did.

And I remain

a very strong believer that women's rights and religion are not mutually exclusive.

But we have to be at the table.

We have to stop giving up our position, because by remaining silent,

we allow for the continued persecution and abuse of women worldwide.

By saying that we're going to fight for women's rights

and fight extremism with bombs and warfare,

we completely cripple local societies which need to address these issues

so that they're sustainable.

It is not easy, challenging distorted religious messaging.

You will have your fair share of insults and ridicule and threats.

But we have to do it.

We have no other option than to reclaim the message of human rights,

the principles of our faith,

not for us, not for the women in your families,

not for the women in this room,

not even for the women out there,

but for societies that would be transformed

with the participation of women.

And the only way we can do that,

our only option,

is to be, and remain, at the table.

Thank you.

(Applause)