Andover and Exeter students joined together last week to address common misconceptions of Muslim women. On Thursday, April 23, Exeter held a forum on “Women in Islam” that provided scholarly evidence to break down common misconceptions and stereotypes about women in Islam. Exeter’s Muslim Student Union hosted the forum, which consisted of presentations from two speakers, Zainab Alwani and Tayyibah Taylor. Alwani, who has studied “The Role of Women in Islamic Jurisprudence Literature,” such as Shariah and the Koran, spoke about the effects of Muslim law on cultural changes in Islamic nations. “[Alwani tried] to clear up misconceptions about the Koran and it being a misogynistic document, because it really isn’t,” said Reverend Anne Gardner, Protestant Chaplain and Advisor to Muslim Students. Meredith Rahman ’10, Co-President of the Muslim Student Union, said, “[Alwani] really talked about how women can become empowered by going back to the Koran, the primary text of the religion and proving their equality.” Alwani is working toward a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at International Islamic University Malaysia. She has a Master’s degree in Islamic Studies from the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences. Taylor, founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of Azizah, a Muslim women’s magazine, discussed how the American media portrays Muslim women. Taylor said that the media places Muslim women into four different categories: victims of a misogynistic and oppressive culture, “vamps” or seductresses, terrorists and turncoats. Taylor used population grids to show how quickly Islam is spreading in America. The ethnic group in America with the fastest growing Muslim population is the Latin population, she said. Rachel Coleman ’10, Secretary of Women’s Forum, said, “One of the key points that kept being reiterated was the diversity of Islamic women [in the United States]. It’s kind of a medley of ethnicities, so when you say Muslim women [in the US], you’re not just talking about a Pakistani woman who just immigrated.” Taylor studied Arabic and Islam at King Abdul-Aziz University, and assisted in founding the Islamic School of Seattle, where she then worked as the administrator. After the speakers’ presentations, students asked questions about basic human social rights, the Muslim woman’s place in the mosque and the Islamic influences on gender roles. “Rediscovering the role of women in Islam is something really important for Muslims and non-Muslims alike,” said Rahman. Gardner heard about the Women in Islam forum from the Advisor for Muslim Students at Exeter, Zainab Qari, and informed the Andover community about the event. This is the third year that Exeter has held a forum on Islam. Coleman said, “I really wanted to go to this meeting to just broaden my horizons.” She continued, “[People] have very strong opinions on the matter, and sometimes there’s more opinion and less information, and I think the purpose of the forum was to squeeze some more information into the mix.” Two days prior to the forum, Women’s Forum and Muslim Student Union at Andover held a discussion about women in Islam.
