Women

A speech by Debra Dirks given in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 1, 2003 to a group of women converts to Islam and their non Muslim mothers.

As International Women's Day approaches, Muslims are still the villains in the battle for women's rights worldwide. Let's begin a new chapter in history, when Muslim women will take their rightful place in Muslims communities worldwide.

The problems of Muslim societies in the current context are numerous. Here are some of the problems which Muslim women face that we need to confront upfront and do something to eradicate.

As Muslims, we have rightly claimed that when it comes to women in Islam, the media has it all wrong. But Muslims compare Islamic ideals with Western reality. They do not look at the sad, sad reality of so many Muslim women today.

The status of women has been one of the constant sources of tension between the West and Muslim. This is why it is crucial that Muslim women acquire prominence in the agenda of Islamic activism.