In so many ways, Ailya Vajid represents the intersection of scholarship, service, and leadership which KARAMAH encourages and instills in young women. A 2011 graduate of the Law and Leadership summer program, Ailya has devoted her life to strengthening and empowering young Muslims. Currently she serves as a Multifaith Advisor in the Chaplains’ Office at Gustavus Adolphus College and as Associate Chaplain for Muslim and Interfaith Life at Carleton College.
Much of Ailya’s work and interests stem from her background in Islamic studies and scholarship. In addition to graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Religion and Islamic Studies from Swarthmore College, and a Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, Ailya has spent time in both Syria and Yemen to pursue research and study Arabic. She has also spent time in Karachi, Pakistan, working for girls’ education. A catalyst for Ailya’s work has been her experience counseling at a Muslim youth camp in California during her college years. It was during this time that Ailya realized how profound the need is for counselors, mentors, and chaplains who can connect with young people and offer them advice from an Islamic perspective. This, along with her work in the field of women’s rights in the Muslim world, inspired Ailya to pursue college chaplaincy. In addition to completing coursework and engaging practically with many women who are deeply concerned about the relationships between men and women in Muslim societies, Ailya has proven herself a true advocate of the elevated place of women in Islam, which she believes is inherently part of Islam and the model of the Prophet Muhammad. “I am constantly frustrated by advocates and feminists who contend that shari’ah and women’s rights are opposing, as if the shari’ah functions as an impediment to human rights and particularly to women’s rights,” she wrote in her application essay to KARAMAH.
In her current work as Multifaith Advisor at Gustavus Adolphus College, Ailya works in many capacities, which include mentorship, education, institutional diversity, and counseling services. Before this role, she served as the Muslim Student Advisor at Swarthmore College. She has crafted her life through the inspiration she finds in the examples of the women during the Prophet’s time, by studying at the mosques of his granddaughters Zainab and Ruqaiyyah (R) in Damascus Syria; and by vocalizing the inspiration she finds in the life of the Prophet’s(s) beloved wife Khadijah. “Islam is not a religion that impedes women’s rights, but is rather one that endorses equality even in difference,” she wrote to us. “Just considering the Prophetic example is a constant reminder of this. I firmly believe that change can and really must come from within the tradition, and it is towards this change that I am committing my professional and personal endeavors.” We at KARAMAH are proud of Ailya’s achievements and have great hopes and expectations of her future.
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