On Wednesday November 16, 2011, students from American University’s Washington Semester Islam and World Affairs program visited KARAMAH with their Professor, Dr. Mohamed Nimer. The students’ visit came after their return from a three week trip to the Middle East. They returned with various questions, in particular many on Muslim women’s rights and the dichotomy between religion and local customs or culture. KARAMAH staff was happy to answer them and to engage in dialogue with the students on these issues.
KARAMAH’s work focuses on educating Muslim women and the general public about Islam and Muslim women’s rights, paying careful attention to differentiate between religious mandates and cultural norms. Answering a question about how KARAMAH deals with people who think that the organization proposes new secular ideas, the KARAMAH staff explained that we are not proposing new ideas; rather, our work is based on “the best of Islamic tradition and jurisprudence.” KARAMAH’s role is to bring those ideas to light.
The students were also interested in knowing whether or not issues faced by Muslim women in Europe and the U.S are the same. Muslim women in Europe and in the U.S face similar problems, but the intensity differs. A Muslim woman who wears the headscarf (hijab), for example, would face many more problems in Europe than in the U.S. due to the institutionalized discrimination against the headscarf and the general atmosphere of antagonism in some European countries. One European student visitor’s suggested explanation for this phenomenon was that the headscarf is foreign to European culture and, thus, is hardly accepted. Conversely, the KARAMAH staff added, American culture is a rich melting pot of different cultures, so Muslim women who wear the headscarf are not faced with as much misunderstanding.
Many students were interested in careers related to Muslim women’s rights and their visit to KARAMAH gave them a glimpse into what it will be like working for a non-profit focusing on Muslim women’s rights. Some students also expressed interest in interning at KARAMAH to learn more about its work.
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