Known For: Turkish instructor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Country: United States

About

Dr. F. Canguzel Guner Zulfikar is the Turkish instructor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She started the Turkish Studies Program at UNC-Chapel Hill. She teaches Turkish language, culture, and history courses. With a Ph.D. degree in History from Hacettepe University, Turkey, Dr. Zulfikar specializes in the socio-economic and institutional history of the Ottoman Empire. She is also interested in charitable endowments and their activities as civil society institutions and Sufism (Islamic Mysticism). Her research is based on original endowment documents from Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi’s Sufi shrine complex in Istanbul, which records charitable community activities from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.

Known For: Regional Consultant, Regional Bureau of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Country: Egypt

About

Gihan Abou Zeid is an Egyptian activist of the development field and an authority on women’s rights in development in Egypt and the Arab world. Currently she is a consultant for the regional bureau of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); she supports the integration of religious leaders in the UNFPA’s regional programs. In 2010, Ms. Zeid worked as a policy adviser for the Minister of Family and Population in Egypt. She developed a nation-wide study of initiatives on violence against women as part of a larger attempt to present concrete recommendations to the Egyptian government and civil societies.

Ms. Zeid has 20 years of experience in research, training, editing, and program direction and management in gender, human rights, and democracy. She has participated in international research projects on youth, democracy, gender, and development with UN agencies, the Arab League, universities, and civil society organizations. She has written two books and contributed to scholarly books and journals. She is also an honorary member of numerous youth and human rights initiatives in the Arab world.

Ms. Zeid has always worked with a strong commitment to women’s rights. She has been actively engaged in women’s networks; she served for nine years as a board member of the NGO Forum for Women in Development.

Known For: Member, TURKKAD
Country: Turkey

About

Aylin Yurdacan has been an active member of Turkish Women’s Cultural Association TURKKAD, Istanbul since 2000. During her time with TURKKAD, she has participated in many international tasavvuf (sufism) symposiums organized by her organization. She has also translated TURKKAD President Cemalnur Sargut’s speeches and papers delivered in various international sufism conferences in the UK, the United States, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. She received her BA and MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and has been teaching English at state and private universities in Turkey since 1991.

Known For: Research Fellow, Department of Islamic History and Civilization at the University Malaya
Country: Malaysia

About

Dr. Rosey Wang Ma is a Research Fellow at the Department of Islamic History and Civilization at the University Malaya. She writes on various aspects of Chinese Muslim communities. Of Hui parentage, she was raised in Pakistan and Turkey. She was a French language lecturer for more than twenty years before taking up a career in Education Counseling, counseling for students, and training teachers and caregivers. Her personal and scholarly interest in Chinese Muslims has led to research, conferences, and publications on various aspects of the topic.

Known For: Writer; Designer
Country: Turkey

About

Fatma Unay received her MBA and BSc (Hons) from the University of Salford, School of Management in England. As a PhD candidate, she focused on “Fashion and Management” in the contemporary world and the “Modernization of Ottoman Style.” Ms. Unay is also a fashion designer; she prepares special collections for women and children. She is currently working on “Hz. Khadijah as a first entrepreneur of the Muslim World,” which will be published in the near future. She writes in various journals and columns about women entrepreneurs, social responsibility, NGOs, and fashion. She is also a coordinator of the “Muslim Women Entrepreneurs Working Group” and a member of the Management Culture Commission in Istanbul.

In the past, Ms. Unay was the President of International Women Dialogue Group (IWD-UKAD), an organization which aims to establish international economic, social, and cultural networking between individuals and institutions throughout the world.

Known For: Board Member, TURKKAD; Board Member, Nefas Publishing
Country: Turkey

About

Nese Tas was born in Ankara in 1965. She graduated from M.E.T.U.‘s Department of Economics. Currently, she is a board member of TURKKAD (Turkish Women Cultural Association) and Nefes Publishing. She has been studying tasavvuf with Cemalnur Sargut for 26 years.

Known For: Founder and Mangar, Pusula Training and Management Consultancy
Country: Turkey

About

Sema Suvarioglu is the founder and manager of Pusula Training and Management Consultancy. She graduated from Istanbul Robert College and received her degrees in Psychology (BA) and Clinical Psychology (MA) from Bogazici University. Ms. Suvarioglu started her career by directing qualitative market research and conducting focus groups at Unilever. Afterwards, she worked as a private psychotherapist. While working as a market researcher at Pars McCann Erickson Advertising Agency, she began her studies in a Ph.D. program on Organizational Behavior at Marmara University. She completed her Ph.D. dissertation on “Creative Problem Solving.”

Ms. Suvarioglu worked as a trainer and consultant in a consultancy company for seven years. She completed ACT’s (Advantage Coaching and Training) “Corporate Coach Program” and Erickson College International’s “Coaching Certification Program.” Since 1996, she has worked as a certified professional coach at Pusula. Over the years, she has taught at Bilgi, Sabancı, Marmara, Boğaziçi (BÜYEM), and Koc University in MBA and EMBA Programs.

Known For: Politician; Sociologist
Country: Turkey

About

Aysenur Bilgi Solak’s active political life began with the founding of the Ak Party (Justice and Development Party), which was the ruling party in Turkey in 2001. Currently, she is the Deputy Chairperson of the Istanbul Akparti Organization and the party’s public relations representative. Apart from her political career, she writes about modernization in the context of Turkey’s history and women’s issue in Turkey. She is also a civil activist and works with many different NGOs. Ms. Solak completed her secondary education in Innsbruck in Austria and later attended Imam Hatip School, a religious lycee in Istanbul. After completing her secondary education, she studied sociology, politics and foreign relations at Bogazici (Bosphorus) University in Turkey.

Known For: Associate Professor in Linguistics and Gender Studies, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University
Country: Morocco

About

Dr. Souad Slaoui is an associate professor at Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University in Fez, Morocco. She is a senior lecturer in Linguistics and Gender Studies. She currently directs the Women and Development Unit at Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University in Fez, Morocco.

She is also the Moroccan Coordinator of the Exchange and Cooperation Agreement among Members of the Gender and Women’s Studies Across Cultures (GWS) Consortium for 2007 to 2013.

Dr Souad Slaoui is also a founding member of the Isis Centre for Women and Development; The Union of Feminine Associations in Morocco, and a member of the laboratory of Research and Studies in Linguistics (GREL). Dr. Slaoui is a member of the editing board for the book, Feminist Movements: Origins and Orientations, published in 1999. She is also a co-author of the book, Grammar of Moroccan Arabic (1999). Her research interests include women and their relationship to religion, politics, and culture as well as feminist movements in the Arab world. She participated in national and international conferences on issues related to Moroccan women (e.g., cultural values).

Known For: Author; Dancer
Country: Turkey

About

Rabia Christine Brodbeck Sezai is the author of several books and articles. She is also a world-famous dancer who began her training at the age of 12. She continued to dance and perform until 1998, when she retired. Following her conversion to Islam in 1986, Ms. Brodbeck began to write books with a focus on spirituality. One of her books, From The Stage to the Prayer Mat: The Story of How a World- Famous Dancer Fell in Love with the Divine, was recognized in the “Spirituality” category during the New York Summer Book Festival in 2009. Apart from writing, she was selected to participate in a TV documentary for the European Union about European Muslims. Currently, she teaches dance, gives seminars and conferences, and writes articles in Istanbul.

Known For: Director of Family Counseling and the Rehabilitation Department, Shar’iah Court
Country: Palestine

About

Solafa Sawalha is the Director of Family Counseling and the Rehabilitation Department for all courts in the West Bank, a position she has held since 2003. From 1998 to 2003, she worked as a legal representative focusing on women’s issues. She holds a BA in Islamic Law from the University of Jerusalem and numerous certificates in Islam, mediation, and legal representation from international and domestic organizations.

Known For: Member, TURKKAD
Country: Turkey

About

After completing her studies at the American Academy for Girls, Hatice Isil Sarraf attended London Cavendish College and graduated with a Public Relations degree. She went on to found her own event planning and public relations company. Apart from these endeavors, she is also a life coach and a breath trainer. In 2008, Ms. Sarraf became a member of the Turkish Women’s Cultural Association (TURKKAD).

Known For: Women’s rights defender; Feminist researcher
Country: Turkey

About

Leyla Pervizat, Ph.D is a woman’s human rights defender and a feminist researcher. She completed her doctoral dissertation, titled Honor Killings within the Context of International Human Rights Law: Conceptual and Legal Analysis, and Evaluation of Legal Cases in Turkey, at the Department of International Relations and Political Science at the Marmara University. Her comprehensive and interdisciplinary doctoral dissertation will soon be published in English. In the past, she worked as the Project Coordinator of Prevention of Honour Killings in South Eastern and Eastern Turkey. Ms. Pervizat lectures on gender studies and family violence at the Haliç University in Istanbul. For the last five years, as a member of Amnesty International Turkey, she has worked on training religious leaders at the Presidency of Religious Affairs, a state body, on women’s rights (e.g., eliminating violence and discrimination against women).

Known For: Pharmacist; Writer; Human rights activist
Country: Turkey

About

Yildiz Ramazanoglu was born in Ankara. She attended Hacettepe University for pharmacy. Currently, she lives in Istanbul. She is working on several essays, novels, and short stories. She has already written a number of books, including Deep Black, The Day of Zilha, Angelika, Red, and Cities Passing from my Inside. She is interested in women and human rights issues.

Known For: Lecturer in School of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College)
Country: South Africa

About

Cherry Muslim is a lecturer in the School of Religion, Philosophy, and Classics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College) in Durban, South Africa. She is currently completing her PGCE (Certificate of Education) and is registered to begin her doctoral degree in 2012.

For 16 years, Ms. Muslim taught Islam to women and girls at Islamic Guidance, a madressah and non-profit charity and organization. She also worked with the Islamic Broadcasting Corporation for the local Islamic radio station as a presenter. Moreover, she wrote articles for community newspapers, spoke at conferences, and served as the Chairperson of the Coalition of Muslim Women.

Known For: Head of the Documentation and Advocacy Unit at the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC)
Country: Palestine

About

Hanan Muaadi is an activist and defender of feminist and human rights. She is especially interested in the situation of Palestinian women under Israeli occupation. She actively advocates for change in this area by participating in a range of speaking tours around the world; these tours discuss the lives of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, with special focus on the situation of women.

Professionally, Ms. Muaadi is a researcher specializing in gender issues. She has participated in many research projects, addressing issues such as gender-based violence, health issues, the situation of widows of murdered Palestinians, disabled women, and the situation of women in education.

In 2009, Ms. Muaadi prepared a report for the Euro Med about the situation of Palestinian women. The report explored the issue of equality between men and women in Palestine. It also examined Palestinian women in decision-making positions and the extent to which Palestinian women enjoy their rights set out in the Convention on the Elimination All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Between 2007 and 2010, Ms. Muaadi produced a report entitled “Killing Females in the name of the Honor in Palestine.” Recently, she was chosen as a consultant for the MENA region with Northeastern University of Boston to conduct research on the application of due diligence principles in the Middle East and North Africa.

Currently, Ms. Muaadi is the head of the Documentation and Advocacy Unit at the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling (WCLAC). She works as part of a team, appealing to government officials in the Palestinian Legislative Council and other ministries to amend laws which fail to adequately protect women.

Country: Egypt

About

Negila Moussa has worked for the CEO of RAMSCO for Trading & Development, Ms. Rawya Mansour for the past 12 years. At RAMSCO, Ms. Moussa works implement systems to fight poverty and produce healthy food. Before that, she was a junior college teacher for 13 years. Ms. Moussa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy & Science and a Child Psychology diploma.

Known For: Business Development Director, Motlekar Holdings
Country: South Africa

About

Nazira Moosa is the Business Development Director of Motlekar Holdings, an investment and advisory house. The company focuses on buying equity in companies across a broad spectrum of industries. Within Motlekar Holdings, Ms. Moosa runs Global Petroleum, a company that focuses on trading within the liquid fuels industry. On a separate note, she also sits on the advisory board of the Graduate School of Business at Kwa Zula Natal.

Ms. Moosa began her career at PriceWaterhouse Coopers in the auditing department. Soon afterwards, she turned her attention to the entrepreneurial side of the company (e.g., textile buying, franchising, and wholesaling across various industries). Between 2005 and 2006, she was appointed the official regional trainer by BP South Africa in their Black Economic Empowerment Programme. In 2005, she was the recipient of the Business Partners award for Entrepreneurial Spirit and Contribution to SME Sector.

Ms. Moosa holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Management) and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Kwa Zulu Natal.

Known For: Consultant and Activist, Social uplifting
Country: South Africa

About

Asmal Mooneera grew up in apartheid-era, South Africa, and suffered through devastating unemployment, economic downturn, and racism. As a result, Ms. Mooneera strives to assist the underprivileged and be actively involved in social and economic development. Currently, she works with the rural Muslim community in establishing and maintaining Islamic education initiatives. In conjunction with her work in the community, she is fundraising for the construction of an orphanage. She is also involved in business development and the creation of employment opportunities.

Known For: Manager, the Adult Education Centre for Women and Families; Content Supervisor, the Persian Female Portal
Country: Iran

About

Hoda Mobasseri is currently the Manager at the Adult Education Centre for Women and Families in Tehran, Iran. The centre facilitates adult education classes for women on topics such as family problem-solving, negotiation with partners, and parenting skills. She also serves as Content Supervisor of the Persian Female Portal, an online website that contains a variety of resources for Iranian women in areas such as education, health, art, and fashion.

Ms. Mobasseri earned her Master of Science degree in Community Education from the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she wrote her thesis entitled “Politics of Hijab in Iran and UK.” She also completed a Master’s of Arts in Sociology, for which she wrote a separate thesis, “Sexual Politics and Intimate Relationships, a Sample of Heterosexual Iranian Women in Tehran.”

Ms. Mobasseri’s academic areas of interest include Muslim women’s potentialities and limitations for negotiation in the private sphere, and Muslim feminists’ contributions regarding human rights and Muslimhood. She has also completed several English to Persian translations of various publications, and created a Facebook group for the Persian translation of the 2009 book Emotional Literacy Training by Claude Steiner.

Known For: Dean, School of Lifelong Education and Development; Director of Access, Public, and Community Engagement
Country: United Kingdom

About

Nadira Mirza is the Dean of the School of Lifelong Education and Development and the Director of Access, Public, and Community Engagement at the University of Bradford. She has lead participation initiatives with local communities and schools, enabling young people who have no family history of higher education to access university courses. She continues to be instrumental in establishing new voluntary sector organizations in Bradford, thus sustaining this infrastructure within the district.

Ms. Mirza is on a number of local, regional, and national committees charged with raising educational achievement and better health for local communities.  She is a Non-Executive Director of the Bradford District Care Trust (NHS) and chairs a number of strategic committees, including the “Born in Bradford” project, an international action research study of childhood diseases over the next ten years. Ms. Mirza was instrumental in developing the university’s first school, the University Academy Keighley under the Government Academy scheme. The University Academy Keighley encourages universities to take leadership of local schools and raise achievement through high level leadership and links with academics. She is now the Chair of the Governing Board.

Ms. Mirza represents the university on a number of strategic advisory committees in England; she is advisor to the Management Development Foundation, an international training consultancy for leadership and project development based in the Netherlands. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts and a visiting Fellow of the University of Azad Kashmir.

Known For: Medical representative; Professional and personnel coach
Country: Morocco

About

Ms. Houda Marmouti is a forty-year-old married woman and mother of two children. At the university-level, she studied management information systems. At present, she works as a medical representative. She is also a professional and personnel coach. Ms. Marmouti engages in community work and social activities; she currently volunteers with Maman Planete Bebe forum.

Ms. Marmouti is a consultant with Hope, an Arabic group that works to eradicate early marriage. This network was created in June 2011. Its country members include Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, the West Bank and Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Morocco. Ms. Marmouti has attended several international forums and conferences in Morocco for women and children.

Known For: Social worker; Life skills trainer
Country: Pakistan

About

Hina Maqsood, a development practitioner, educator, editor, and training consultant, is currently working with the Islamabad-based Human and Institutional Development Centre (Saibaan). She is the Team Leader for Training and Development.  Her work largely focuses on developing and delivering trainings, project management, monitoring and evaluation, networking and communication, strategic planning, and event management.

Ms. Maqsood has been working in the development sector for over five years. She has conducted over 100 trainings nationally and internationally for NGOs, INGOs, academicians, bankers, government officials, and corporate professionals.  Last year, Ms. Maqsood worked as an independent consultant for the American Society for Muslim Advancement’s Awareness Campaign on Domestic Violence Bill in District Jhelum.

Ms. Maqsood was named the best participant and group leader in a renowned 14-day Signature Training in Pakistan. She has published works on “U.S. Policy towards Women Empowerment in Pakistan in Post 9/11 Scenario”; “Counseling Youth for Employability, Unleashing the Potential”; “IDPs and the Role of Civil Society Organizations”; and “Seasonal Trends in Developmental Jobs.”  In the last two years, Ms. Maqsood has arranged two retreats to Istanbul and China for more than 150 HRD professionals.

Ms. Maqsood holds an M.Phil. degree in American Studies and a Master’s degree in English Linguistics and Literature.

Known For: Executive Director, Sahiba Sisters Foundation
Country: Tanzania

About

Salma Maoulidi is the Executive Director of the Sahiba Sisters Foundation, a women’s development and advocacy network with members in 13 regions of Tanzania concerned with the impact of cultural and religious discourses on women. Ms. Maoulidi received an LLM from Georgetown University with a focus on Human Rights and Women’s Law. She has published widely on legal and development, issues from an African woman’s feminist activist perspective. Her current research interest is documenting the history of women in Zanzibar, with a focus on women’s legal, education, and political status over time.

Known For: Founder and Chairperson, RAMSCO for Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection
Country: Egypt

About

Rawya Mansour is an environmental activist who focuses on the link between the environment and poverty. She is the founder and chairperson of RAMSCO for Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection, a company devoted to sustainable business practices within the Middle East and North Africa. She is a role model in diverting the linear economy into a circular economy via her mantra: “Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce.” Ms. Mansour’s projects focus on raising the living standard, implementing clean technologies for sustainable green business, and creating solutions for fighting poverty and mitigating climate change in the Middle East and North Africa. She raises awareness for environmentalism through Pan-Arab media vehicles. Currently, Mrs. Mansour is working on the creation of 234 green town parks, which will lead to the creation of more than ten million jobs within Egypt. She is also working on the design and construction of a new eco village.

Ms. Mansour is a member of numerous boards and associations, which include the Arab Business Women Society, Enhancement of Integrated Services and Waste Recycling, the Clinton Global Initiative Foundation, Information and Decision Support Center of the UNDP, the Association of Enterprises for Environmental Conservation, the Lead Foundation for Microfinance, the Egyptian Association for Science and Technology Services, Children with Special Needs, the Education for Employment Foundation, and Pro-Natura.

In addition, Rawya Mansour is also the founder and chairperson of RAMSCO for Interior Design and Architecture, an avant-garde interior design company based in the Middle East. Her work was published worldwide in the House and Garden magazine and their book series of the same title.

Known For: Executive Director, Public Union for Gender Equality and Women’s Initiatives (GEWI)
Country: Azerbaijan

About

Ulviyya Mammadova is the Executive Director of Public Union for Gender Equality and Women’s Initiatives (GEWI). She is responsible for management, program planning and development, strategy and budgeting. She also runs a web series on Kanal13 titled “Strong Gender,” which discusses women’s rights issues. Prior to joining GEWI, Ms. Mammadova worked with local and international NGOs in Azerbaijan. She also worked at Azerbaijan International, an English language magazine, for five years. She spent one year at its headquarters in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Mammadova has a BA and MA in translation (English and French).

Known For: Senior Instructor, Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo
Country: Egypt

About

Sanaa A. M. Makhlouf is the Senior Instructor of AUC’s Department of Rhetoric and Composition. She obtained her BA and MA from the American University in Cairo; she received her MA in Medieval Political Philosophy at Harvard University’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies; and she received her Ph.D. (ABD) at Harvard’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization on “A Hermeneutics of Spiritual Writings of al-Amir Abd al-Qadir al-Jazaíri.”

From 2005 to 2009, Ms. Makhlouf worked as a copy editor for the ISIM Review at Leiden University in the Netherlands. In 2010, she was a member of the Sunni Delegation at the Interfaith Summit Meeting at the Washington National Cathedral. This same year, she was a coordinator for the Al-Azhar Cambridge Imam Program. Similarly, in Spring 2010, she was a visiting professor at the Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies at Kyoto University. In April 2011, Ms. Makhlouf participated in the US Islamic World Forum in Washington, DC. She has written publications on Muslim Reform Movements and Quránic Hermeneutics.

Known For: Political Activist
Country: Egypt

About

Asmaa Mahfouz is a 26-year-old graduate with a degree in Business Administration.  Ms. Mahfouz worked as an account manager for Broadband until 2008, when she resigned to concentrate on political activity. Ms. Mahfouz was one of the co-founders of the April 6 Youth Movement. During the transitional period, she encouraged involvement and organized political activities, increasing peoples’ awareness about their rights. Similarly, she made the first video calling people to take to the streets on January 25, 2011:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezFb6wzS9Is

She also made a series of videos encouraging nonviolent demonstration against Mubarak’s regime.  Currently, Ms. Mahfouz is preparing to build her own NGO to encourage political awareness.

Known For: Official Translator, International Union of Islamic Scholars; Member, European Council of Religious Leaders
Country: France

Known For: Founder, STEPS Women’s Development Organization
Country: India

About

D. Sharifa Khanam founded STEPS Women’s Development Organization in 1987. Ms. Khanam’s work for the past two decades has been devoted to the protection of women. The organization provides short-term residence for battered women and works with both the local community and the police to protect abused women.

Ms. Khanam’s dedication to women, particularly Muslim women, began in 1999 when she created the first network of Muslim women in southern India, the Tamil Nadu Muslim Women’s Jamaat Committee. The group, comprised of poor and working-class women, functions as a community tribunal to aid local women.  Currently, Ms. Khanam is working to build the first mosque exclusively for Muslim women in India. She hopes the mosque will become the center of a vibrant Islamic feminist and democratic culture.

Known For: Senior television producer, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB); President, Eghlime Noor Institute
Country: Iran

About

Farkhondeh Keyhani is a senior television producer in Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and President of Eghlime Noor (Land of light) Institute, focusing on women issues. Ms. Keyhani is interested in women’s rights issues from an Islamic prospective. She has produced multiple TV series and documentaries for different IRIB TV channels. The productions have focused on women in Iranian history, feminism, women in Iranian cinema, and female clothing. She has done extensive research on these topics; her research has taken her to the UAE, Turkey and India. She has published multiple essays in Iranian newspapers and women’s magazines.

Ms. Keyhani has earned her MA in Islamic Mysticism and BA in Western Philosophy.  Additionally, she has her MA in TV production from IRIB University. In 1999, she attended “Television in An Aging Society,” a workshop organized by Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development. In 2006, Ms. Keyhani traveled to Lebanon after the July war to make a documentary about the affects of the war on Lebanese women.

Known For: Board Member, Turkish Women’s Cultural Association Istanbul
Country: Turkey

About

Nazli Kayahan was born in Ankara in 1962. She received a BBA degree in Economics from the University of Iowa and an EMBA degree from Koc University, Istanbul. Ms. Kayahan worked in the banking sector for six years. She has been a student of Cemalnur Sargut since 1998.

Ms. Kayahan is a board member of the Turkish Women’s Cultural Association, Istanbul (TURKKAD), founded by Samiha Ayverdi in 1966. Under the leadership of the current President, Cemalnur Sargut, TURKKAD works to organize international symposiums and work with people who want to apply solutions to today’s problems with the Sufi view that “knowledge should be practiced and worship is a journey towards love.”

Known For: Director and Chair, Knowledge Transfer at the Department of Social Anthropology (Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona)
Country: Spain

About

Professor Adriana Kaplan is the Director and Chair of Knowledge Transfer at the Department of Social Anthropology, Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona (UAB) in Spain, and Principal Investigator of the Interdisciplinary Group for the Prevention and Study of Harmful Traditional Practices. Professor Kaplan lectures on Medical Anthropology and Gender and Development Studies throughout Spain, Europe, Africa, and Mexico. She is also the Executive Director of the NGO, Wassu Gambia Kafo.
Principally, Professor Kaplan’s fieldwork has been in West Africa concerning health, nutrition, reproductive, and sexual health. She leads the Transnational Observatory on Applied Research and Knowledge Transfer on Female Genital Mutilation in Gambia and Spain as well as the training of health professionals and students on FGM. Additionally, Professor Kaplan has published books and articles on FGM and co-directed the documentary Initiation without Mutilation.

Professor Kaplan organised the International Forum on Harmful Traditional Practices in Gambia (May 5-7, 2009). In 1998, she was awarded the X Research Award on Social Science by “la Caixa” Foundation. In 2008, she was granted the International Solidarity Award by the government of Navarra, Spain.

Known For: Visiting Assistant Professor, Georgetown University; Founding member & Associate Director, Salam Institute for Peace and Justice
Country: United States

About

Dr. S. Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana is currently Visiting Assistant Professor at Georgetown University’s MA Program in Conflict Resolution. Similarly, she has served as Assistant Professor in the field of Peace and Conflict Resolution at the School of International Service at American University in Washington DC. Dr. Kadayifci-Orellana has worked at the United States Institute of Peace on Projects related to Iraq. She is also one of the founding members and the Associate Director of Salam Institute for Peace and Justice, a non-profit organization for research, education, and practice on issues related to conflict resolution, nonviolence, and development. She received her PhD from American University’s School of International Service and her Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England.

Dr. Kadayifci-Orellana’s has taught, lectured, and published extensively in the fields of gender and peace, theories of peace, religion and peace building, crosscultural conflict resolution and mediation, interfaith and intra-faith dialogues, peace building and development, Islamic sources of conflict resolution, and Muslim peace building actors in Africa and the Balkans. She has also facilitated dialogues and conflict resolution workshops between Israelis and Palestinians, worked with indigenous community leaders from North and Latin America, conducted Islamic conflict resolution training workshops to imams and Muslim youth leaders in the United States, organized and participated in interfaith and intra-Muslim dialogues, and organized and participated in the first American-Muslim Delegation to Iran in November 2007.

Known For: Assistant Professor, Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey
Country: Turkey

About

Dr. Brigitte Jelen received her BA in Social Sciences at the University of Notre-Dame de Namur in Belmont, California, and her Ph.D. in Modern European History at the University of California Irvine. Her thesis, entitled Immigrant In/Visibility: Portuguese and North Africans in Post-Colonial France, discusses the political, religious, cultural, and urban visibility of immigrants in France from a historical perspective. She has also worked on religion and secularism in the European context and the visibility of hijabi women in European public spaces. In the past three years, since her move to Istanbul, Ms. Jelen’s research interests have broadened to include studies of contemporary Turkish society, focusing on the new Islamic bourgeoisie. Her more recent work focuses on elite Islamic women in Turkey; it was published as “Educated, Independent, and Covered: the Professional Aspirations and Experiences of University-Educated Hijabi in Contemporary Turkey” in Women Studies International Forum (2011). Currently, she is working on women theologians and Islamic feminism in Turkey. She has written an article on “Women in the Diyanet” (2011).  Ms. Jelen’s teaching and research interests include Urban Sociology, Sociology of Religion and Culture, Contemporary European History, and Women Studies and Cultural Studies.

Known For: Women’s rights activist; Executive Director: Advancement, Durban University of Technology
Country: South Africa

About

Naziema Jappie is a women’s rights activist. She has served on a number of boards for HIV/AIDS and is currently a member of the Higher Education HIV/AIDS Advisory Board. She is also the Vice President of the South African Women’s Forte.  Ms. Jappie has worked as a secondary school teacher; the National Education Officer (SA Clothing & Textile Workers Union); and a lecturer at the former M.L. Sultan Technikon, where she later served as Dean of Students. She joined the Durban University of Technology from her position of Dean of Students at the University of the Witwatersrand. She has training in conciliation, mediation and arbitration, and Adult Education. Moreover, she has served as a member of the task team for Gender Equity in Education and has been involved in HEQC training for Quality Assurance. She has taught at the Institute for Women’s Studies in Lahore for three years.

Ms. Jappie holds a Bachelor of Social Science, an Honours degree (Social Science), and a Masters of Social Science, specializing in industrial and labour studies. She also has a Higher Education Diploma (postgraduate). Her awards include the NRF and Ford Foundation for Research in Higher Education and the Fellowship in Labor Studies at the University of Iowa, USA.

Known For: Financial and Banking Consultant, First Women Bank Limited
Country: Pakistan

About

Fauzia Janjua works in the development sector in Pakistan and is currently associated with First Women Bank Limited. This company aims to economically empower and emancipate women in both rural and urban areas. Previously, she worked at transnational financial institutions such as Citigroup USA; NIB Bank, owned by Tamesak Group of Singapore; and Favsal Bank, a subsidiary of DMI Group owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She also worked at internationally-acclaimed universities like the National University of Sciences and Technologies in Pakistan, International Islamic University of Pakistan, and Fatima Jinnah University for Women in Pakistan. After working in commercially-oriented multinational organizations for more than 15 years, she decided to join a financial institution with a focus on gender. The present mission of First Women Bank Limited is to convert the passive role of women seeking social benefits into an active catalyst for change and economic empowerment, which will ultimately lead to the healthy growth of family and society.

Known For: Research Assistant, Centre for Comparative Theology & Cultural Studies; PhD student in Islamic Religious Education
Country: Germany

About

Tuba Isik-Yigit is a member of the second German Islamic Conference. She is also a research assistant at the Centre for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies and a PhD student in Islamic Religious Education. Previously, she headed the Coalition of Muslim Women in Germany, moderated Jugenddialog 2020 (youth dialogue in Germany), and worked as an education consultant for the SCHURACouncil Niedersachsen, Hannover.

Ms. Isik-Yigit has a Master’s degree in Law and Pedagogy from Georg-August University of Göttingen (Germany). She received further instruction in Islamic teaching in the German language at the University of Osnabruck. She was also a PhD student at the Leibniz University of Hannover and a PhD fellow of the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation.

Ms. Isik-Yigit speaks Turkish, German, and English. She also has a basic grasp of Arabic.

Known For: Senior partner, Aries Law Firm
Country: United States

About

Hauwa Ibrahim is a senior partner at Aries Law Firm. Working as a lead attorney with a team devoted to the cause of human rights for women in Nigeria, she has won a number of precedent-setting cases before Islamic Shariah courts. Ibrahim has been a Visiting Professor at Saint Louis University School of Law and Stonehill College, a World Fellow at Yale University, a Radcliffe fellow, and a fellow at both the Human Rights Program and the Islamic Legal Studies Program at Harvard University. She is currently a Visiting Lecturer at Harvard University.

Ms. Ibrahim adopted an interdisciplinary approach to delve into the theoretical foundations of Shariah law and examine how they have influenced legal practice, which has, in turn, affected the human rights of women in West Africa. Her research led to a book, Practicing Law in Shariah Courts: Seven Strategies, which is currently with the American Bar Association for Publication.

The European Parliament presented Ms. Ibrahim with its 2005 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which honors individuals or organizations for their efforts on behalf of human rights and freedoms. Ibrahim has earned an LLB and a master’s in international law and diplomacy from the University of Jos in Nigeria; a BL for legal practice from Nigeria Law School; and a master’s of law degree in international studies at American University’s Washington College of Law. In addition, she has been awarded three honorary doctorates, as well as the Cavaliere Award, the Highest Human Rights Award from the Italian Government.

Known For: Coordinator, WAR Against Rape (Lahore, Pakistan)
Country: Pakistan

About

Sidra Humayun is the coordinator at WAR Against Rape, a Lahore-based NGO dedicated to building a sensitized society free from gender-based oppression, discrimination, exploitation, and violence. Ms. Humayun has been with WAR since 2005. WAR works to help survivors of rape using legal, psychological, and medical means, and improve laws relating to rape and other forms of sexual abuse through advocacy and lobbying.

Over the past six years, Ms. Humayun has worked tirelessly with women and girls who have experienced sexual violence, providing them with counseling and direct support. She has also worked to ensure that Lahore’s criminal justice and medical systems, and the surrounding areas of Pakistan’s Punjab province, respond effectively to the complex needs of victims of sexual abuse. Ms. Humayun has attended several advocacy and development trainings by the Church World Service in the Pakistan/Afghanistan region, on topics such as Advocacy and Lobbying, Nonviolent Communications, and Organizational Development. Ms. Humayun also facilitated a training on Gender Sensitization, and has conducted sessions with various Pakistani organizations to raise awareness of survivors of sexual abuse.

Known For: Legal Expert, Council of Europe
Country: Czech Republic

About

Dr. Ivana Hrdlickova is a judge and a legal expert with the Council of Europe regarding anti-money laundering issues. She is also a researcher in Islamic Sharia, with a focus on human and women rights and Islamic finance in international and Islamic law. She has served on a number of international legal and judicial projects in this capacity, including the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EuroMed), which works to increase judicial cooperation between the Mediterranean-European Development Agreement (MEDA) countries. She has also worked with the CEELI Institute (Prague), Qatari Foundation (Qatar), International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), and many other international organizations.

Dr. Hrdlickova holds a Masters Degree in Business and Criminal Law and a J.D.in Civil Law. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in International Law at Charles University in Prague and also is participating as a co-author on a book on human rights in Islam.

Known For: Chief Executive Officer, Yayasan MENDAKI
Country: Singapore

About

Mdm Moliah Hashim is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan MENDAKI, a self-help organization established in 1982 to uplift the Malay/Muslim community to achieve its vision of a Community of Excellence. Prior to her appointment in Yayasan MENDAKI, Mdm Moliah served 27 years with the Ministry of Education, holding several key appointments including Principal of Northland Primary School and Cluster Schools Superintendent, School Division South.

Mdm Moliah serves on numerous governing boards in the public sector, including the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura ( Islamic Religious Council of Singapore), National Council Against Drug Abuse, Northlight School Board of Governors, WEworkz Multi-Purpose Co-operative Ltd, Marriage Central Advisory Board, OnePeople.sg Management Committee, Media Development Authority (MDA) Board, and MDA’s Audit Committee and Working Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony.  Mdm Moliah holds a Bachelor of Arts and Social Science from the University of Singapore.

Known For: Principal, Afghan School Inc.
Country: United States

About

Shakila Hamidi was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. She graduated from Kabul University where she majored in Child Psychology. As a volunteer for UNICEF in her home country, Ms. Hamidi educated women on the importance of breastfeeding their newborn children. She has also been involved with such organizations as the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences and the United Nations. She has contributed to Noor TV as a creator of novel topics and as a program guest. As a program manager at Women for Afghan Women, she worked to create community programs and cultural events. Currently, she is the principal of the Afghan School Inc. in Whitestone, Queens, working with different communities and organizations to unify the Afghan-American population.

Known For: Attorney; Activist, KAFA Organization
Country: Lebanon

About

Fatima El Hajj became an attorney in 2002 and began her legal activism with the Listening and Consulting Center at KAFA (Enough) in 2005. KAFA is an organization dedicated to ending violence against women and provides services and legal aid to victims of violence. Apart from her work at KAFA, she participates in seminars and legal legislation in Lebanon and abroad, such as the International Center for Transitional Justice in Jordan (2011) and the CEDAW workshop in Lebanon (2010).

Known For: Doctor, Medical Centre Goethe Passage
Country: Turkey

About

Dilek Guldtutuna studied at the Istanbul University Medical Faculty Cerrahpaşaand, and received her Ph.D. in Anesthesiology at the Koşuyolu Clinic for Heart Surgery in Istanbul in 1994. She also received her Magister of Islamic Religious Studies from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Germany. Currently, she works at the Medical Centre Goethe Passage as a doctor.

Known For: Member, Jalal Foundation
Country: Afghanistan

About

Mari Folad is a member of the Jalal Foundation, which works for women empowerment in Afghanistan. Previously, she worked as a registry clerk at the World Food Programme (WFP) and a WFP field monitor in Kabul, Afghanistan. She also worked as a computer operator and translator for Todai Japan.

Ms. Folad has a diploma in Business Administration from the Kardan Institute of Higher Education. She has also received numerous certificates, including a Gender Training Workshop certificate, an Electronic Records Management Programme certificate, and an Advanced Security in the Field certificate. She is fluent in Dari, Pashtu, and English.

Known For: Independent Consultant on Women’s Rights and Development Issues
Country: Nigeria

About

Fijabi Mufuliat is an independent consultant on women’s rights and development issues. She began her career as a journalist and has continued writing on gender and governance for both local and international publications. In addition to her work in journalism, Ms. Mufuliat has co-authored several books focusing on women’s rights and Islamic law. As an activist, Ms. Mufuliat worked as a Senior Program Officer at BAOBAB, a leading women’s rights NGO in Nigeria, for nearly 12 years. Currently, she works as a consultant and journalist and is on the boards of several local and international organizations.

Known For: Project Coordinator, TURKKAD
Country: Turkey

About

Elif Erhan has been a member of Turkish Women’s Cultural Association (TURKKAD), Istanbul since 2006. She is one the association’s project coordinators, and organizes its international symposiums. Her background is in engineering sciences, and she graduated from the Environmental Engineering Department at Ataturk University in 1992. She received her Ph.D. in 2000 from the same university and worked in the UK at Newcastle Upon Tyne University from 2000 until 2003. In 2003 she relocated to Gebze Institute of Technology; she still teaches and conducts research there. For the past seven years at this institution, she has led a biosensor group on environmental monitoring.

Known For: Educator
Country: Morocco

About

Fatima Zahra El Fathi is a 40-year-old married woman and mother of three children. She studied literature in Casablanca and France before obtaining a postgraduate diploma in French Literature in 1996. This same year, Ms. El Fathi joined the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education as a French teacher. She practiced this profession for over eight years at Casablanca’s Faculty of Literature. Today, she works as a French teacher at Casablanca’s College of Technology. She also coaches parents in their conduct with their children and their attitude toward the familial environment. She is a devoted mother and pedagogue. Ms. El Fathi has always been interested in charity work ; she volunteers at numerous associations. She worked alongside Maria Bichra in the second edition of the forum of the mother and the child, held on June 18-19, 2011 in Casablanca.

Known For: Chairwoman and Managing Director, D&A Dis Ticaret A.S.; President, Ankara Soroptimist Club; President, TSKF Project Commission
Country: Turkey

About

Ayse Jale Diker is currently the Chairwoman and Managing Director of D&A Dis Ticaret, a company that focuses on foreign trade and finance. Previously, she worked in the trade sector with ALMARA Trade and Construction Inc. and ERKAT Trading Inc. She is the President of the Ankara Soroptimist Club and a member of the Turkish Soroptimist Federation, an organization for professional women working to improve the lives of woman and girls in their communities. She holds a degree in Political Science from Ankara College and a degree in Political Science and Public Administration from Middle East Technical University.

Known For: Vice President, International Mevlâna Foundation
Country: Turkey

About

Esin Celebi is the 22nd generation granddaughter of Hz. Mevlana; she works to promote his teachings through a variety of organizations and universities. Although she was born and spent her childhood years in Syria, she and her family moved to Istanbul in 1958, where Ms. Çelibi attended Istanbul University. Following her studies, she worked with the Istanbul Ozel Isiklar High School Association and the Isiklar Association, where she served as the first female president. In 1997, she became the Vice President of the International Mevlana Foundation. In this position, she played a key role in influencing UNESCO’s decision to preserve the traditional Mevlana music and the Whirling Dervishes. In 2005, Selcuk University selected Esin Çelebi as a member of the Advisory Board established under the Mevlana Research and Membership Center, where she spoke at symposiums and conferences internationally and domestically. In April 2011, Star King University in Berkley, California gave Esin Çelebi an Honorary Doctorate due to her research and contribution to world peace.

Known For: Director, Publishing Agency
Country: Morocco

About

Maria Bichra is a 48-year-old married woman and mother of two children. She studied pharmacy in France; later, she studied French literature. Ms. Bichra obtained a DEA, the equivalent of a postgraduate diploma in French literature, in 1989. In 1990, she joined a large advertising agency.

Eventually, Ms. Bichra founded her own publishing house and wrote the first free health guide intended for future and young mothers in Morocco. In 2008, she was nominated for Morocco’s woman entrepreneur of the year. One year later, she founded the “Club des Mamans” (Mom’s Club). Using the club as a platform, she launched awareness campaigns on vaccination, nutrition, prevention of domestic accidents, the importance of monitoring pregnancies, and the benefits of breastfeeding. In June 2011, Ms. Bichra responded to the initiative, “Business Call to Action,” launched by the United Nations in the context of the Millennium Development Goals, related to the health of the mother and child.  On June 18-19, 2011, she organized a second edition of the exhibition in partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Health and the UN, Morocco. After serving Moroccan mothers for over 10 years, Ms. Bichra now pursues coaching. Her sole purpose is supporting mothers in their noble mission.

Known For: Arabic-English interpreter/translator; Founder member, Texas Muslim Women's Foundation
Country: United States

About

Yasmina Ben Halim is a freelance Arabic-English Interpreter/Translator. She is the mother of three children, two girls and one boy. Currently, she lives in Texas and is one of the founding members of Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation. She has served as the organization’s secretary and luncheon and program chair; she is now the Education/Outreach Chair. Ms. Ben Halim is also very involved with Interfaith Dialogue. Her goal is to reach out to as many non-Muslims as possible, either through small group meetings or public speaking.  Ms. Ben Halim was born and raised in Libya. She received her BA in Education from Tripoli University. In 1979, she moved to the United States. She attended Oklahoma State University and received an MS in Educational Psychology.

Known For: Founder and Principal, DiversityWealth
Country: United States

About

Tasnim McCormick Benhalim is the founder and principal of DiversityWealth, a company that serves business, education and governmental sectors with teacher training, cultural competencies, collaborative team building, diversity and inclusion, presentation skills training, and a wide range of other offerings. Ms. McCormick Benhalim is an American Muslim who converted to Islam over 34 years ago. She currently resides in Dallas, Texas. She was born in the small farming community of Mahomet, Texas, and was raised in Austin, Texas.

Ms. McCormick Benhalim is passionate about Islam and inspired by the work of W.I.S.E. women. She has been married for 30 years to Omar Benhalim, a Libyan-American. They have 3 grown children: Rabea, Yaseen, and Basheer.

Known For: Project Manager and Board Member, TURKKAD-Istanbul; Founder and Chairwoman, Nefes Publishing House
Country: Turkey

About

Belgin Batum graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of Mumar Sinan University with a degree in Architecture. She worked as an architect until 2007. That year, she founded Nefes Publishing House Inc. Today, she represents the company as the Chairwoman. She is also a project manager of the TURKKAD branch; she has been a board member for the past eight years.

Known For: Sociologist; Political Scientist; Politician
Country: Turkey

About

Zeynep Banu Dalaman is a sociologist, political scientist, and politician.  Currently, she is the head of the Center for Turkish Studies and Women Studies at Aydin University in Istanbul.

Ms. Dalaman graduated from the Department of Sociology at Bogazici University in 1994. She received her M.A. degree in the department of International Relations Middle-East Politics at the Institute of Political Sciences in Paris (Sciences Po-Paris). She has worked with well-known Middle East specialist Prof. Dr. Gilles Kepel for her Master Thesis, “Propagation of Official Ideology in Turkey in the years of 80’s and 90’s: Neo-Kemalistes Movements.” This will soon be published in Turkish. Ms. Dalaman is currently pursuing a PhD in the Department of International Relations and Political Sciences at the Graduate School of Social Sciences at Fatih University. Her PhD thesis is on “Religious Women’s Behavior in Public Sphere: Turkish and American Case.”

Ms. Dalaman first ventured into politics while assisting Professor Dr. Nilüfer Göle. She ran as a Democratic Left Party (DSP) candidate in Beyoglu’s 2009 mayoral elections. From 2008 to 2010, she served as a political adviser to the mayor of Sisli, Mustafa Sarigül.

Ms. Dalaman speaks English and French fluently.

Known For: Ph.D. candidate, Marmara University
Country: Azerbaijan

About

Nigar Babayeva was born in Azerbaijan and attended high school at Yasamal Rayonu School No. 158. She graduated from the History Department at Baku State University. Later, she received her MA in Islamic History and Art at Marmara University in Turkey. Curently she is a Ph.D. candidate in Islamic History at Marmara University.

Known For: Member, Women’s Office of the Islamic Party, Ennahdha; English Instructor
Country: Tunisia

About

Ms. Amel Azzouz is a leading member of the Women’s Office of the Islamic Party, Ennahdha. She is also enrolled at the Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Sousse; she is fulfilling a doctoral dissertation entitled, Memory, Mourning, and Narration in Michael Ondaatje’s Fiction, under the supervision of Professor Nejet Mchala. Ms. Azzouz works as an English instructor at the High Institute of Languages, Gabés (oral language module, written language module, literature module, and critical theories). She has held this position since 2000.  Previously, Ms. Azzouz was an English teacher in Tunisian secondary schools. Ms. Azzouz has an aggregation degree, DEA, and BA in the English language and literature. As a student in Tunisia, she was a member of the Tunisian Islamic Movement and the Tunisian General Union of Students (UGTE).

Known For: Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Editor, Azizah Magazine
Country: United States

About

Zahra Ayubi is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her areas of research are Islam and gender, modern and classical Islamic ethics, Islam in American religious history, and feminist theory. She is currently working on her dissertation entitled, “Gendered Morality: Marriage and Social Relations in Medieval Islamic Ethics.” Ms. Ayubi also earned her MA in Religious Studies at UNC Chapel Hill preceded by her BA with highest honors in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and Women’s Studies at Brandeis University. Currently she serves as an editor at Azizah Magazine, a quarterly American Muslim women’s publication, and is a member of the editorial board for the forthcoming anthology by Muslims for Progressive Values called, Progressive Muslim Identities: Personal Stories From the U.S. and Canada.

Known For: Head of Research and Islamic Jurisprudence, Office of Chief Justice of Shariah Court
Country: Palestine

About

Najah Amro is the Head of Research and Islamic Jurisprudence for the Office of Chief Justice of Shariah Court, a position she assumed in 2003. In 2005, as a cooperative effort between the Office of Chief Justice of Shariah Court and the Office of Fatwa and Legislation, Ms. Amro was appointed to the joint committee charged with studying the effects of the draft law. Previously, she worked in Hebron focusing on education and Islam. She holds a BA in Islamic Law from the University of Jordan in Amman and an MA from the University of Hebron.

Known For: Director, New Muslims Project
Country: United Kingdom

About

Mary Batool Al-Toma is the Director of the New Muslims Project - UK, a pioneering project related to the support, education, and continued development of the growing Muslim convert community in the UK. She is editor of “Meeting Point,” the New Muslims Project’s newsletter. Over the years, she has devised a number of education and training programs, which have been delivered in the UK and Europe. She is a media consultant on images of Muslims in the media, aspects of Islam and family life, and other related issues. Ms. Al-Toma was selected to represent the East Midlands on the National Muslim Woman’s Advisory Group (NMWAGS), established by the Department of Communities and Local Government in 2008. She has since sat on the Cambridge Theology Board and its symposiums relating to contextualizing Islam in Britain; she has also advised on the Government’s research carried out on the training of Imams in the UK by Gloucester University. Ms. Al-Toma is a founding member of the Forum against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR) and the Muslim Woman’s Network UK (MWN-UK). She is a UK representative on the European think tank, European Muslim Network (EMN) in Brussels, and is a professional mediator working with the National Family Mediation Trust.

Ms. Al-Toma is married and has four children.

Known For: Member, Palestinian Legislative Council
Country: Palestine

About

Dr. Sahar F. Al-Qwasmi is currently a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). She was elected in January 2006 as a representative with the Fatah parliamentary block. As a member of the PLC, she participates in the Parliamentarians Against Corruption network and Parliamentarians Network for Conflict Prevention and Human Security. In addition to serving as an elected official, Dr. Al-Qwasmi is a member of several prominent Palestinian organizations, including the Palestinian High Council of Motherhood and Childhood and the Palestinian Women Union. Dr. Al-Qwasmi received her Bachelor of Medicine in the USSR in 1987. In 1993, she obtained a board specialty in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the King Hussein Medical Center in Jordan. She also holds a sub-specialty in In-Vitro Fertilization, received in 2003. As a medical professional, she is a member of the Jordanian OB/GYN Society and the Palestinian OB/GYN Society.

Known For: Director, Gender Study Center
Country: Uzbekistan

About

Dinara Alimdjanova is a trainer of Socio-Economic and Gender Analysis methodologies. For the last 14 years, Ms. Alimdjanova has worked on promoting gender with regard to the programming framework and strategies developed by the United Nations. More specifically, she has organized gender awareness trainings and developed specific methodological and analytical tools to promote gender equality at the government level in Muslim societies. She worked on the development and implementation of the National Action Plans on Improving Women’s Status in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, Maldives, Bangladesh, Vietnam, etc. She also provided advisory services to the National Council of Women’s Organizations, governments, and women’s movements.

Ms. Alimdjanova is the author of several publications and analytical papers, presented worldwide. Her areas of interest include: human development, women’s and gender issues, engendering macroeconomics, gender and trade, methodologies of socio-economic and gender analysis, gender and religion, etc.

Known For: Social and Human Rights Activist
Country: Saudi Arabia

About

Fawziah AlHani was born in 1961. She holds a Bachelor of Sociology from Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. She has attended several workshops on human rights. She has also participated in numerous national and international conferences, including the first forum of the Women’s Studies Centre at the University of Kuwait (2011), Women and the Culture of Peace in the Middle East (Cyprus, 2010), and the third annual meeting of the Arab Tolerance Network (Beirut, 2011). Ms. AlHani is the Baladi Campaign’s Founder and General Coordinator; the Campaign is currently working towards achieving women’s full participation in the 2011 municipal elections. Ms. AlHani is the Founder and Director of the Center Grass Al Khair for social development and women’s empowerment. Furthermore, she is a founding member of the National Communication Association; a founding member of the Junior’s Centre; a member of a hotline for family counseling; a member of the sickle cell disease patients’ friends; and a lecturer for social programs and family, educational, and human rights.

Known For: Fundraising Trainer
Country: United States

About

Mary Alex provides both domestic and international consulting services for program planning and development, interim executive leadership, capacity building, organizational development, resource generation (through the use of all types of development campaigns), media, and communication strategies. For NGOs, Ms. Alex conducts website strategy and enterprise development tactics by isolating new streams of funding.

Ms. Alex has many other areas of expertise, including working with women of “new wealth” around the formation of donor circles, launching and reigniting capital campaigns, boosting major gifts programs, and Board development. She focuses on helping nonprofits and NGOs fundraise from the Diaspora (grouped mainly from their country of origin) by isolating the communities where most reside. Then, she generates media and donors in those areas. She has worked with such organizations as Women’s Community Free Clinic, the YWCA of Sonoma County, and Miriam’s House of Lynchburg, Virginia. Prior to communications and development, Ms. Alex was involved in the Broadcast Journalism field. She was a co-producer for both KCBS All-News radio and the local NPR (KQED) in San Francisco.

Known For: Judge, Sharia Court of Ramallah
Country: Palestine

About

Kholoud Al-Faqih graduated with honors with a law degree from University of Jerusalem in 1999. She received a Master’s degree in private law from the same university in 2005. In 2001, she received her license to practice law and worked as a lawyer at the Women‘s Center for Legal Aid and Counseling, an organization dedicated to assisting battered women. From 2003 to 2008, she worked for the Defense of Battered Women where she gained extensive litigation experience. In 2008, she passed two competitive judicial exams in Ramallah, excelling in the Islamic law portions. One year later, she was appointed as a judge in the Sharia Court of Ramallah, making her the first female Sharia judge in Palestine. Sudan is the only other Muslim majority country that has appointed women as judges in Sharia Courts; this makes Judge Al-Faqih’s appointment truly historic.

Known For: Assistant Professor of Law, Northeastern University School of Law
Country: United States

About

Professor Aziza Ahmed is an assistant professor of law at Northeastern University. She teaches reproductive and sexual health and rights, international health law, and property. Her research areas include health and law (international and domestic), human rights, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Professor Ahme’s scholarship is interdisciplinary, and often draws from both public health and law methodologies. Alongside her work on public health, Professor Ahmed writes about the changing global landscape of Muslim minorities after 9/11. Professor Ahmed holds a law degree from the University of California Berkeley, a Master’s of Science in population and international health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and a BA from Emory University. Prior to joining the Northeastern faculty, Professor Ahmed was a research associate at the Harvard School of Public Health Program on International Health and Human Rights. She also held a Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship with the International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW). At ICW, Professor Ahmed engaged in numerous human rights projects pertaining to HIV and AIDS. Professor Ahmed has worked on human rights and social justice issues in South Africa, Namibia, the Caribbean, India and the United States. She has worked with and for various United Nations agencies, international and domestic non-governmental organizations.

Professor Ahmed is currently a member of the Technical Advisory Group on HIV and the Law convened by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She has also served as an expert for the American Bar Association. Professor Ahmed continues to support the work of many civil society organizations domestically and internationally.

Known For: Founder, Zenab for Women in Development (ZWD)
Country: Sudan

About

Fatima Ahmed is the founder of Zenab for Women in Development (ZWD).  Launched in 2000, ZWD works to promote education for girls and children with special needs and raise awareness of women’s health issues concerning female genital cutting (FGM), HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Additionally, ZWD aims to foster peace and democracy in Sudan and educate the international community on the region’s humanitarian needs.

Ms. Ahmed’s began assuming leadership roles at the University of Gezira in Wad Madani, Sudan; she actively fought for her fellow female students’ rights. She later obtained her Master’s degree in a joint program with the University of Gezira and the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) in Aleppo, Syria.

In addition to her work with ZWD, Ms. Ahmed has worked in a consultative position with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSO) of the United Nations since 2005. She is also on the Board of Trustees of African Women Development and Communication, one of the most active regional African women’s organizations.  Ms. Ahmed has represented ZWD at many international conferences and was invited to address the first Round Table on Gender Equality and Poverty Alleviation during the Millennium Development Goals High Level Meeting. She has received several awards for her contributions to women’s education and advancement in Sudan, including the 2005 Ambassador of Peace Award.

Known For: Founder and Manager, Apna Haq Program
Country: United Kingdom

About

Zlakha Ahmed is the founder and manager of the UK-based Apna Haq organization, which establishes support services for Muslim and black women facing domestic abuse issues. For the past twenty years, she has worked with black, Asian, and Muslim groups in a variety of community settings in the South Yorkshire region of the UK.

Part of Apna Haq’s mission involves educating the local community on women’s rights in Islam, such as the right to divorce (khulla) and the right to live a life free of violence. Ms. Ahmed has a wealth of expertise on issues pertaining to violence against women and has gained credibility for her and Apna Haq’s work on the local, regional, and national levels.

Ms. Ahmed has delivered trainings on violence against women to several agencies in Rotherham, and has also conducted domestic violence trainings for the South Yorkshire Magistrates for the past six years. She is regularly invited to speak at conferences and campaigns that raise awareness about violence against women in the Asian and Muslim communities.

Known For: Communications Specialist
Country: Saudi Arabia

About

Conventional wisdom claims that for each of us there is only one true path in life.  What about those who have a variety of interests, a dynamic curiosity about the world, and an ever-renewing wellspring of passions and talents? Author, Margaret Lobenstine calls these people “Renaissance souls.” Akanke Abdul-Khaaliq is a Renaissance soul. She is a communication specialist who enjoys working in a variety of mediums including television, video, radio, graphic design, and web development. She has produced, co-produced, and hosted a variety of progressive community-based television and radio programs since 1991, including The Africentric Agenda, Creating Empowerment, Faith & Good Works, Interviews, and Conversations. She is currently spearheading a documentary and oral history project about reverts to Islam, titled Miracle in America.

Additionally, Ms. Abdul-Khaaliq has worked as a radio announcer and voiceover artist. Her other areas of interest include media advocacy and visual anthropology, the use of film as a medium to study people and culture. She envisions traveling throughout Africa and the Middle East to produce documentaries on culture and religion. She has a Bachelors degree in Communication from Georgia State University where she studied film, television, and cultural anthropology. Visit her website at www.akankecreative.com.

Known For: One of the closest companions of the Prophet and earliest converts to Islam
Country: Saudi Arabia

About

Umm Aiman Barakah’s story begins as a young Abyssinian slave girl in Makkah with unknown parents and ancestry. Fortunately, she was taken in by the kind and generous Abdullah and his wife Aminah, the mother and father of the Prophet Muhammad. Both were very fond of Barakah and treated her well as their servant.

While Abdullah was enroute to Syria in a trading caravan, Barakah attended to Aminah, who was pregnant at the time. They heard the news of Abdullah’s death shortly before the birth of the Prophet. Years later, while on a trip to Yathrib to visit Abdullah’s grave, Aminah died from a fever, leaving Muhammad in Barakah’s care. 

Both Barakah and the Prophet’s uncle Abu Talib looked after him until he married his first wife Khadijah. Barakah went on to stay with the couple. The Prophet was reported to have called her mother and considered her a part of his family.

At the Prophet and Khadjia’s encouragement, Both the Prophet and his wife encouraged Barakah to marry a man named Ubayd ibn Zayd, with whom she had a son, Aiman. Ubayd died soon after, however, and Barakah returned to the prophet’s household.

Barakah was among the first people to embrace Islam, and, along with other early Muslims, underwent significant persecution from the Quraysh tribe. After her conversion, Barakah married the Prophet’s former slave—who he later freed—Zayd ibn al-Harithah, with whom she had a son, Usamah. Barakah accompanied the Prophet when he moved to Mecca and on his expeditions to the Khayabar and Hunayn regions.

Barakah was martyred during caliphate Uthman’s reign. 

Known For: Wife of the Prophet Muhammad, known as "Mother of the Poor"
Dates: 595-626 CE
Country: Saudi Arabia

About

Zaynab bint Khuzayma was born into a noble family. She was the widow of ‘Ubaida, who was martyred at the historic Battle of Badr.

Zaynab married the Prophet Muhammad around the year 626 CE. For her kindness and generosity to orphans and the needy, she was known as “Umm al-Masakin” or “Mother of the Poor.” She passed away just two years after their marriage at the age 31, one of the two wives—along with Khadjia—who died before the Prophet.

Known For: Last wife of the Prophet Muhammad--"Mother of the Believers"
Country: Saudi Arabia

About

Maymuna bint al-Harith was the last wife of the Prophet Muhammad. One of her sisters,  Salma bint Umays, was married the Prophet’s uncle Hamza. Another sister, Umm al-Fadl, was one of the Prophet’s earliest companions and the mother of Abdullah ibn Abbas, one of the Prophet’s nephews. Maymuna was considered one of the “Ahlul-Bayt” or “the people of the House,” as she related to the Prophet through marriage and was one of his wives.

Having wanted to marry the Prophet, Maymuna discussed the prospect with her sister Umm al-Fadl. Umm al-Fadl then spoke to her husabnd, who relayed to the Prophet Maymuna’s proposal. The Prophet accepted, and gave Maymuna her name, which means “blessed.” They were married in the Islamic month of Shawwal in the year 7 AH and lived together for three years, until the Prophet’s death.

Maymuna, who is reported to have been friendly and congenial, lived in Medina until her death in the year 51 AH.

Known For: President and Founder, Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights
Country: United States

About

Azizah al-Hibri is a professor of law at the T.C. Williams School of Law, University of Richmond and the founder and president of Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights. With a strong background in Islamic jurisprudence and women’s rights within Islam, Azizah has co-authored a number of books on Islamic family law and has been published in various law journals, legal, and faith-based publications.

In 1993 she founded Karamah, an organization that supports the empowerment and of Muslim women worldwide through education programs, jurisprudential scholarship, and the development of a global network of advocates. Seeking to make Muslim women aware of the rights granted to them by Islamic law, Azizah hopes to enable Muslim women to become strong agents of change within their respective communities.

Having traveled extensively throughout the Muslim world conducting research, Azizah has served as a consultant to the Supreme Council of Foreign Affairs in Qatar throughout the development of that country’s personal status code. She is also a Fulbright scholar and the recipient of the Dr. Betty Shabazz Recognition Award, presented by Women in Islam in 2006, and the Virginia Fast Freedom Award, presented by the Council for America’s First Freedom in 2007.

Known For: Queen of Aleppo; regent ruler and architectural patron
Dates: 541 - 639 AH
1186 – 1244 CE
Country: Syria

About

Dayfa Khatun was the regent of Halab (Aleppo), ruling on behalf of her young grandson from 1237 to 1244 CE.  She was the daughter of Ayyubid ruler al-Adil I and the wife of Az-Zahir Ghazi who was governor of Halab and son of Salah ad-Din (Saladin).

During her six-year reign as sovereign of Aleppo, Dayfa Khatun dedicated her efforts to civic affairs and sponsored scholars and mystics, for whom she built and financed several important institutions. In the civic arena, Queen Dayfa Khatun gained popularity for removing various taxes and for her charity.  She was the patron of judges, scholars, and scientists, founding many charities to support their efforts. In addition, she established large endowments for the maintenance of her charitable foundations.

She played a major role in the architectural patronage of Aleppo, and was one of the most prominent architectural patrons in Syrian history. Her architectural patronage focused on khanqahs (Sufi convents) and mausolea, and she was responsible for the construction of the Firdaws Madrassa, an educational institution that is the largest and best known of the Ayyubid Madrassas in Aleppo. The Firdaws Madrassa was a school that specialized in Islamic Studies and Islamic law of the Shafi’i doctrine. Queen Dayfa Khatun’s patronage of the madrassa was a symbol of the Ayyubid dynasty’s power and influence in the cultural life of Aleppo.

Dayfa Khatun died in 1242 CE at the age of 59, and was buried in the citadel in Aleppo.

Known For: Civil servant, educationist, and Nigeria's first female Deputy Governor
Country: Nigeria

About

Alhaja Lateefah Modupeola Okunnu is a dedicated educationist and one of Nigeria’s preeminent civil servants. She was the country’s first female Deputy Governor and a founding member of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), one of Nigeria’s largest women’s organizations.

Born in 1939 in Lagos, Nigeria, Alhaja obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from University College, which was affiliated with the University of London in London, England. She later earned diplomas in Administration from the University of California and the Royal Institute of Public Administration, London, respectively.

Alhaja has served in multiple and varied capacities as an educationist and public servant in Nigeria. Some of these positions have included Assistant Lecturer at the Federal Advanced Teachers’ College in Akoka, Lagos; Education Officer, Chief Inspector of Education; and the Director of Finance and Administration for the Budget Office. In 1990 she was appointed the Deputy-Governor of Lagos State and during the reorganization of Nigeria acted as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the National Republican Convention, which was instrumental in the formation of Nigeria’s popular democracy at the time.

Along with her work in the realms of education and government, Alhaja has also involved herself in several organizations pertaining to Muslims and Islam. She is a member of the National Hajj Commission, the Nigeria Inter-religious Council (NIREC), and the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). In addition, she was a founding member of the Muslim League for Accountability (MULAC), an NGO that aims to foster government transparency in keeping with Islamic principles.

In recognition of her numerous contributions and ongoing commitment to Nigeria, its government, and its educational system, Alhaja was awarded an order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR).

Photo courtesy of Dahlia Khankan.

Known For: Social worker, advocate for ending domestic violence
Country: United States

About

Dahlia Khankan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in the state of Massachusetts. She holds an undergraduate degree in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from Barnard College, and a graduate degree in Social Work from the Columbia University School of Social Work. Her clinical interests include working with underserved and marginalized populations, particularly immigrant women and children. Dahlia has long been interested in issues of gender equality and has recently become involved in efforts to raise awareness within her local Muslim community about domestic violence, hoping to break the silence around this too often hidden problem. 

Bringing her academic background and her professional and personal interests together, Dahlia assisted in establishing the Domestic Harmony and Family Affairs Committee at The Islamic Center of Boston, which she has chaired since 2009. In this role, she coordinated a successful full-day seminar, a first for the Boston area entitled “Relationship Violence: A Muslim Response.” The seminar was presented by Salma Elkadi Abugideiri of the Peaceful Families Project and Imam Mohamed Magid of the ADAMS Center. Ms. Khankan served on the Islamic Center of Boston’s Executive Board from 2009-2011 and has been an Advisory Board Member since 2010 at Safe Havens Interfaith Partnership Against Domestic Violence, a Boston based non-profit dedicated to strengthening the capacity of faith communities to engage in a coordinated effort to end domestic violence.

Dahlia is of mixed Syrian and Ukrainian heritage. She grew up on Long Island, New York and has lived in Massachusetts since 2000. She is married to Dr. Wassim Matraji, Ph.D, and together they have three beautiful children.

Known For: Sufi Master
Dates: d.849
Country: Iran

About

Fatima al-Nisaburiya (also known as Fatima of Nishapu) was a great Sufi master who abandoned her life of luxury and willingly chose the Sufi ‘path.’ ¹ She was a Master of both esoteric interpretation of the Qur’an and the Sufi teachings on right guidance.

Originally from Khurasan, she spent most of her life traveling between Mecca and Jerusalem. She is known as one of the main teachers of the Egyptian Sufi, Dhu’l Nun, who called her “a saint among saints.”  ² Dhu’l al-nun and Fatima met frequently and engaged in the practice of redefining Sufi discourse. It is often mentioned that she did not observe “hijab” when meeting with him because of their understanding that two souls were meeting as opposed to genders or material markers/constructs. She met with him in this manner until he observed that she had ‘henna’ on her hands and asked about it. Her reaction was to stop meeting with him because now that he was “beginning to perceive her as a female object and [began] paying attention to her material appearance,” he had defeated the purpose of their seminar. ³

The hagiographical portrait of Fatima al-Nisaburiya shows her to be strong-willed, independent, self-confident, and very much involved in the cultural life of Sufi elites at the time. ⁴She is often referred to and understood to have been constantly battling gender binaries as well as struggling with the social experience of a being a woman (married) in a male dominated field.

[1] The Women and Memory Forum.

[2] The Sufi book of life: 99 pathways of the heart for the modern dervish.

[3] “Sufism 4 - Her Story.”

[4] The Women and Memory Forum.

Known For: Warrior and Martyr
Dates: 649 A.D.
Country: Afghanistan

About

It is said that Umm Haram was an aunt or close friend of the Prophet Muhammad. She accompanied the Prophet during the Hijra (migration from Mecca to Medina) and participated in a military expedition under the command of Muawiyah. The Prophet told her that he had a vision, which entailed her being amongst the first who would fight to conquer the islands (of the Mediterranean Sea).

After participating and successfully defeating forces in Cyprus she fell from a donkey, resulting in her death.¹ In commemoration of her relationship with the Prophet, as well as her participation in the naval expedition, a mosque was built around her tomb in Cyprus. The Hala Sultan Tekke is an important holy site of pilgrimage for both the Muslim and non-Muslim world.²

Notes: Hala Sultan is the Turkish form of Umm Haram. Translated from Arabic, Umm Haram translated means “The Mother of the Pyramid.”

[1] “Women companions of Prophet Umm Haram: Traveling by sea for jihad,” IslamOnline.

[2] The Story of Hala Sultan Tekke.

Known For: Registered nurse, social activist
Country: United States

About

Najah Bazzy is an Arab-American registered nurse and nurse consultant from the Detroit, Michigan area. She is also the CEO of Diversity Specialists and Transcultural Health Care Solutions.¹ As a nurse working in a hospital with a high concentration of Arab and Muslim patients, Najah is uniquely attuned to their specific needs and concerns. She conducts workshops to promote cross-cultural understanding between hospital staff and immigrant patients in particular.²

In addition to her work as a nurse, Najah is active in her local community. She is the founder and Executive Director of Zaman International, a nonprofit organization that provides various social services to those in need in the greater Detroit area.³ Zaman International runs several community-based programs. Bayt Al Zahra, for example, provides support and resources to refugee families while Plots for Tots advocates for the proper burial of fetuses, infants, and children for those unable to afford it.⁴

In 2002 Najah appeared in the renowned PBS documentary Legacy of a Prophet. She was recently honored at the Islamic Society of North America’s (ISNA) 2011 Diversity Forum for her work in her community. According to ISNA’s Foundation Director Ahmed ElHattab, Najah “has committed her life to the service of others, as a nurse and as a leader in her community. She is a wonderful example of the kind of female leadership and role models we hope our youth will model their lives after and draw inspiration from in the process.”⁵

[1] “Najah Bazzy and Dr. Sherman Jackson of Detroit Honored Awarded at ISNA Diversity Forum,” ISNA.

[2] “A Daughter of Detroit,” by Najah Bazzy.

[3] “Najah Bazzy and Dr. Sherman Jackson of Detroit Honored Awarded at ISNA Diversity Forum,” ISNA.

[4] Zaman International.

Known For: Co-Founder of the Organisation for Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI)
Country: Iraq

About

Yanar Mohammed is the co-founder of the Organisation for Women’s Freedom in Iraq, which works to promote women’s rights and liberties in Iraq (OWFI). Eight years after emigrating to Toronto, Canada in 1995, Yanar returned to her native country to begin her advocacy work and help establish OWFI, whose office was first housed in an abandoned bank in Baghdad. 

One of OWFI’s primary projects is to house women who have suffered domestic violence, honor killings, sex trafficking, and prostitution in secret shelters, located in places like Baghdad and Kirkuk. According to Yanar, as of 2008, an estimated 35 women have been spared death thanks to these shelters. Another OWFI initiative is the Women’s Prison Watch program, through which Yanar interviewed some 200 incarcerated women and shed light on their living conditions. Starting in 2005, Yanar began teaching courses on how to deal with local traditions and religious intolerance in Iraq to activists. She also operates a radio station and newspaper by the name Al Mousawat, meaning “equality” in Arabic. 

Yanar received her bachelor’s degree in 1984 and her master’s degree in Architecture in 1993 from Baghdad University. In 2008, she was one of three recipients of the $500,000 Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation’s Women’s Rights Prize.

Known For: Activist, Executive Director of the Muslim Women’s Network UK
Country: United Kingdom

About

Shaista Gohir juggles multiple roles as a prolific activist, Muslim women advocate, and writer. She is the executive director of the Muslim Women’s Network UK, which serves as a link between Muslim women and the British government, and provides myriad resources for Muslim women on issues such as forced marriage and domestic violence. ¹ Shaista also founded Big Sister, an organization dedicated to the promotion of female Muslim role models.

In addition to her leadership of these groups, Shaista works as a specialist peer for the Improvement and Development Agency, where she develops and discusses practices for preventing violent extremism. ² And, up until 2010, Shaista was a member of the British government’s National Muslim Women’s Advisory Group. ³ 

Shaista frequently writes and speaks on issues pertinent to Muslim women in media outlets such as The Guardian, BBC, Al Jazeera, and CNN. ² She also maintains a personal Website, which includes a blog penned by her eight-year-old daughter. In 2008, Shaista received the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) distinction in honor of the Queen’s birthday honor list.⁵  The following year she was named on the 2009 Muslim Women Power List and was one of the recipients of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards. ⁶

[1] Muslim Women’s Network UK.

[2] Columbia Executive Education Fellows: Shaista Gohir.

[3] “Muslim women are not political pawns,” The Guardian.

[4] Shaista Gohir’s personal blog.

[5] ibid.

[6] “Winners of the Asian Women of Achievement Awards 2009,” The Telegraph.

Known For: Member of British Parliament
Dates: Common Era 1980– present (CE)
Country: United Kingdom

About

In 2010 Shabana Mahmood became one of three Muslim women elected to the British Parliament in a general election that saw a record 22 Asian women run for public office. As the daughter of the Birmingham Labour Party’s chairman, Shabana represents the Ladywood constituency of Birmingham.¹

Originally from Pakistan, Shabana was born and raised in Small Heath, Birmingham and is known to have described herself as a “born and bred Brummie.”² She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Law from Lincoln College, Oxford University in Oxford, England, where she won the Ashurst Morris Crisp Prize for the Best Performance in the Lawyer’s Ethics final exam.³ It was at Oxford that she began mentoring students from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds in their professional pursuits. After obtaining her law certification from the Inns of Court School of Law in London, she practiced as a barrister and litigator.⁴

[1]“General election 2010: first female Muslim MPs elected,” The Guardian.
[2]Ibid.
[3]Shabana Mahmood’s Official Website.
[4]Ibid.

Known For: Coach, CEO of the Fugees Family
Country: Jordan

About

Luma Mufleh, or Coach Luma as she is known to many, is the CEO of the Fugees Family, a non-profit organization that provides support, resources, and athletic opportunities to children who have experienced war.

Shortly after graduating from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, Luma, who originally hails from Jordan, moved to Atlanta, Georgia to coach girls’ soccer at the local YMCA. After learning of the expanding refugee community in nearby Clarkston, Luma sent out flyers in the community announcing the formation of a new soccer team. Thus, the Fugees were born: a group of young refugee boys from countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Congo, Iraq, Liberia, Somalia, and Sudan. Luma soon realized that the boys—many of whom were experiencing difficulties with language, post-traumatic stress, and poverty—needed more than just coaching. She began helping players’ families with translation, and established Fresh Start, a cleaning company that specifically employees refugee women.¹

The Fugees Family has now expanded to a multi-pronged organization that provides year-round soccer training for 86 boys aged 10-18, after-school tutoring, and academic enrichment.² Luma has won several awards for her efforts, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award and the Smith College Medal.³

[1]“Refugees Find Hostility and Hope on Soccer Field,” The New York Times.
[2]Fugees Family Website
[3]Luma Mufleh’s Facebook page.

Known For: Director of Center of Pesantren and Democracy Studies (CEPDES)
Country: Indonesia

About

Lily Munir is the founder and director of the Center for Pesantren and Democracy Studies (CEPDES), a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote democracy and educate Muslim communities about human rights and gender equality in Islam.¹ Through CEDPES, Lily strives to challenge traditional gender roles in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country.² She does this by reaching out to pesantrens or religious boarding schools that make up part of Indonesia’s educational system.

Lily is also a national board member of Muslimat Nahdlatul Ulama (MNU), the women’s wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia that among multiple objectives, helps communities combat poverty.³ Through the joint efforts of MNU and CEPDES, Lily has been involved in the civic and political education of Indonesia’s Muslim women in the 1999 and 2004 elections.

By training, she is a researcher on Islam, politics and gender. Her educational background includes studying medical anthropology at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and management at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.

She has worked as a research fellow at Emory University, as a visiting fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian studies in Singapore, and a consultant with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on a gender mainstreaming program with the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment in Indonesia. Lily has published many articles and presented at conferences around the world.⁴ 

[1]Joint Electoral Management Body.

[2]One Indonesian Shares Women’s Rights in Islamic Schools.

[3]Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

[4]Joint Electoral Management Body.