Symposium Schedule: Saturday, October 10, 2009
Women’s Leadership and Activism in the Muslim World

Nalanda Events Center, Nalanda Campus, 6287 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder

The program is subject to change. Please check the website for updates.

8:20–8:55 a.m.: Registration

9:00–11:00 a.m.: Opening the Conversation

Women whose lives are governed by laws and customs assumed to derive from Islam have a long tradition of individual and collective action as agents of social change. Through word and deed, contemporary Muslim women are reviving and recovering the message of social justice at the heart of Islamic scriptures, building cross-cultural women’s organizations, challenging repressive governments, and organizing transnationally on issues of common concern and purpose. These women are moving the sphere of activity of Muslim women in new directions as they creatively and courageously re-envision and transform the world.

The panel will be organized as a conversation in which Shirin Ebadi, Sanam Anderlini, Laleh Bakhtiar and Daisy Khan reflect on their lives and work, focusing on key ideas, opportunities and challenges. Terry Greenblatt will facilitate, and Banafsheh Keynoush will translate.

11:00–11:30 a.m.: Morning Tea

11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.: Human Rights and Women’s Rights in Islam: Continuing the Conversation

Nader Hashemi, Assistant Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics and Micheline Ishay, director of the MA in International Human Rights at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, will offer reflections on Dr. Ebadi’s keynote talk and the theme of religion and human rights in the Middle East. This session will be structured as a public conversation, beginning with the featured speakers and extending to the audience.

12:15–1:30 p.m.: Lunch—A box lunch will be provided

1:30–3:00 p.m.: Concurrent Afternoon Sessions

Group A—The Changing Role of Muslim Women
Featured Speakers: Laleh Bakhtiar, Haqiqa Ochs and Liyakat Takim
Beginning with stories from their own lives, Laleh Bakhtiar, Haqiqa Ochs and Liyakat Takim will explore the concept of ijtihad—the reinterpretation of religious principle in light of each person’s experience of changing realities—as well as the efforts of women to have their voices heard within sacred spaces.

Group B—Who Speaks for Islam? Who Acts for Islam?
Featured Speakers: Nabil Echchaibi, Ausma Khan and Daisy Khan
Muslims are increasingly turning to modern media technologies such as satellite television and the Internet to render religious discourse more deliberative. A growing number of men and women effectively weave Quranic stories into elaborate media programs of social change and civic engagement, challenging traditional centers of religious authority. This session will highlight examples of Muslim women who have fared well in this new media environment and discuss the impact of their voices on current interpretations of Islam. Excerpts from contemporary media by and about Muslim women will be shown and discussed.

Group C—Women Building Peace: What They Do, Why It Matters
Featured Speakers: Sanam Anderlini, Jennifer Heath and Tahira Khan;
Community Representatives: Anita Khaldy and Fran Sterling
This interactive session will provide local teachers and community activists the opportunity to engage with Sanam Anderlini, Jennifer Heath and Tahira Khan on issues of common concern and purpose. The featured speakers will share insights from their work with women and women’s organizations internationally—Sanam Anderlini in Iran and Sri Lanka, Jennifer Heath in Afghanistan, and Tahira Khan in Pakistan and South Asia.

What are the levers for change at the grassroots level and at the level of international policy? How are women creating frameworks to make peace more inclusive? How can symposium participants —living and working in Colorado’s Front Range—contribute? What conceptual and practical tools can educators and activists bring back to our classrooms and communities?

Anita Khaldy and Fran Sterling (with Facing History and Ourselves) will make connections to local educational and peacebuilding initiatives.

3:00 p.m.: Afternoon Tea

3:15–3:45 p.m.: Turkish folk music and ilahis (devotional Islamic poetry) Zevk Ensemble

3:45–5:00 p.m.: Closing Session moderated by Daisy Khan: Insights, Questions and Next Steps

Panelists will offer brief closing reflections, including next steps we can take individually and collectively. Participants will gather in small groups to exchange closing thoughts and action steps.