European-Muslim Cultural Dialogue

European-Muslim Cultural Dialogue
Conference
Women in the Islamic World

Muslim Women in Germany
Positive
Role models
documentation
Berlin 24 May 2004

Preface
The question of how to deal with Muslim neighbours in European socie-

ties continues to be a burning issue as recent events have clearly shown.
Throughout Europe people are struggling to define their relationship with
Muslim communities here as well as with neighbouring Muslim countries. In
Germany, too, everybody is discussing Islam. However, one of the problems
of this debate both in Germany and Europe is that much time is spent dis-
cussing Islam but not very much talking to people who are Muslims and who
represent Islam. In Germany we tend to focus on superficial issues such as
the headscarf and emphasise aspects that are felt to be alien. This results in
an unduly one-sided debate and produces a stereotype image of Muslim
women. But is it not important to hear also the views of those who are the
subject of this debate? Muslim women in Germany and elsewhere – women
with commitment, women who assume responsibility in many areas of pub-
lic life, in politics, business, the media and civil society – are entitled to con-
tribute to this debate. The example set by these women can inspire others
to follow in their footsteps.
What is needed here are networks and fora that enable such women to
make their voices heard more clearly. That is why I invited a number of Mus-
lim women active in a variety of fields in May 2004 to share with other parti-
cipants and myself their hopes and expectations as well as their experiences
and views of the challenges and difficulties they face.
The conference fostered contacts and established networks that enable

participants to maintain a frank and open dialogue also over the years to
come.
Dialogue with Muslims and on the teachings of Islam must not be used as
a pretext to water down human rights obligations. Given the various inter-
pretations of Islam in the individual Muslim countries and communities –
whether traditional or modern, liberal or conservative – it is misleading to
assume a priori that the teachings of Islam and equality for women are in-
5
compatible. Many reform initiatives on the Wider Middle East are currently
on the agenda. For Germany and for Europe, it is important that the Arab
world and other Islamic states take their problems into their own hands and
proceed down the road to reform in line with their own ideas and possibili-
ties, including women empowerment.
I was impressed to hear the opinions and approaches to life of Muslim

women who show commitment within their own society, who fight their
own struggle to find their role and place in their countries. They work, they
pursue careers, they face similar problems to European women when it
comes to combining career and family. The fact that they are practising
Muslims does not prevent them from being conscious of the need for
change in their societies, nor from chosing their personal way of life in an
impressively self-confident way.
The exchange and dialogue with Muslim women from different parts of
society continues to form a crucial part of the discussion about the ability of
»Islam« to adapt to modern life. By the same token, the western countries
need to learn how to accommodate the lifestyle and how to integrate the
cultural contributions of Muslims living within their societies. An important
lesson learnt during the conference is that there will be no socio-economic
transformation of traditional Muslim societies without integrating the
other half of the population, women, into the reform process.
Kerstin Müller
6
Introduction
On 24 May 2004, 20 women from 18 different countries

(Afghanistan, Egypt, Algeria, Bahrain, India, Indonesia,
Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco,
Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Sudan
and Syria) met in the Federal Foreign Office at the invita-
tion of the Institute for Foreign Relations and the Ger-
man Federal Foreign Office to discuss the latest develop-
ments in the role of women in the Islamic world and that
of Muslim women in Germany. The role of women has
always been a matter of intensive political and social de-
bate and it is indeed essential to solve certain problems
through a dialogue in which the two sides can exchange
their ideas and views. This conference gave active and
strong women from all over the Islamic world, as well as
German participants, an opportunity to establish a plat-
form for discussion on new role models and life concepts.
The participants represented a broad spectrum of dif-
ferent experiences due to their political and religious
approaches, their own personal experiences and their
professional role inside their own societies. Finally, we
are pleased to present this documentation which con-
tains key excerpts from the participants’ statements. As
we have only little space for this documentation, we
hope that we have quoted every participant as precisely
as possible and that we have included the main points
and views, as well as the general line of argument, of
everyone involved.
9
Kerstin Müller (Berlin), Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office
Participants and moderators, ladies and gentlemen,

I am delighted that so many of you took up my invitation and would in
particular like to thank those who have travelled long distances to attend
this conference. Our round table today brings together women from twenty
countries of the Islamic world, as well as Muslim women who live and work
here in Germany. Ladies, you come from a wide range of social spheres.
Around the table we have human rights activists, judges, academics, entre-
preneurs, politicians, journalists – committed and motivated women from
all walks of life who are often at the front line fighting for women’s rights.
Of course we make no claim that the group gathered here is entirely

representative or complete. Today’s event is rather to serve as a forum for
open exchange and lively discussion.
Given the often depressing human rights situation particularly for

women in some Islamic countries – I am thinking here of Afghanistan under
the Taliban regime as an extreme example – people here in Germany often
have a general image of the oppressed Muslim woman deprived of her
rights. This perception focuses first and foremost on Muslim women as pas-
sive victims of human rights violations, not as independent women working
to shape their lives and their societies.
This conference is to provide an opportunity to do away with such mis-

understandings. It should therefore show the other side of the coin and
highlight positive role models to encourage women in the Muslim world and
here in Germany to exercise their rights, use their opportunities and become
aware of their strengths.
But it should also give non-Muslims the chance to correct potential mis-
perceptions on the role of women in the Islamic world and to gain a more
accurate picture. I hope that we will be able to promote mutual understand-
ing through our talks today and dispel widespread misconceptions.
11
A key aspect of this conference is for us to get to know one another, to
establish contacts and get into conversation. We want to open the way for
dialogue which will not end with this conference but will be continued and
consolidated very much in the spirit of network-building.
Ladies and gentlemen,

The role of women in Islam is a topic that has from time to time been a
focus of considerable attention in the German public and in the media. I am
talking about the so-called headscarf debate. Germans have been very pre-
occupied by the question of whether or not a teacher in a school can wear a
headscarf – and what the headscarf symbolizes.
Often this discussion falls prey to generalization. All too often, the wom-
an under the headscarf and her personal reasons are largely overlooked. The
headscarf is branded as the ultimate symbol of the oppression of women –
first and foremost, women in Islam.
The real role of women in Islamic countries unfortunately plays a very

minor role here. What is the true role of women in Islamic countries? What
rights does the Koran envisage for women? Such questions make up one
side of the discussion. But there is also a debate about how much tolerance
and freedom this society can bear.

The Federal Constitutional Court decided in December last year that a
legal basis was required for a headscarf ban for female teachers. What is
particularly important about the judgement is that the Constitutional Court
made clear that all religions must be treated equally.
The federal states are now working on implementing this judgement by

drawing up laws, some of which have already been adopted, to govern the
use of religious symbols in public schools. There are two sides which need to
be carefully weighed up here. On the one hand, the freedom of religion of
the pupils, including the freedom not to believe, and the state’s obligation
12
to remain neutral and, on the other hand, the freedom of religion and the
personal rights of teachers. That is not easy.
Even within my own party and within the Federal Government, opinions
are divided on this issue. So I only want to make one point. I fear that a
headscarf ban for teachers will actually exacerbate the general stigmatiza-
tion of the women in Germany who wear headscarves. And regardless of
whether one advocates the stricter secularization of schools as an institu-
tion or one wants to make the religious plurality of our society more visible
in school as well – as called for by Federal President Johannes Rau 1 – the
equal treatment of religious communities is anchored in our Constitution.
We did not opt for a secular Constitution and that means that Islamic sym-
bols must not be treated differently from Christian or Jewish symbols. Or to
put it another way: we must make no difference between headscarves, the
cross and the kippa.
It would also be a mistake in terms of integration policy. It would fuel

rather than quell conflicts and would exclude rather than integrate Mus-
lims. I feel that this cannot possibly be what we want.

Even apart from the headscarf controversy, the topic of women and Islam
currently plays a major role in Germany. I said at the start that Muslim wom-
en are often perceived as being suppressed and deprived of their rights in
the so-called West. But that reflects neither the reality nor the self-percep-
tion of the women concerned.
That is why I find it so interesting to change my perspective, broaden my

field of vision and listen today to what Muslim women have to say about
these questions, what problems they encounter and perhaps also what
strength they can draw from their faith or from their Islamic identity, par-
ticularly when it comes to empowering women.
1 On 23 May 2004 the new Federal President Horst Köhler has elected and has meanwhile assumed office.
13
Dialogue on this subject is crucial because it is the only way to break
down unfounded fears, prejudices and the walls of defence on both sides.
One of the most common misperceptions of what is generally called the
West is to see the Islamic world and Muslims as a monolithic bloc and, what
is more, only its radical and fundamentalist brand. In short: a dangerous
alien.
Such a perception fails to do justice to the overwhelming majority of

Muslims, and this is where we still have much work to do to ensure that peo-
ple do not make blanket judgements and that they are open to consider the
facts. Or as Johannes Rau said, »Whether we consider the situation in our
own country or in the world at large, it is important that we bear one thing
in mind. There is no more one true Judaism than there is one true Islam, one
true Christianity or indeed one Western world for that matter«.
Given the various interpretations of Islam in the individual Muslim coun-

tries and communities – whether traditional or modern, liberal or conserva-
tive – it is misleading to assume a priori that the teachings of Islam and
equality for women are incompatible. There are interpretations that are in
tune with women’s rights. Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin
Ebadi emphasized, »The discriminatory plight of women in Islamic States
(...) has its roots in the patriarchal and male-dominated culture prevailing in
these societies, not in Islam«.

Please do not misunderstand me. Dialogue with Muslims and on the
teachings of Islam must not be used as a pretext to water down human
rights obligations. We defend the universality of human rights against any
attempts to deny them. The human rights anchored in international law are
not »values of the West« – rather they are universal rights and we must not
tire of working together all around the world to ensure that these rights are
recognized and implemented. There must not be a human rights bonus in
the fight against terrorism – that holds true for Chechnya and for prisons in
Iraq, ladies and gentlemen.
14
Many Islamic states have signed the UN Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Nevertheless, almost
all Arab Islamic states have attached fundamental reservations to their
signatures: the provisions of the CEDAW must not run contrary to Sharia
norms, that is to Islamic law. Equal rights for women can only be guaranteed
in so far as they are compatible with the legal sources derived from God.
Let me make one thing quite clear. A Sharia reservation cannot mean that
generally accepted human rights and thus women’s rights are undermined.
Religious doctrine cannot mean we abandon universal basic values or rela-
tivize women’s rights around the world.
What I find particularly interesting here are the efforts by some Muslim
women to use the scope for interpretation they see in the Sharia to reduce
legal and real discrimination against women. Practising Muslim women are
thus embracing the universal issue of women’s rights as their own cause, as
something unique that is inextricably linked to their culture and religion.
Now that this issue has been absorbed as one of their own, women’s
rights, feminism and equality can no longer be defamed as something im-
posed from the outside, by the West; rather, these issues are gradually
taking hold in Islamic identities and in fact are even based on religious
norms. I think we ought to discuss such creative approaches in more detail.

The polarization between »the West« and »Islam« of course falls short of
the mark. After all, Islam has long been a part of the West. Following migra-
tion in the last century, Germany is a multi-religious country and an area of
Islamic culture. Some 3.2 million Muslims live in Germany today. In the
newly enlarged European Union, there are more than 12 million.
15
Living together is not always tension-free. The building of mosques, the
early morning call of the muezzin and the local non-Muslims’ view of Islamic
women as oppressed is sometimes a source of bewilderment and alienation,
sometimes also of overreaction.
Stereotypical thinking and prejudices are to be found on both sides. Mus-

lim societies often accuse the West of being excessively individualistic,
materialistic and only interested in profit while lacking real values. In turn
the West accuses the Islamic world of being a backward society based on
patriarchal and traditional structures and thus incapable of progress or
development. Of course there is more to it than that.
Differences in perceptions of values or the way in which these values are

realized are however certainly present and should be addressed. In the
Islamic world, for example, the traditional extended family often embracing
several generations has much greater importance than it does in the West.
Needless to say, this has a particular impact on the understanding of the
role of women.
In Western societies on the other hand the freedom of the individual to

determine his or her own life is to the fore. The position of religion is also
very different. In Germany, church and state are basically separate. Society
is largely secularized in the sense that religion is the private affair of the citi-
zens and that the government respects and remains largely neutral with
regard to the religious sphere.
Many Muslim societies on the other hand are entirely pervaded by reli-
gion and for the most part proud that their faith governs everyday public
and private life. Despite or perhaps precisely because of these differences,
dialogue and agreement on shared values are of paramount importance. We
have to stop building walls, we need to get to know one another so that we
can better understand each other and put an end to misperceptions.
But that also means that progress has to be made on integration policy in
16
Germany. For years, indeed for decades, we focused too much in Germany
on how we can keep »undesirable« immigrants out of the country instead of
addressing the question of how we can better integrate the migrants who
have been living in our country for generations and how we – as a de facto
immigration country – can finally define immigration in modern terms.
In the domestic policy debate on immigration in Germany, the Federal

Government has long advocated modernizing immigration policy, improv-
ing protection for refugees and promoting the integration of migrants. With
the new draft Immigration Law on the agenda today in Berlin, we are final-
ly reaching the level of protection laid down long ago in the Geneva Con-
vention on Refugees and in European standards.
A particularly important concern continues to be the need to recognize

gender-specific persecution as grounds for asylum in Germany. Women
must not be sent back to countries where their freedom or their lives are at
threat due to their gender. Recognizing gender-specific persecution as
grounds for asylum is for us, for the Federal Government, therefore a very
important point in the negotiations. Let me say again, we need a modern
Immigration Law at long last – and I hope very much we will manage to
adopt one.

Yesterday we celebrated the 55th anniversary of the promulgation of the
Basic Law, the German Constitution which stipulates equality for men and
women. And yet the equality debate will continue for some time as much
remains to be done in practice. Here in Germany we still have a long way to
go before reaching the goal of real gender equality. On average, women still
earn about 30 percent less than their male counterparts. At the managerial
level of business, academia and politics, women still have not taken the 5%
hurdle. The boards of many businesses therefore often remain an all-male
affair. The very idea of justice means we have to change this. Equal rights
and opportunities are strategic questions which determine how fit our
society is for the future.
17
According to a UN Report, the lack of involvement of women in political
and economic life constitutes an essential impediment to the development
of Arab states. The Arab Human Development Report first published in 2002
criticizes the fact that women are discriminated against both as far as poli-
tical participation is concerned and in the workplace. I think awareness is
spreading in the Islamic world, too, that modernization is crucial if we are to
master the challenges of globalization. Technical developments, improved
communications and economic globalization mean that no state can wall
itself in any more.
Many reform initiatives on the Wider Middle East are currently on the
agenda both in the region itself and further afield. For Germany and for
Europe, it is important that the Arab world and other Islamic states in the
region take their problems into their own hands and proceed down the road
to reform in line with their own ideas and possibilities.
We hope that civil society, intellectuals, universities and businesses can

feed their ideas into this reform process. The European Union and Germany
are prepared to work with our neighbours in the Arab and Islamic world for
a shared future in a spirit of partnership and equality. Let me emphasize
again: To be sustainable as well as to be accepted and pursued by the peo-
ple as their own cause, modernization has to come from within. Moderni-
zation blueprints have to be devised and discussed in the Arab and Islamic
world itself.
I am sure that we will contribute to this discussion on renewal, moderni-

zation and democratization of the Islamic world with our talks today. For
one thing is certain: all societies whether in the North or the South which
manage to tap women’s inherent potential have greater and better devel-
opment opportunities.
18
We don’t want to label each other at this Conference as Muslim,
Christian, as religious or as secular women, rather we want to talk to one
another. We want to show each other our diversity and understand our
many possibilities. We are not trying to agree on all the issues we discuss.
We cannot and should not paper over our differences. The aim should how-
ever be to promote mutual understanding and face our shared challenges.
If we want to be successful in the fight for women’s rights and real equal-
ity, we have to ask what we can do. It is important to analyze the situation
but we cannot leave it at that. We have to establish and strengthen net-
works. And we need a profile in the public sphere. That is why I decided to
host this conference. But for me it is also important that women all over the
world take the initiative, define their role in society and fight for their
rights.
We need role models for this; we should build on the experiences of

others. All of you attending this conference have had outstanding experien-
ces and can make interesting contributions to our topic. You come from dif-
ferent societies and a wide range of professional backgrounds. We should
use the opportunity and engage in intensive exchange. I hope that your dif-
ferent lifestyles and experiences touch everyone both in this room and out-
side it and thus provide incentives, encouragement and inspiration.
I am very curious to hear what you have to say. I am sure that we will have
an interesting day and exciting discussions. May we all enjoy a successful
conference!
19
Panel 1
How can women assert their rights?
What limits do they encounter in trying to do so?
Which lines have they crossed and how did they succeed?
What experience can women from professional fields traditionally
occupied by men pass on?
Moderator: Dr Katajun Amirpur (Cologne), Islamic scholar
Marzia Basel (Afghanistan)

Formerly a judge, now a member of the Loya Jirga
and UNIFEM project manager
Marzia Basel said that she saw a discrepancy between the rights Islamic
religion gave to women and the way in which certain countries treated
women. By way of illustration, she mentioned the liberal Afghan constitu-
tion of 1964 and the way in which the Taliban regime had ignored women’s
guaranteed rights. She believed that Afghan women today did not have
equal rights because Afghan society was dominated by men on the one hand
and by people who did not know much about Islamic law on the other.
Therefore, she called for a major campaign to promote understanding of
women’s rights in Islamic law and the elimination of differences between
Islamic law and Sharia law. She stated that many people, especially women,
were illiterate and religious leaders should update their knowledge of
Islamic rights. Marzia Basel admitted that every improvement in women’s
rights in Afghanistan should take men’s interests into account for they were
more powerful than women.
Omaima Abu Bakr (Egypt)

Professor of English Literature and founder of the Egyptian organization
»Women and Memory Forum«
Omaima Abu Bakr mentioned the different dimensions of rights women
could call upon, for example legal rights, political rights, rights of equality
20
and cultural rights. She pointed out that what women needed in order to
gain their rights was knowledge, because »knowledge is power and is em-
powering«. Women in the Muslim world should have some knowledge
of the things they were complaining about, otherwise they would not be
credible. She said that she believed it was important for women to gain
influence in official religious institutions, in which they were mostly under-
represented. Consequently, she believed that women should also be allowed
to become legal scholars or muftis or to have posts in religious university
faculties. Women needed to have a role within these institutions and within
the religious discourse. But she also said that, in general, obstacles came
from ignorance, whether it be the ignorance of Muslim men or women, or
ignorance of the development or of the diversity of Islam. Unfortunately
people in Egypt, for example, were still suspicious of calls for interpretations
of Sharia, of women’s activism, of women’s equality or of equality of the
sexes.
Fatima Hasan al-Hawaj (Bahrain)

Lawyer, member of various organizations and publisher of articles
on women’s rights and family law
Fatima al-Hawaj stressed that cultures had to be improved and changed,
especially when there were laws in some countries that strengthen the dif-
ferences between women and men. She highlighted voting rights as one
example of this. In her opinion, the fact that women were not allowed to
become members of parliament in Bahrain was not because they were Mus-
lims but because they were women. The Imam himself often had a very radi-
cal approach to this issue, although the situation of women had improved in
certain spheres in the Gulf region. For instance, women had reached key
positions in medicine, law and other spheres. In contrast, women were hard-
ly represented in the government, in private institutions and establishments
and it was very seldom for women to be at the very top. While it was pos-
sible for women to become judges, for example, only a few women did so
due to their religious culture and environment. She stated that people
sometimes said: »Women should stay at home. They should have children.«
In order to change this point of view, Fatima al-Hawaj called on the univer-
22
sities to take a more global and cosmopolitan view. She also said that civil
society organizations did a worthy job in helping to integrate women.
Dr Sayeda Saiyedain Hameed (India)

Member of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), trustee of
Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia (WIPSA) and member
of the Muslim Women’s Forum
Dr Hameed stressed that it was difficult to convince a Muslim woman
that her future might be different from the one which women in her family,
clan or tribe had traditionally had. She believed that the Muslim Women’s
Forum represented the overwhelming majority of Muslim women in India
and she knew that their work was not easy due to a deeply embedded patri-
archy. Therefore, she concluded that the process needed time and quoted a
comment on the Koran: »Our shared life of a thousand years has forged
a common nationality. Such moulds cannot be artificially constructed. Na-
tures and wills shape them over centuries. The mould has now been cast and
nature has set her seal upon it.« But she also stated reasons for optimism.
For example, she described a case in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern
India where women had announced their intention to build a women’s
mosque. They were protesting against the patriarchal decision-making at
the community mosque. Although they did not succeed, their efforts had an
impact. She said that Muslim women in her country had shown remarkable
resilience. Dr Hameed concluded by saying that she felt it was women who
would catalyze change to bring Islamic practice closer to the Islamic spirit.
Firdous al-Moussawi (Iraq)

Expert in Islamic law and economics, trustee of Iraqi Orphan Foundation
and chairperson of Al-Zahran Women’s Centre
Firdous al-Moussawi first of all tried to define which rights Muslim wom-
en lacked today despite the fact that both political and economic rights had
been demandable for more than 1400 years. Human rights were critical and
women’s dignity, in particular, had to be respected. In contrast, the porno-
graphy industry and the advertising industry in the West merely focused
on women’s femininity, their sexuality and thus regarded them as objects.
23
Therefore, a global discussion on the role of women was needed. But there
were also a few obstacles, especially social ones, preventing the realization
of the rights of women. Many women were themselves responsible for their
failure to implement their rights, for example prostitutes. But they also had
to be educated and to know their rights. She agreed with her colleague
from Bahrain in this respect. Especially in the case of divorce, she concluded,
many women did not know their rights. Although there were a lot of legal
guarantees for women in wedlock, women still had to live together with
their husbands even if they did not love them. She concluded by saying that
women in Iraq today have no security and asked why the West supported
Saddam Hussein’s regime. Due to his oppression, Iraqi women today still felt
reluctant to participate in women’s organizations.
Fatemeh Sadr-Tabatabai (Iran)

Expert in education and social psychology
Fatemeh Tabatabai spoke about many different aspects of the lives of
Iranian women. First of all, she stressed that women were always under
pressure to support both their families and children and to play an active
role in society at the same time. She welcomed the establishment of com-
pany kindergartens, but stressed that women still needed the agreement of
their husbands. A lot of women studied at universities in order to relativize
their traditional role inside the family, while at the same time seeking
reforms within Iran’s Islamic constitution. They found it difficult to coop-
erate with other women who were willing to leave this framework. Finally,
she called for a better understanding between Muslim women and the West
and an ongoing dialogue inside Iranian society.
Iman ash-Shargabi (Yemen)

English scholar, Sanaa University
Iman ash-Shargabi began by saying that »the only source of law is Islam«.
Thus, she did not believe that there was any struggle between men and
women in Islamic societies, because everybody had his / her role to play and
asked what goal women want to reach with their struggle. Women in
Yemen were mostly faced with poverty and illiteracy and often, like men,
26
did not know their rights. She expected women’s role in society to develop
very slowly, although a few women already worked in the government and
public administration. She explained that there were a lot of problems in
Yemen, for example infrastructure, and that women’s rights were therefore
not a major issue. She concluded by saying that there would be more success
in this field in Yemen in due course.
Norani Othman (Malaysia)

Sociologist, Vice-President of the Malaysian Social Science Association
and Director of the Muslim women’s organization »Sisters in Islam« (SIS)
Norani Othman stressed that it was Islam that had given women their
first civil rights. But she said that this trend had been reversed now and she
believed there was a need for a Muslim women’s group called »Sisters in
Islam«. In Malaysia the politicization of Islam and the industrialization of
the state had occurred at the same time. But the social transformation had
had severe consequences for political Islam. Many Islamic laws had been
introduced which had restricted many rights women had had before. She
therefore concluded by saying that in a modernizing nation and society like
Malaysia, things were much more complex and that there was a need to pro-
vide a more animating, a more egalitarian, liberal and progressive interpre-
tation of Islam.
Dr Fawziah Bakr al-Bakr (Saudi Arabia)

Assistant Professor, Riad University
Dr al-Bakr began by noting that the image of Saudi Arabian women in the
West is still based on 1001 Arabian Nights. But to understand the situation
today, people had to know about the traditional relationship between poli-
tics and religion in Saudi Arabia. She complained that today the religious
authority regulated the education system for example, but on the other
hand an overwhelming majority of Saudi women worked in the medical or
education sectors. This was largely because these jobs were regarded as
suitable for women, whereas other spheres, such as the private or govern-
mental sectors, were neglected. But she explained that a dialogue on the
role of women had started in Saudi Arabia and that there was a need for a
27
new reading and interpretation of Islam and she concluded by saying that
»women are not imprisoned by Sharia but by interpretation«.
Wedad Abu Saud (Saudi Arabia)

Education administrator
Wedad Abu Saud recalled the long suppression of women by men in
history and the important role that the media played today by influencing
people through images. She stated that in Saudi Arabia, at least, the situa-
tion for women had actually improved. Due to the absence of poverty,
women could now be educated and work, whereas in the past they often
had to help inside the family. There should therefore be a dialogue between
men and women on two levels: on the one hand, an intellectual dialogue
and, on the other, a dialogue on the change of lifestyles. Although Saudi
Arabia had a major unemployment problem, the working conditions in the
education sphere were changing and she hoped that professionals would
no longer emigrate. She saw new jobs for women especially in tourism,
in voluntary organizations, in banking, in businesses or in the media. This
would help women to play a greater role in the labour market and indirect-
ly gain greater influence on economic and political decisions. She concluded
by saying that women still had a lot to do, but that time was on their side.
28
Discussion
Marie-Luise Beck (Germany)
Marie-Luise Beck thanked the participants for their remarks and admitted
that most Europeans did not know much about Islam. She talked about the
headscarf debate and asked whether Sharia was compatible with demo-
cracy.

She explained that Sharia had been taken out of the text of the Koran and
other sources and was a kind of codex for people. It was created by trained
religious scholars. For example, the wearing of a veil enhanced the femini-
nity of women as well as their dignity and their humanity, but it had noth-
ing to do with religion. In general, there were two different lines of thought:
the traditional and the tolerant, which meant that every single issue, such
as the veil issue, was open to interpretation – and errors.
Fatemeh Sadr (Iran)

Fatemeh Sadr explained that there were different ways of reading the
Sharia. Some people said that this law was created by men and was not com-
patible with what was laid down in real Sharia. Some people said that Sharia
had already been in place during the time of Mohammed. There was a lot of
discussion about the fact that there were principles anchored in the Koran
which were unchangeable. On the other hand, there had been a lot of histor-
ical changes and these changes would continue with time.

Firdous al-Moussawi said that she saw democracy as a room where peo-
ple could enjoy personal liberties, although those liberties were limited in
that they must not interfere with the liberty of other individuals. She there-
fore stressed that the clothing issue was not really a religious problem.
30
Sayeda Saiyedain Hameed (India)
Dr Hameed stressed that the most important thing was the need for
change and that woman brought about change from within. The two key
tenets of the Koran were that there was no compulsion in religion and that
God was closer to people than His interpreter, which meant that an individ-
ual had the right to interpret according to his or her own understanding.

Omaima Abu Bakr stated her belief that Islam was compatible with
democracy because all religions were compatible with positive values. But
religion could be abused for bad and cruel intentions. For example, Christi-
anity was used to justify the divine rights of kings, and was even used at one
point to justify the Inquisition. Therefore, one could also ask whether Chris-
tianity was compatible with democracy. She wondered if there were double
standards here as no-one seemed to care about undemocratic non-Muslim
countries. That is why the Muslim world did not respond to appeals for hu-
manitarian rights.
Fawziah Bakr al-Bakr (Saudi Arabia)

Dr al-Bakr pointed out that democracy cannot be separated from wom-
en’s rights or other issues. Reforms all across society are needed.
Najia al-Boudali (Morocco)

Najia al-Boudali suggested that the word »veil« be replaced by »head cov-
ering«, which did not necessarily have a religious context and drew atten-
tion to the fact that women also covered their heads for social and economic
reasons. Nor was it true that women who covered their heads were auto-
matically more extremist in their religious views. Najia al-Boudali gave
many examples to confirm this. She stressed that everyone had the freedom
to do what he or she wanted. »There are, of course, women who don’t want
to wear anything. That is, of course, their right. There are women who want
to cover themselves entirely. They have the right to do so as well.«
31
Fatima al-Hawaj pointed out that the headscarf was not an Islamic or
Arab discovery or invention. Rather, Egyptian and Iranian aristocrats came
up with the idea. There were three references to this in the Koran. The first
reference was: »If he wants to ask his wife for something then he will do
so behind a curtain or a veil. You don’t want to burden others.« Harems
emerged on this basis. The second was: »Prophet, tell your women and your
daughters that they should pull something over themselves, this means that
they will be recognized and not harassed.« Only the upper part of a wom-
en’s body (breast) seemed to be meant here. The third was: »Tell the be-
lieving women that they should avert their eyes and they should protect
their charm and their jewellery. They should not display them.« What mat-
ters in Islamic teaching was not that some people believed that hair had to
be covered or that other people believed that faces had to be covered. The
Sharia was based on analogy. One found a case that had really happened
and had been dealt with in a certain way and that set a precedent for the
future. So, of course, there was also consensus amongst the scholars.
Iman al-Hayyaf (Algeria)

Iman al-Hayyaf rejected the question of compatibility between Islam and
democracy and raised the question of freedom of speech in every country
instead. She also asked why the West always equated the Arab world with
Islam and looked at the integration problem from a religious angle.
Dr Coletta Damm (Bonn)

Dr Damm argued that the West should overcome its fears and prejudices.
34
Katajun Amirpur (Cologne)
Katajun Amirpur said that democracies had to prove that they had the
better form of government and dismissed the idea that those living in a
democracy were better than others. She said that everyone should be wary
of ideologies and that everyone should have rights, not only those who
adhered to a particular political party, ideology or religion. On the other
hand, she admitted that believing was useless if one was not willing to im-
plement it, willing to monitor it, willing to make sure that what one rejected
did not become reality.
Raeda Taha (Palestinian territories)

Raeda Taha pointed out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
placed all countries under an obligation to guarantee rights and obligations
for everyone. All states had to comply with this obligation which had noth-
ing to do with religion. Therefore every country should incorporate those
guarantees into national law and every human being should, for example,
be allowed to dress however he or she pleased. But she did not understand
why the US Government, for instance, often gave advice to the Islamic
world.

Omaima Abu Bakr began by describing a report from the US that a Mus-
lim father had killed his daughter. She in turn asked CNN: »Would you have
said that a Christian father had killed his daughter?« And they answered:
»No«. Therefore she warned against double standards and stressed that
Muslim women had to implement their own reforms.
Marzia Basel (Afghanistan)

Marzia Basel concluded that the headscarf was not only a symbol of Is-
lamic religion but was also very much connected to Afghan culture. Women
in Afghanistan had much more serious problems than the headscarf. »Let us
allow people to do what they want. But not force others«.
35
Panel 2
What do career and success mean to women?
What are their goals, who are their role models?
What are their professional fields?
How does self-fulfilment through social commitment
without financial payment work?
Moderator: Sonia Mikich (Cologne), journalist
Khofifah Indar Parawansa (Indonesia)

Former Minister of State for Women’s Affairs
Khofifah Parawansa began by saying that Indonesia’s society was largely
patriarchal and that poverty restricted women’s access to resources in fa-
vour of men. Those conditions were often used to blame Islam. She regarded
politics as a forum which could enable non-professional women or women
from non-governmental institutions to be decision-makers. She reminded
the group that Indonesia had a female president. In the cultural sphere,
Islamic teachings were developed and spread mainly by men with their male
values in order to establish patriarchal values and norms. Women in de-
cision-making positions had the power to change this. With regard to the
religious aspect, there were many passages in the Koran about equality bet-
ween men and women. Former restrictions, such as keeping daughters in-
side the house, were simply impossible today as going to school had become
the norm.
Hala Bsaisu Lattouf (Jordan)

Secretary General of the Ministry for Political Development and
Administrative Reform, Member of the Executive Committee
of the Arab Women Summit
Hala Lattouf did not see any contradiction in being a Muslim woman in
the modern world. On the contrary, she believed that deep inside Islam
there was total liberty for every woman. Her own sister preferred to stay at
36
home to do handicraft and look after her children. In her opinion, financial
independence was the cornerstone of female emancipation, whereas head-
scarf debates were definitely of minor importance. Knowledge was another
very important tool, as the prophet had said: »Seeking knowledge is a man-
date for every Muslim, be it a female or a male.« Finally she expressed the
hope that dialogues such as this would help move the Western view of Mus-
lim women in the right direction.
Raeda Taha (Palestinian territories)

Journalist at the WAFA Press Office in Washington DC and in the press
department of President Arafat’s office in Tunis, member of the board of
the Sakakini cultural centre in Ramallah
First of all, Raeda Taha pointed out that the Berlin Wall had been very
short in comparison to the wall which the Israelis were building now and
reminded everyone that this wall was also greatly restricting women in their
personal freedom. Furthermore, she did not understand the sudden interest
in Islam after September 11, because Islam had been in existence for much
longer. Raeda Taha stressed that the occupation rather than Islam had a
detrimental effect on Palestinian women’s welfare. Due to the occupation,
women were unable to fulfil their own goals and had to look out for their
male relatives as well. Generally, it was more difficult for women in her
society to be successful because they had to shoulder greater responsibility.
Thus she called for an independent Palestinian state.
Rana Ismail (Lebanon)

Trained electrical engineer, headmistress of a private school,
member of the al-Mabarrat Association Board of Educational
Development and Supervision
Concerning her rather »unusual« profession, she reported that there
were many female technical engineers in Lebanon and that she had been
brought up in a secular family. Then she explained that the civil war had
caused a deep and horrific change in her life which had awakened a desire
to do voluntary work. Against this background and during her studies, she
had developed a deep religious commitment, despite the distrust of her
38
family and friend and she believed that a person who felt the existence of
God was empowered to work for social change in his or her community. She
had given up her well-paid job as an engineer to do voluntary work but said
that this had been her own decision and that she did not regret it. In her
view, therefore, even religious Muslims could still do whatever they wanted
and she pointed out that in Lebanon people still believed that being re-
ligious and active were contradictions in terms. However, her biography
showed that this was not true.
Khadija Ben Ganna (Algeria / Qatar)

Newsreader at Al-Jazeera Television
Khadija Ben Ganna talked about the reactions she received after she had
decided to wear a headscarf in front of Al-Jazeera cameras and tried to
explain why she did it. She believed that terrorism definitely had nothing in
common with Islam and, as proof of this, she said that she had fled Algeria
and Islamic terror. Concerning her work at Al-Jazeera, she admitted that it
was very difficult for a woman to work in the media in such a traditional
environment, although nearly all parts of the Islamic world were represent-
ed at Al-Jazeera. She also explained that there were no laws or unions pro-
tecting journalists, and that there was no solidarity among colleagues. She
said that she actually received more support from European colleagues than
from Arab ones and she advocated more dialogue. With regard to the rights
of women in Islam, she argued that tradition and Islam were often mixed.
Obviously »Islam does not forbid women to drive a car or to meet men«, but
there were moral values which were also shared by most non-Muslim wom-
en. And as for her own decision to wear a headscarf, she called for tolerance
on both sides. She said that she should be able to wear a headscarf if she
wanted while non-Muslim women visiting Arab countries should not be
forced to wear it. As for quota systems, she believed that they were dis-
criminatory in themselves.
39
Professor of geology, author and member of various local
and international human rights groups
On the one hand, Najia al-Boudali regarded quotas as an instrument to
bring women into decision-making positions, but on the other hand, they
seemed to her to be quite undemocratic. Thus, a quota could only make
sense in order to help women, but as soon as they had reached their goals
they no longer made sense. Quotas were especially helpful in political parties.
Shahida Jamil (Pakistan)

Former Minister of Justice, member of the Sindh High Court Bar Association
and the Karachi Bar Association, Professor of Legal Studies
Shahida Jamil reported that Pakistan had been experimenting with quota
systems since 1972, not only for women but also for ethnic races. But it had
become obvious that this instrument had severely damaged the political
system and that nepotism, rivalry and corruption had resulted. She then
talked about the similarities between the three monotheistic religions and
pointed out that there were diverse strains in all of them. Thus, diversity
should not worry anybody. She gave an overview of the colonial period in
Pakistan and concluded that this state came into being mainly through dia-
logue and that there was no contradiction with Islam. Moreover, throughout
the 1950s, women had moved into different spheres of activity, into law,
medicine and engineering, all of which had happened during military dic-
tatorships. Benazir Bhutto had become Prime Minister and there had been a
major debate in Pakistan as to whether a woman could become head of
state. But finally she concluded that the Queen of Sheba was mentioned in
the Koran. As for the role of women, she said that fulfilment for a Muslim
woman included both family and her desire to work. At this point she criti-
cized family policies aimed at achieving a zero birthrate.
Sayeda Saiyedain Hameed (India)

Dr Hameed argued that a quota system was best introduced at a certain
level of political development and reminded the group that many women
who gained influence through quotas might be illiterate. Nevertheless, the
40
success stories prevailed and she hoped that quotas would also be intro-
duced at regional and national level. She expressed her regret that the Mus-
lim world did not react in an appropriate manner to the stoning sentence
handed down to a Nigerian woman.
Lamia Messari-Becker (Darmstadt)

Lamia Messari-Becker talked about the attempts to amend the law in
Morocco in order to give women more rights, which had failed in parliament
mainly due to female opposition. Thus she asked whether Muslim women
were ready to shoulder more responsibility.

Najia al-Boudali said that there had been considerable protest in Morocco
against the stoning sentence handed down to a Nigerian woman, but also
admitted that women in the Arab world lacked networks in order to express
their protest. But in her opinion, lifestyle and living conditions had improved
for many women and in Morocco at least, women could live as they pleased
due to Morocco’s multicultural heritage. Although Morocco was an Islamic
state with many taboos, it was still quite an open-minded country. She
therefore believed that state and religion should be separated.
Dr Sarah al-Fadil Mahmoud Abdel Karim (Sudan)

Former head of the foreign relations directorate of the Umma Party,
now NGO section
First of all, Dr Abdel Karim stated that »the interpretation of Koran is the
interpretation offered by different scholars« which »made room for many
things but also for oppression«. She talked about her experience under dif-
ferent, mostly undemocratic, governments under which she had even been
tortured and about the attempts by the Sudanese Government from 1998
onwards to improve women’s education. When asked about the Umma
Party’s programme, she explained that her party definitely wanted to im-
prove the situation of women and the rest of society as well. For example,
the Umma Party had long since introduced quotas and was now open to
everyone in the Sudan, even to Christians.
43
Martina Hunzelmann (Stuttgart)
Entrepreneur
When asked about the gender conflict inside her family, Martina Hunzel-
mann answered that the fact that she was her father’s third daughter and
was fortunate enough not to have a brother to compete with had been a big
advantage. Her company employed many women, but work was done in
teams and it had women in all decision-making positions. When asked
about the situation in Germany, Martina Hunzelmann admitted that even in
Germany women did not have the kind of support they needed.
Sahar Mahaini (Syria)

Teacher, member of the charity Rajaa
Sahar Mahaini argued that it was important for women to have a strong
position both in their profession and in society. In her opinion, the best way
for women to assert their rights was to first of all exchange their experi-
ences. While telling the group about her own personal experiences, she ex-
plained that, with regard to Islam’s code and culture, Muslim husbands were
not only obliged to support their wives in material terms, but also with love.
During her life she had been quite lucky, but she had also had to work hard.
She had accepted a part-time job in order to have enough time for herself,
her family and the charity she joined in 1990. When asked about computer
classes, she answered that they should play an important role in school, but
she mainly taught her pupils social values.
Abeer Mishkas (Saudi Arabia)

Journalist
First of all, Abeer Mishkas said that she would defend any woman that
arrived in Saudi Arabia and was forced to wear a headscarf and that she
assumed that all women were strong in their own ways. When asked about
the term »career woman«, she answered that it was definitely a positive
term in Saudi Arabia, because sometimes a career offered women new
opportunities which they might not have had previously. When asked
whether career and family can be combined, she answered that there was a
growing debate in the kingdom due to the rising divorce rate. In her opinion,
44
this had nothing to do with »career women« because she knew of many
cases which proved the contrary. Especially in Saudi Arabia, it was quite easy
for women to be successful both at work and in the family.
Martina Hunzelmann (Stuttgart)

Martina Hunzelmann stated that it was easy for women as long as they
had the support of their families / husbands or at least of society. She also
asked whether women had to do exactly what men do.

Rana Ismail stressed that women needed the support of men and that the
father was usually the head of the family, although women were shoul-
dering more and more responsibility. But group work and sharing were also
very important. As for the materialistic side, financial independence for
women should never affect the equilibrium within a relationship. She
claimed that active members of Islamic countries should put more effort in-
to organizing such events and joining forces to advocate Islam’s true image.

Fatima al-Hawaj gave an example as to why women needed the support
of men and stressed that men, too, must shoulder responsibility within
the family. She also explained that tribalism was a big obstacle to bringing
women into senior positions and that women were exploited in the private
sector.

Najia al-Boudali explained that even schoolbooks worked with gender
stereotypes but she also admitted that there were problems with the labour
market, especially the issue of night shifts. She welcomed the fact that the
discussion had moved from religion to patriarchal structures in general.
Sahar Mahaini (Syria)

Sahar Mahaini stressed that women were constantly faced with a dilem-
ma because they felt guilty if they had jobs outside the house and might feel
45
empty if they stayed at home. Both running after money and poverty harm
the oriental family.
Abeer Mishkhas (Saudi Arabia)

Abeer Mishkhas gave examples to show how the system in Saudi Arabia
made it easy for women to keep their jobs and their family and stressed the
importance of family support.
Fawziah Abu Bakr (Saudi Arabia)

When asked about not having children, Fawziah Abu Bakr answered that
she, too, had decided not to have children despite facing pressure from all
sides. One positive bonus of her decision was that she had more time for
other things in her life, but she believed that having children was a great
achievement in itself.
Khadija Ben Ganna (Algeria / Qatar)

Khadija Ben Ganna refuted the argument that women only worked in
order to prove themselves by stating her own personal experience. She
called upon the participants to use »we« more often instead of »they« and
»us«.

Shahida Jamil argued that children were very much part of living,
growing and self-fulfilment. She had stopped working because she did not
want to miss out on being pregnant or on the important moments in her
children’s development. And as soon as they could look after themselves,
she had returned to her old job. In a way she regretted the fact that men
were not integrated into family life in the same way as women were. But she
also admitted that women did not just want to be financially independent
but also wanted the »human touch« and that »comes through your child,
comes through your families, comes through your relationships«.
48
Sonia Mikich (Cologne)
Sonia Mikich concluded that the afternoon had shown that gender specif-
ic behaviour of women is not genetic, but a result of poverty, the situation
in their countries, social structures, culture, as well as by what they did not
dare to do.
49
Panel 3
How does the West view Muslim women in professional and
everyday life?
How do female Muslims manage their lives individually in
a pluralistic society?
What are the experiences of Muslim women in Germany?
Which limits do they experience and how do they overcome them?
Moderator: Nicola Graef (Hamburg), journalist

Construction engineer, Commissioner for Women’s Affairs and
Chairperson of the Commission for the Promotion of Women,
Darmstadt Technical University
First of all, Lamia Messari-Becker explained why she had come to Ger-
many and why she had studied construction engineering. She reported that
even in a country like Germany she was often addressed as Mr Messari-
Becker and that only 4% of managers were women. Even after having lived
in Germany for twelve years, she was still surprised at how little some Ger-
mans knew about Islam, although there were many parallels between Chris-
tianity and Islam. When asked whether Germans were curious, she answer-
ed that they mostly only asked questions once the contact had developed.
But sometimes this ignorance about Islam was due to lack of interest, pre-
judices and bias.
Hamideh Mohaghegi (Hanover)

Deputy chairperson of the HUDA Network for Muslim Women
Hamideh Mohaghegi also believed there was much ignorance and mis-
understanding vis-à-vis Islam among the German population. In particular,
their image of Muslim women was very distorted: »They are suppressed,
they are not allowed to leave the house. They are only there for their chil-
dren, their husbands and for the household.« She talked about when she
51
had come to Germany and she really considered this to be a very positive
period in her life. She reported that her daughters had felt integrated at
school, which, in her opinion, depended on how self-confident people were
and how sure they were of their own situation. When asked about her rela-
tionship with Islam in Germany, she answered that she had started studying
Islamic theology and had been confronted with questions both from society
and from her children, which had evolved through confrontation with this
society.
Hatice Ciftci (Berlin)

Head of the Dünya Cultural Centre for Girls in Berlin
In Hatice Ciftci’s opinion, family and cultural background were important
to young Muslims, but she pointed out that different groups of people had
migrated to Germany. Many different expectations were placed in young
girls, for example, and she would like to teach them how to find a compro-
mise between their families and their own goals, between these different
expectations. When asked about their relations with German girls, she an-
swered that they sometimes experienced prejudice but that she was work-
ing to lessen this.
Kadriye Aydin (Darmstadt)

Lawyer, board member of the Intercultural Council in Germany and
co-founder of the Christian-Islamic Association in Gießen
Kadriye Aydin told the group that in her experience, many Turkish mi-
grants came to her office because they did not speak German, but that their
cases were mostly the same as those of Germans. As for family law, there
were indeed some distinctive features which had to be taken into consider-
ation, but in labour law there were no differences. Usually, migrants tried to
keep their right of residence.
Marie-Luise Beck (Berlin)

Member of the German Bundestag, Federal Government Commissioner
for Migration, Refugees and Integration
Marie-Luise Beck reported that for the last 40 years Germany had had a
52
very high level of immigration. But due to misunderstandings on both sides,
German institutions were simply not prepared for such numbers. Now it was
quite obvious that immigrants first of all had to learn the language. How-
ever, it was also important to realize that people learn languages best if
they felt relaxed and comfortable in their new home. Young women in par-
ticular were faced with the dilemma of being confronted with both the tra-
ditional expectations of their families and with the expectation that they
integrated into other groups.

Ms Messari-Becker talked about her experiences with German guest
families, who had rarely understood that she was in Germany all on her own
without a husband. She said that she had had no problems with young peo-
ple, only with adults, to whom she had always had to explain herself. Finally
she stated that she was not a feminist.
Hamideh Mohaghegi (Hanover)

Hamideh Mohagheghi explained that before she had come to Germany
she had been a member of a pretty religious family. Her mother had merely
wanted her to get married as quickly as possible, mostly for economic and
pragmatic rather than religious reasons. She also told the group that in Ger-
many many people had asked her why she was wearing a headscarf and had
assumed that it was for health reasons.

She pointed out that girls from migrant families, just like German girls,
had much better results at school than their male counterparts. But at aca-
demic level, they were disadvantaged.
Barbara John (Berlin)

Berlin Senate, Commissioner for Language Skills
Barbara John answered that this might be because most families feared
that they would lose control over their female relatives if they became too
educated and integrated. Schools should work together with these Muslim
53
families to allay parents’ anxieties and fears. She expressed her regret that
Islamic theology could not be studied at any university which meant that
Imams with no idea of the lives of young Muslims in Germany had to be
brought to this country from the Muslim world.

Dr Damm also regarded Islamic studies in Germany as very important and
agreed that, in her experience, most families did not want their daughters
to become educated. But she believed that in time an increasing number of
female Muslim students would attend university, as their parents heard
from others that nothing terrible would happen. Still, women »need to be
twice as good if they want to have a good job. For girls it will be a major
challenge when they ask themselves, why should I go to college or to uni-
versity and risk not getting a job afterwards anyway«.

Marie-Luise Beck explained that today the general public regarded the
issue of Islam as mostly having to do with gender equality, virginity, marry-
ing somebody of a different faith. But all these questions were rather old as
they had existed in the 1950s and 1960s and had also been important in
Christianity.

Ms Aydin responded to the matter of Imams from abroad by saying that
it was very risky because nobody knew who these people were. She was in
favour of better training for Imams in Germany. She expressed her regret
that there seemed to be a selective process going on in Germany where one
asked »who are the Muslims we are talking to and who are the ones we are
not talking to«, whereas there were a lot of different streams of Muslims.
She also agreed that the language barrier should be abolished and called for
more sensitivity towards Islam from teachers. She suggested that pupils be
taught in all religions rather than only their own.
56
Dr Damm stated that even in Germany a distinction had been made for a
long time between writing women and thinking men. Although this had
changed now, there were still moulds for women.

Fatima al-Hawaj reported that the situation in Bahrain was quite similar
because many foreign workers had emigrated there. They merely went there
for economic reasons and the government allowed them to become citizens
of Bahrain once they had lived there for 25 years. In her opinion, suspicion
had developed because some citizens believed that migrants wanted to
steal from them and this sentiment was prevalent all over the world. As for
the issue of virginity and sexuality, she argued that women should preserve
their honour until they married.

Marie-Luise Beck asked what made up a nation’s identity and answered
that in Germany’s case it was said to be democracy, the rule of law, equali-
ty, equal rights for men and women, and freedom of religion. But the diffi-
culty with this freedom was that Islamic life in Germany was mostly linked
to the conflicts in the countries of origin. For example, as soon as it became
obvious that there were strong ties between some Turks in Germany and
a political party in Turkey, which was against the rule of law and against
secularization, it became quite difficult.

Ms Messari-Becker said that she did not understand the uproar about
mixed-sex excursions and swimming lessons. Such problems could easily be
solved through compromise. She therefore did not agree that one constant-
ly had to bear in mind the needs of the Muslim community and stated that
one was harming the image of Islam if one forbade one’s daughter to parti-
cipate in excursions.
57
In her opinion, sexual relationships outside marriage merely resulted in
illegitimate children and the spread of sexual diseases such as Aids. But she
also agreed that people had the right to do whatever they wanted, as long
as they did not infringe upon the freedom of others. Tradition could change,
but belief never changed.

In Dr Damm’s opinion, parents only wanted to protect their daughters.
She believed it was crucial that teachers learn how to deal with Muslim
pupils and their parents and stated an example from her own experience.
She also said that Muslims did not talk among themselves either, something
which should change, too.
Kerstin Müller (Berlin)

From her own experience, Kerstin Müller said, she believed that young
Muslim girls were somehow lost between two cultures and were faced with
a conflict which no-one really knew how to resolve. She explained that »the
fact that Islamist extremist organizations try to counter integration en-
couraged us to take a particular stand on migration, immigration and head-
scarves.« But nevertheless »we don’t want to generalize by saying, well,
young girls or women who decide to wear headscarves take this political or
religious decision which runs counter to our views or convictions.« Finally,
because she had to leave a bit earlier, she thanked all of the participants and
her staff members most cordially and said that this conference had been a
major success.

Kadriye Aydin argued that some Muslim girls did take part in excursions,
but that this issue was not so important, even though social and extracur-
ricular activities should not be neglected. With regard to sex education and
patriarchal structures, she said that there were also major difficulties but
that it should be possible to approach Muslim women directly. She stressed
the greater importance of language courses, something which was really
important for immigrants.
58
Iman al-Hayyaf (Algeria)
Iman al-Hayyaf focused on »ghettoization« and said that a low-income
background plus ghettoization plus a stagnation in economic status made
the integration of migrant women more difficult, whereas migrants who did
not live in such ghettos had no problem with integration.

Omaima Abu Bakr said that it seemed to her that what she had heard
from the others amounted to a series of contradictions and polarities. For
example, Germany was perceived by others as an immigrant society, but did
not regard itself as one. She raised the question as to whether it was inte-
gration that everybody wants or sameness and homogeneity and wanted to
address this question especially to the representative from India.
Nicola Graef (Hamburg)

Nicola Graef admitted that this was indeed one of the most important
questions for the next decade. In her opinion, immigrants in Germany were
not treated as immigrants but, rather, were encouraged to become assimi-
lated. She said that German society had to come to terms with the fact that
an increasing number of young Muslim women were going to university.
Thus Germany’s goal should be diversity rather than homogeneity.

In order »to save German honour«, Marie-Luise Beck said that one should
not claim that Germans were intolerant, something which made the head-
scarf debate for example so difficult. She stated that other societies were
also dealing with such questions. In her opinion, the whole issue had to do
with modernity, because »modern societies become less homogeneous«.
That meant that people had to accept the changes that urban life brought
about in the whole world. Although she knew that such changes combined
with immigration demanded high standards of democracy and tolerance,
she still thought that Germany was not doing too badly in this respect.
59
Fawziah Bakr Al-Bakr (Saudi Arabia)
Dr Al-Bakr expressed her belief that the role of women within Islamic
societies was changing enormously.
Dr Sayeda Saiyedain Hameed (India)

Dr Hameed expressed her feeling that as part of the Muslim community,
Muslim women had made a valuable contribution to society as a whole. She
disagreed that modern societies were less and less homogeneous and saw
the problem that there were people in Germany who were opposed to the
rule of law. She talked about her experiences in Canada and the idea of the
mosaic rather than of the melting pot. She told Ms Beck that she could not
shock her with her remarks concerning sexual minorities, school trips or
swimming lessons because »the beauty of Islam is its pluralism«. She agreed
that immigrants enriched societies.
Firdous al-Moussawi (Iraq / UK)

Firdous al-Moussawi reported that in Iraq the Baath Party had forbidden
women to wear headscarves which had led many of them to seek asylum in
Europe.
Fatima al-Hawaj (Bahrain)

Fatima al-Hawaj said that she saw no difference between nuns and
Muslim women wearing headscarves. She pointed out that »there is no
identity in the whole world nor in any culture which remains static« and
expressed her belief that the passing of time would solve many questions
quickly.

Rana Ismail believed that the questions concerning girls such as virginity
and school excursions were more a matter concerning religious societies
and this was the same within Christian families in her home country. She
said that she had gained the impression that the conflict had arisen from
the perception that Germany was a less religious society while the Islamic
community was perhaps more religious. She stressed that only a very small
60
minority of Muslims were terrorists and that it was the duty of the media to
promote a fair image of Islam in the world. She pointed out the need for
definitions, for example of Islam, of Sharia or even of democracy. Finally she
said that Western countries should study the role of Israel carefully and then
they would discover that Israel was behind a lot of problems.

Shahida Jamil expressed the view that one needed to widen his or her
perspective. With regard to sexual liberty, she saw a connection with other
areas of liberty and believed that opportunities should be left open to wom-
en. But on the other hand, she was concerned that the others were talking
about parental concern as a burden which was dismantling family struc-
tures.

Dr Damm stated that everyone was different and that diversity was a
great enrichment. She said that equating Islam with terrorism simply im-
plied the growth of fundamentalism because maybe this was the only
way to defend one’s identity against such a background. More importance
should be attached to caring for young people, otherwise they might be-
come extremists. This meant granting them specific opportunities so that
they could find their own identity. She believed that German converts could
function as a bridge for dialogue between the two groups. She was worried
that Islam was always reduced to marginalizations, while »Islam can be a
partner for Europe. Islam offers new solutions for economic crisis, for social
issues. It is not a rival, it is not a danger.«
Ambassador Dr Gunter Mulack (Berlin)

Commissioner for Intercultural Dialogue / Dialogue
with the Islamic World at the Federal Foreign Office
Dr Mulack expressed his delight with what he had heard because, in his
opinion, listening was part and parcel of any dialogue, but dialogues often
end up as monologues. Everybody should accept that there were differing
views and different approaches to life. For the Federal Foreign Office this
61
dialogue with women in Islamic countries was a key component of its dia-
logue with the Islamic world. Although, with more tolerance on both sides,
people might prefer to live in a religiously-based society, there were many
people in Germany who wanted to live in a secular world. Nevertheless
Islam should not be blamed for things which had nothing to do with it. But
he expressed the view that men in the Islamic world really were afraid of
women who were often so much more committed and he was convinced
that men would not have shown the same perseverance at this conference.
Finally, Dr Mulack thanked all the participants and concluded that he had
learned much during this conference.
62
Participants
Panel I
Marzia Basel, Afghanistan, former judge, Member of the Loya Jirga

Ms Marzia Basel, born in 1966 in Kabul, read law and politics at the Uni-
versity of Kabul. She has participated in numerous international conferences
(Civil Society Conference, Berlin). The committed women’s rights activist has
been project leader of UNIFEM in Afghanistan since February 2004.
Omaima Abu Bakr, Egypt, English scholar, Cairo University

Ms Abu Bakr, born in 1957, studied English, Arabic and Comparative Liter-
ature at the Universities of Cairo, North Carolina and Berkeley, California,
where she took her PhD. She works as a Professor of English and Compara-
tive Literature at Cairo University. She is a founding member of the Egyptian
NGO »Women and Memory Forum«, a research center for gender issues
founded in 1996.
Fatima Hasan al-Hawaj, Bahrain, lawyer

Ms al-Hawaj, born in 1966, has had her own lawyer’s office since 1991 and
is active in various civil society spheres. The dedicated jurist is a member of
various organizations (including the Comity Board of Bahrain Bar Associa-
tion, Bahrain Businesswomen Society and Comity Board of Bahrain Human
Rights Research Department). She publishes articles on equal rights and
family law in a regional newspaper.
Dr Sayeda Saiyedain Hameed, India, women’s rights activist

Dr Sayeda Saiyedain Hameed is a founder member of South Asians for
Human Rights (SAHR), a regional body focusing on human rights issues in
South Asia. She is also a trustee of the Women’s Initiative for Peace in South
Asia (WIPSA) and founder member of the Muslim Women’s Forum. Dr
Hameed has published many books. Her latest publication is Mussaddas-e
Hali (Ebb and Flow in Islam).
64
Firdous al-Moussawi, Iraq (British national), economics / law,
Islamic economics
Ms Firdous al-Moussawi is an expert in Islamic law and economics. The
trustee of the Iraqi Orphan Foundation engages in education and social
work to improve the situation of orphans in Baghdad and young people in
London. Ms al-Moussawi is chairperson of the Al-Zahran Women’s Centre.
Fatemeh Sadr-Tabatabai, Iran, education / social psychology, social work

Ms Fatemeh Sadr, born in 1946 in Tehran, read education and social
psychology at the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany. She now works on a
freelance basis in an intercultural dialogue centre in Iran and organizes
various dialogue events between religious communities. Ms Sadr is current-
ly planning and running a project promoting dialogue in Iranian society. Ms
Sadr is also a member of an NGO working on the topic of women and health.
Iman ash-Shargabi, Yemen, English scholar

Ms Iman ash-Shargabi, born in 1978 in Egypt, read English at the Univer-
sity of Science and Technology (UST) in Yemen. She has been working as an
English lecturer at the UST since October 2000.
Norani Othman, Malaysia, sociologist, Director of the Sisters in Islam

Ms Norani Othman has been Professor of Sociology and senior fellow
of the University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) since 1995. She engaged in
research at the Berlin Wissenschaftskolleg from 1998 to 1999. Ms Norani’s
research includes the spheres of sociology, anthropology and contemporary
intellectualism and the history of ideas in Third World societies and wom-
en’s rights. Norani Othman is Vice-President of the Malaysian Social Science
Association and Director of the Muslim women’s organization Sisters in
Islam (SIS).
65
Dr Fawziah Bakr al-Bakr, Saudi Arabia, Assistant Professor
at the King Saud University
Dr Fawziah Bakr al-Bakr read education at the University of London. She
is a member of the American Sociological Association and the London
Middle East Institute amongst others. Ms Bakr al-Bakr is one of the few
women who played an active role as a speaker in the second meeting for
national dialogue (27 – 31 December 2003), held for the first time in Saudi
Arabia. The Assistant Professor has published several articles in periodicals
on the education of women in Saudi Arabia and a book entitled »Saudi
Woman and Education / Historical Perspective«.
Wedad Abu Saud, Saudi Arabia, educational science

Ms Abu Saud works at the education administration of Saudi Arabia’s
eastern province. She participated in the national dialogue. She has a very
good knowledge of German since her husband studied medicine in Ger-
many.
Dr Annabelle Böttcher, Islamic scholar, Berlin University
Panel II
Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Indonesia, Minister of State

for Women’s Affairs
Ms Khofifah Indar Parawansa, born in 1965 in Surabaya, Indonesia, read
political science at Airlangga University. Her speech at the general meeting
of the People’s Consultative Assembly in 1998 in which she heavily criticized
the policies of the Soeharto Government caused quite a stir. Ms Parawansa,
who grew up in a traditional Islamic environment, focuses on women’s
issues and social inequalities in Indonesian society.
Hala Bsaisu Lattouf, Jordan, Secretary General of the Ministry

for Political Development and Administrative Reform
66
Ms Hala Bsaisu Lattouf was until May State Secretary in the Ministry of
Planning responsible for international development-policy cooperation.
Then she was appointed Secretary General of the Ministry for Political De-
velopment and Administrative Reform. Alongside many activities in various
institutions, she is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Arab
Women Summit. Ms Lattouf chaired the Jordanian delegation at the Madrid
Conference in October 2003.
Rana Ismail, Lebanon, headmistress

Ms Rana Ismail, born in 1961, is headmistress of the largest Islamic sec-
ondary school (al-Kawthar School) in Lebanon with 1,500 pupils. The trained
electrical engineer advocates an Islam which opens all careers to women. Ms
Ismail has been a member of the Al-Mabarrat Association Board of Educa-
tional Development and Supervision since 1998.
Najia Al-Boudali, Morocco, Professor of Geology,

University of Casablanca / human rights activist
Ms Najia Boudali was born in 1959 in Casablanca and is active in various
local and international human rights groups, including Synergie Civique and
amnesty international. In her role as activist, she focuses above all on the
problem of violence against women. Ms Boudali is Professor of Geology at
the Hassan II University in Casablanca and author of the books Témoignages
des Femmes and Les problèmes des femmes marocaines face aux lois juridi-
ques.
Shahida Jamil, Pakistan, former Minister of Justice

of Sindh Province, lawyer
Ms Shahida Jamil was born in 1944; former Minister of Justice of Sindh
Province as well as the central Government in Islamabad. She was thus the
first woman in Pakistan to hold such a high political office. Ms Jamil is a
member both of the Sindh High Court Bar Association and of the Karachi Bar
Association in Karachi. She works with great dedication to improve the situ-
ation of women in Pakistan. Furthermore, she is Professor of Legal Studies at
the Sindh Muslim Government Law College in Karachi.
67
Raeda Taha, Palestinian Territories, journalist
Following her studies at the George Mason University (USA), the commu-
nications scientist worked inter alia as a journalist at the WAFA Press Office
in Washington, DC (1987 – 1988) and in the press department of the late
President Arafat’s office in Tunis (1988 – 1994). Her first book entitled »Ali«,
dedicated to her father, Ali Taha, who lost his life in 1972 during a plane
hijacking, was published in 2002. Ms Taha is currently a member of the
board of the Sakakini cultural centre in Ramallah.
Khadija Ben Ganna, Qatar / Algeria, newsreader / journalist

Ms Ben Ganna has been a News and Programs Presenter at Qatar-based
Al-Jazeera Television Station since 1997. The experienced journalist worked
previously for different radio and television stations in her home country
Algeria, as well as in Switzerland. She caught worldwide attention in No-
vember 2003 when she decided to wear the Islamic headscarf while present-
ing her programmes at Al-Jazeera.
Abeer Mishkas, Saudi Arabia, journalist

Ms Abeer Mishkas, born in 1964, studied drama at the King Abdul Aziz
University in Jedda. She has been the editor of the newspaper Arab News
since 1992. The columnist was awarded the Editor of the Year Prize in 1997.
Dr Sarah al-Fadil Mahmoud Abdel Karim, Sudan, sociologist

(Wife of Sadiq al-Mahdi, Umma Party)
Dr Sara al-Fadil Mahmoud Abdel Karim, born in 1939 in Wad Nubawe
(Sudan), read sociology at the University of New York. Ms Abdel Karim had
been leading the foreign relations directorate of the Umma Party since 1963,
until she recently took over the NGO section following recent internal re-
structuring of the party. Just a few days ago, the Ahfad Women’s University
in Khartoum awarded Ms Abdel Karim an honorary doctorate.
Sahar Mahaini, Syria, English teacher

Born in 1951 in Damascus. She studied English Literature at the University
of Damascus and holds a Diploma in Translation. She worked both as an
68
English teacher at a secondary school and as a home tutor. Since 1990 she
has been working as a volunteer at the charitable organization Rajaa. She
currently teaches Islamic Ethics and Morals in an elementary school in
Damascus.
Martina Hunzelmann, entrepreneur, Stuttgart
Panel III
Iman al-Hayyaf, Algeria, Collectif Maghreb 95

Born on 14 September 1958 in Algiers, she has been active in NGOs (UNI-
FEM, ACDI, OXFAM etc.) since the 1980s helping defend women’s needs and
has organized or attended numerous seminars at home and abroad. The
economist is a founder member and executive director of the women’s asso-
ciation Collectif 95 Maghreb-Egalité set up in 1992 which focuses on ending
the discrimination of women and improving their social and legal situation.
She has also written a number of publications.
Hatice Ciftci, sociologist, Dünya Cultural Centre for Girls, Berlin

Ms Hatice Ciftci, born in 1969 in Urfa (Turkey), is active in social work and
education. After completing her training as a nurse in 1990, she worked for
three years in a Berlin hospital before moving on to study social education
at the Alice Salomon Polytechnic in Berlin. She currently heads the Dünya
Cultural Centre for Girls in Berlin.
Kadriye Aydin, Intercultural Council, Darmstadt

Ms Kadriye Aydin, born in 1970 in Lich, read law at the Justus Liebig
University in Gießen. Ms Aydin is, inter alia, a board member of the Inter-
cultural Council in Germany and co-founder of the Christian-Islamic Associa-
tion in Gießen. The lawyer has been running her own office in Darmstadt
since 2003.
69
Dr Coletta Damm, psychologist, chairperson of the Muslim League, Bonn
Dr Coletta Latifah Damm, born in 1952, is inter alia the Commissioner for
Women’s Affairs of the German Muslim League and board member of the
Christian Islamic Association. For some 20 years now, the trained psycholo-
gist has been training managers and their staff to deal with professional
and private challenges. Ms Damm wrote an article entitled »Women’s ritual
in Islam and Sufism – some Impressions« in the European Society of Women
in Theological Research (ESWTR) Yearbook 2001.
Hamideh Mohagheghi, HUDA Network for Muslim Women, Hamburg

Ms Hamideh Mohagheghi, born in 1954 in Tehran, read law at the Shahid
Beheshti University in Tehran. Then she trained in Islamic theology at the
Initiative for Islam Studies in Hamburg where she has been living since 1977.
She is freelance expert in interreligious and intercultural dialogue and de-
puty chairperson of the HUDA Network for Muslim Women. Ms Mohagheghi
has published a number of articles on theological and social topics, inter alia
in HUDA – the Islamic Women’s Magazine.
Lamia Messari-Becker, engineer, volunteer Commissioner for Women’s

Affairs of the Construction Engineering Department, Darmstadt
Ms Lamia Messari-Becker came to Germany in 1992 and studied construc-
tion engineering at the Darmstadt Technical University. She has been work-
ing as a fellow at the university since 2001. Ms Messari-Becker is currently
serving as Commissioner for Women’s Affairs on a voluntary basis and as
chairperson of the Commission for the Promotion of Women in the Depart-
ment of Construction Engineering and Geodesy.
Marie-Luise Beck, Member of the German Bundestag, Federal Government

Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration, Berlin
Barbara John, Commissioner for Language Skills Development,

Berlin Senate
72
Echo in the media – excerpts:
»I came back imbued with an urgency for a new read-

ing and interpretation of Islam, which takes into conside-
ration the new demands of life. I shared with the Muslim
sisters.« (Dr Syeda Sayidain Hameed, German News –
New Delhi, VOL XLV, July 2004)
»At the end of the three-day-trip to Berlin I could not

help but remember our visit to what remains of the
Berlin Wall and the feeling that there are still other
walls.« (Abeer Mishkas, Arab News, 1 June 2004 – »Days
in Berlin«)
»This not unimportant secular trend was clearly under-

represented at the Berlin intercultural dialogue.«
(Martina Sabra, Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit 7 /
2004, S. 303)
»The appeal from all participants was that women

know the diversity of Sharia and should be able to deal
with it.« (Heide Ostreich, die tageszeitung, 25 May 2004
– »Prisoners of tradition, not of Islam«)
»An excessive dispute over the question of the veil was

avoided in order to devote our time to the common goal
of supporting women and their rights in the Islamic
countries.« (Astrid Wirtz, Kölner Stadtanzeiger, 26 May
2004 – »Why not a female Mufti?«)
75
Imprint
Women in the Islamic World

Muslim Women in Germany
Positive Role Models
Berlin, 24 May 2004
Conference hosted by the Federal Foreign Office, Berlin

under the auspices of Minister of State Kerstin Müller
responsible Dr. Gabriela Guellil
in conjunction with the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) Stuttgart
responsible Barbara Kuhnert
Documentation
Design Michael Kimmerle, Stuttgart
Photographer Jochen Eckel
Printing Dr. Cantz’sche Druckerei, Ostfildern
Published by
Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen Stuttgart
Charlottenplatz 17
D-70173 Stuttgart
Postfach 10 24 63
D-70020 Stuttgart
© 2004 ifa Stuttgart
Dear Reader,
Unfortunately it has not been possible to reproduce all contributions in their entire length and we have had
to make a subjective selection, abridging where necessary. Because the text passages are based on the English-
language tapes of the Conference proceedings, it is possible that some inaccuracies may have arisen through
the interpretation from German or Arabic. We have edited the texts in what we hope was a competent and
responsible manner and trust that they reflect the ideas of those who contributed them. The editorial team

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Women in the Islamic World

Berlin 24 May 2004

The question of how to deal with Muslim neighbours in European socie-

The conference fostered contacts and established networks that enable

I was impressed to hear the opinions and approaches to life of Muslim

On 24 May 2004, 20 women from 18 different countries

Participants and moderators, ladies and gentlemen,

Of course we make no claim that the group gathered here is entirely

Given the often depressing human rights situation particularly for

This conference is to provide an opportunity to do away with such mis-

Ladies and gentlemen,

The real role of women in Islamic countries unfortunately plays a very

Ladies and gentlemen,

The federal states are now working on implementing this judgement by

It would also be a mistake in terms of integration policy. It would fuel

Ladies and gentlemen,

That is why I find it so interesting to change my perspective, broaden my

Such a perception fails to do justice to the overwhelming majority of

Given the various interpretations of Islam in the individual Muslim coun-

Ladies and gentlemen,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Stereotypical thinking and prejudices are to be found on both sides. Mus-

Differences in perceptions of values or the way in which these values are

In Western societies on the other hand the freedom of the individual to

In the domestic policy debate on immigration in Germany, the Federal

A particularly important concern continues to be the need to recognize

Ladies and gentlemen,

We hope that civil society, intellectuals, universities and businesses can

I am sure that we will contribute to this discussion on renewal, moderni-

We need role models for this; we should build on the experiences of

Moderator: Dr Katajun Amirpur (Cologne), Islamic scholar

Marzia Basel (Afghanistan)

Omaima Abu Bakr (Egypt)

Fatima Hasan al-Hawaj (Bahrain)

Dr Sayeda Saiyedain Hameed (India)

Firdous al-Moussawi (Iraq)

Fatemeh Sadr-Tabatabai (Iran)

Iman ash-Shargabi (Yemen)

Norani Othman (Malaysia)

Dr Fawziah Bakr al-Bakr (Saudi Arabia)

Wedad Abu Saud (Saudi Arabia)

Fatima Hasan al-Hawaj (Bahrain)

Fatemeh Sadr (Iran)

Firdous al-Moussawi (Iraq)

Omaima Abu Bakr (Egypt)

Fawziah Bakr al-Bakr (Saudi Arabia)

Najia al-Boudali (Morocco)

Iman al-Hayyaf (Algeria)

Dr Coletta Damm (Bonn)

Raeda Taha (Palestinian territories)

Omaima Abu Bakr (Egypt)

Marzia Basel (Afghanistan)

Moderator: Sonia Mikich (Cologne), journalist

Khofifah Indar Parawansa (Indonesia)

Hala Bsaisu Lattouf (Jordan)

Raeda Taha (Palestinian territories)

Rana Ismail (Lebanon)

Khadija Ben Ganna (Algeria / Qatar)

Shahida Jamil (Pakistan)

Sayeda Saiyedain Hameed (India)

Lamia Messari-Becker (Darmstadt)

Najia al-Boudali (Morocco)

Dr Sarah al-Fadil Mahmoud Abdel Karim (Sudan)