Muslim Women: Past and Present

Recommend a Muslim Woman

Throughout the ages, from the earliest days of Islam to contemporary times today, Muslim women have been and continue to be active leaders in their communities and countries across the world. This directory is a growing archive of leading Muslim women scholars, activists, writers, politicians, artists, religious and spiritual leaders, civil society leaders and more. Please contribute to this archive by suggesting Muslim women to be featured through our recommendation form.

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Deeyah

I hope to see Muslim women claiming their rightful place within society without any fears of judgment, discrimination or violence.

Deeyah’s Freemuse interview

Known For: Singer and Activist
Dates: Hijri 1397 – Present (CE)
Common Era 1977 – Present (CE)
Country: Norway

About

Deeyah was born in Norway to a father of Pakistani heritage and a mother of Afghani heritage.  She is one of the few women who have trained with the venerable musicians, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Sultan Khan. Deeyah, dubbed the Muslim Madonna, has released critically acclaimed albums in Europe.

Because of her public image, Deeyah has faced criticism and harassment from elements of the Muslim community, forcing her to move from Norway to the United Kingdom and eventually to the United States.  However, she has continued her musical career and her activism on behalf of women’s issues.  Deeyah is an avid supporter of ASHRAM, a shelter for battered women in the United Kingdom. She is also an advocate for ICAHK, the International Campaign Against Honour Killings.

Deeyah is currently working with Freemuse, an organization that supports freedom of expression through music. She has also organized a compilation album of female Muslim artists, called Sisterhood, which she independently produced.

Sources

The Muslim Madonna – Deeyah

DeeyahPoint.co.uk – The First Ultimate Online Source on Everything Deeyah

More Information

Deeyah Presents Sisterhood: JUS1JAM interview

Deeyah’s Myspace

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This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women alphabetically by their first names. Many Muslim names have alternative spellings once rendered into English so if you cannot find the name you are looking for, please try the general search tab where you can enter keywords of your choice.
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This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women chronologically by the Common Era century. We are actively building the archive of Muslim women leaders from the past, as well as from today, and we would welcome your recommendations of women to feature. Please complete our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.
This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women by their Country. We are actively building the archive of Muslim women leaders from the past, as well as from today, and we would welcome your recommendations of women to feature. Please complete our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.
This search feature will enable you to find Muslim women leaders by entering the keyword(s) of your choice. If you cannot find a particular woman that you are looking for, please let us know by completing our “Recommend Muslim Women” form and check the site again in the near future as we actively expand this section of the portal with your suggestions.