Muslim Women at the Front Line of Hate
Muslim women suffer from the same inequalities as other women. In most Western countries, they are also the main targets of Islamophobic hate crimes, hate speech and violence, especially if they wear a headscarf. In today’s world, the rights and freedom of Muslim women to dress and live as they want to is increasingly under attack around the world. The hijab, for some a symbol of freedom, for others, of oppression, has become an increasingly fraught political symbol.
In this panel, we discuss three countries that have hit the headlines in recent months due to the clash between state and the freedom of Muslim women to dress in the manner they choose: France, Afghanistan and India. Our panel, chaired by equalities campaigner Akeela Ahmed MBE, will examine the intersectional challenges Muslim women face around the world.
Secure a seat at this urgent event, featuring award-winning international public speaker on Muslim issues and global feminism writer Mona Eltahawy; English-French academic and broadcaster Myriam François, and author of the critically-acclaimed book Mothering a Muslim, Nazia Erum.
About the Authors
Nazia Erum
Nazia Erum was leading Media and Advocacy at Amnesty International India. Her work includes storytelling for change to create an enabling environment for effective policy, program, and legislation. Her work finds mention in the BBC, The Guardian, Le Monde, Washington Post among other national and international media. She is also an Australia India Youth Dialogue alum for 2020 – a preeminent track of two young leaders dialogue.
Mona Eltahawy
Mona Eltahawy is a freelance Egyptian-American journalist and social commentator based in New York City. She has written essays and op-eds for publications worldwide on Egypt and the Islamic world, on topics including women’s rights, patriarchy, and Muslim political and social affairs.
About the Academic
Dr Myriam François
Myriam François, is an English journalist, filmmaker and writer. Her work has appeared on the BBC, Channel 4 and Al Jazeera. She is the founder and CEO of production company MPWR productions, which specialises in documentary films which centre on minoritised voices.
About the Chair
Akeela Ahmed
Akeela is a business leader, social entrepreneur and government advisor specialising in equalities campaigning. Since 2012, she has sat on the cross-government Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred, and became chair of the group in 2016. In 2014, Akeela founded ‘She Speaks We Hear’, an online platform bringing women’s voices together. She is a newspaper reviewer on BBC Radio London and a regular contributor to national and international media.
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