Queen Rania Speaks on Violence against Women and Honor Crimes in the Arab World
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department – Amman)

Posting her second response to the YouTube community on stereotypes facing Arab and Muslim communities, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah is speaking out on honor crimes and violence against women.

Article | Watch YouTube Clip

Abigail Disney and Gini Reticker’s new film “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” at Tribeca Film Festival

“Pray the Devil Back to Hell” is a riveting, must-see film that is at once beautiful and inspiring. It tells the story of Liberian Muslim and Christian women coming together in courageous opposition to former Liberian President Charles Taylor and in support of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first female head of state. These women struggle together for peace and stability in their war-torn homeland, presenting a profound example of women across religious lines uniting around justice and creating societal change.

- Daisy Khan, Executive Director, ASMA

Film Website | Tickets

Sharifa Khanam Dreaming of a Women's Mosque

An act of faith
ByVidya Venkat | Frontline
from the April 12 – 25, 2008 Issue

“At Thandeeshwaram, a tiny village in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu, Sharifa Khanam is building her dreams brick by brick. The 42-year-old social worker has initiated the construction of a mosque here for Muslim women as a symbol of their struggle for equal rights in a male-dominated society.”

Sharifa Khanam is the founder of STEPS Women's Development Organization, which has won a number of awards for social work.

Article | Visit Website

The Muslim Next Door: The Qur'an, the Media, and That Veil Thing

by Sumbul Ali-Karamali

Conversations with The Muslim Next Door offers an academically sound explanation of Islam and its people.  Addressing questions that are on everyone’s mind, The Muslim Next Door, is presented in a user friendly, personal context from the point of view of an American Muslim.

About the Author
In response to inquiries posed by friends, colleagues, and neighbors, Sumbul Ali-Karamali Ali has written The Muslim Next Door, a bridge across a particularly schismatic cultural gap. >>bio

Buy it now, on Amazon.com

Behind Walls - Women in Muslim Countries (Duvarlarin Arkasinda - Müslüman Ülkelerde Kadın)

By Ayse Bohurler and Aslihan Eker

Behind Walls, released two months ago, includes interviews of around 200 women in 13 Muslim-majority countries during the authors’ documentary trip.  It also includes their comments and recollections about these places and the people.  The book has been published in Turkish and will be translated into English soon.

Press Release | Aslihan's Bio

Darkness and Gangsterism in Governance                                           
By Hajiya Bilkisu (mni)

“On December 10, 1948, people of the world under the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 1 of the document states: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood". I cite this article because it specifically says we are all endowed with reason and conscience.”

Bio: Hajiya Bilkisu is a journalist based in Nigeria.  She is currently the editor of Citizen Magazine.

Article | Website

The Initiative for Inclusive Security Releases Comprehensive Research on the Impact of Rwandan Women Leaders
New Research on Women's Leadership in Rwanda

The Initiative for Inclusive Security, a program of Hunt Alternatives Fund, is pleased to announce the release of three years of field research that examines how women in government have had a significant impact on the country's reconstruction.

Article