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| Muslima exhibition: interviews and art by Muslim women | Muslima exhibition: interviews and art by Muslim women |
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| "The only woman it seems permissible to judge and even ridicule today is the Muslim woman," says Samina Ali. "What other woman faces as much scrutiny or is the target of random violence from both her own community and others?" An Indian-born Muslim who lives in San Francisco, Ali is the curator of Muslima: Muslim Women's Art & Voices, a new global online exhibition. | "The only woman it seems permissible to judge and even ridicule today is the Muslim woman," says Samina Ali. "What other woman faces as much scrutiny or is the target of random violence from both her own community and others?" An Indian-born Muslim who lives in San Francisco, Ali is the curator of Muslima: Muslim Women's Art & Voices, a new global online exhibition. |
| "The impression many have of Muslim women is that they have no voice, no freedom – not even a face because they move around behind burqas! Even if a woman chooses just a headscarf, there's fear and misunderstanding about the veil," says Ali, a novelist and co-founder of Daughters of Hajar, an American-Muslim feminist organisation. "We wanted to help reverse the stereotypes and the best way to do that seemed to present Muslim women speaking to the complex realities of their own lives, through interviews and art." | "The impression many have of Muslim women is that they have no voice, no freedom – not even a face because they move around behind burqas! Even if a woman chooses just a headscarf, there's fear and misunderstanding about the veil," says Ali, a novelist and co-founder of Daughters of Hajar, an American-Muslim feminist organisation. "We wanted to help reverse the stereotypes and the best way to do that seemed to present Muslim women speaking to the complex realities of their own lives, through interviews and art." |
| The exhibition, launched by the International Museum of Women – an online social action museum promoting women's issues globally – brings together the voices, stories and work of hundreds of very different Muslim women from all over the world. The name "Muslima" can refer to an ultra-religious woman as well as those who choose to stress women's role in the religion. | The exhibition, launched by the International Museum of Women – an online social action museum promoting women's issues globally – brings together the voices, stories and work of hundreds of very different Muslim women from all over the world. The name "Muslima" can refer to an ultra-religious woman as well as those who choose to stress women's role in the religion. |
| "There's a great diversity in the way Muslim women express themselves, whether through their art, clothing, values, attitudes or their understanding of their faith," says Ali. "It was important to capture that diversity: not only does it counter stereotypes many in the west have, but it also counters the dominant narrative that some Muslims hold about their own communities: that all women must behave and look a certain way. It benefits both communities to see the reality." | "There's a great diversity in the way Muslim women express themselves, whether through their art, clothing, values, attitudes or their understanding of their faith," says Ali. "It was important to capture that diversity: not only does it counter stereotypes many in the west have, but it also counters the dominant narrative that some Muslims hold about their own communities: that all women must behave and look a certain way. It benefits both communities to see the reality." |
| The exhibition features exclusive interviews with female Muslim leaders, such as Dr Shirin Ebadi from Iran, the first Muslim woman to win a Nobel peace prize; Fahima Hashim, a women's rights advocate in Sudan; and Fawzia Koofi, who will be running for president of Afghanistan in 2014. It also showcases world-renowned artists including Palestinian Laila Shawa, Algerian Houria Niati and Yemeni photographer Boushra Almutawakel, as well as emerging voices from the next generation. And there are wonderful "Muslima Stories", multimedia mini-memoirs in which ordinary women depict what it is to be a Muslim today. Niati says: "I wanted to participate in Muslima because it is full of hope. It brings all our diversities together, so we can join forces and fight for equality and freedom from wherever we are." | |
| Shawa says: "I usually prefer not to be associated with gender or religion or anything else in my career, but anything to help alter the perception of Muslim women is good. And art can cross borders." Rajae El Mouhandiz, a Dutch-Moroccan/Algerian singer, wanted to take part to share her experience as a young, female, Muslim artist in Europe: facing racism in the Netherlands for being a Muslim, but also discrimination from within the Muslim community for being a singer who doesn't wear the hijab and is "too sexy". | Shawa says: "I usually prefer not to be associated with gender or religion or anything else in my career, but anything to help alter the perception of Muslim women is good. And art can cross borders." Rajae El Mouhandiz, a Dutch-Moroccan/Algerian singer, wanted to take part to share her experience as a young, female, Muslim artist in Europe: facing racism in the Netherlands for being a Muslim, but also discrimination from within the Muslim community for being a singer who doesn't wear the hijab and is "too sexy". |
| Like El Mouhandiz, many women featured in Muslima believe that change has to come from the outside world but also from within the Islamic framework, says Ali. "The refrain I hear again and again from the contributors is that Islam is not the problem. Islam grants women rights that are then taken away from them by politics, power, patriarchy, tradition and even fanatical readings of the religion. In fact, the irony seems to be that women living in the seventh century, when Islam was founded, had more rights than some women living in a few select Muslim countries today. | Like El Mouhandiz, many women featured in Muslima believe that change has to come from the outside world but also from within the Islamic framework, says Ali. "The refrain I hear again and again from the contributors is that Islam is not the problem. Islam grants women rights that are then taken away from them by politics, power, patriarchy, tradition and even fanatical readings of the religion. In fact, the irony seems to be that women living in the seventh century, when Islam was founded, had more rights than some women living in a few select Muslim countries today. |
| "And outside of the law, people's own ways of thinking need to change. Some Muslims seem unable to live and embrace the rich diversity within the Muslim communities. Instead, Sunnis kill Shias and vice versa. Or Muslims from the Middle East think they're more authentic than Muslims from India and vice versa. This issue of authenticity makes it so that many Muslims feel unwelcome in their own Muslim communities. 'Maybe I'm too Americanised to be considered Muslim?' 'If I don't cover, they'll say I'm not Muslim.' That needs to change." | "And outside of the law, people's own ways of thinking need to change. Some Muslims seem unable to live and embrace the rich diversity within the Muslim communities. Instead, Sunnis kill Shias and vice versa. Or Muslims from the Middle East think they're more authentic than Muslims from India and vice versa. This issue of authenticity makes it so that many Muslims feel unwelcome in their own Muslim communities. 'Maybe I'm too Americanised to be considered Muslim?' 'If I don't cover, they'll say I'm not Muslim.' That needs to change." |
| To the outside world, to those who "still think a Muslima is a sad, oppressed woman who is part of a harem, has no opinion or rights and basically is a house slave," El Mouhandiz has this last word: "Turn off your TVs and go online to see the Muslima exhibition and meet all these amazing women and their work. They will blow your mind with their leadership, grace and talent." | To the outside world, to those who "still think a Muslima is a sad, oppressed woman who is part of a harem, has no opinion or rights and basically is a house slave," El Mouhandiz has this last word: "Turn off your TVs and go online to see the Muslima exhibition and meet all these amazing women and their work. They will blow your mind with their leadership, grace and talent." |
| • Muslima: Muslim Women's Art & Voices (muslima.imow.org) is live now until December 2013. | • Muslima: Muslim Women's Art & Voices (muslima.imow.org) is live now until December 2013. |