Conducted by Faten Al-Alawi

Like many Americans, Washingtonians are prone to view Muslim women in a very mono-dimensional way, viewing them as oppressed, sheltered and lacking opportunities for empowerment. Even regular attendees at Buxton events – the vast majority of whom are extremely well-educated and hold high-level positions in government and business – often pose questions such as, “Why are Muslim women forced to wear the hijab?” The underlying assumption is that the submissive Muslim woman is necessarily controlled by the dominant Muslim man.

Purpose of this project: To provide both online and live platforms for the stories of Muslim women living in the Washington area to be heard and for their diverse opinions to find expression. Specifically the project will seek to explore the questions such as: How are Muslim women contributing to societal, cultural, religious, and governmental transformation in Washington – America’s seat of power? How do Muslim women’s beliefs influence their lifestyle, work, etc? What do Muslim women think about certain issues (hijab, women’s rights, family life, etc)? How do these thoughts fit into whether they think the Muslim woman is, or is not, oppressed?

Throughout the summer, Faten Al-Alawi, a student at Yale and a summer intern at Buxton, will be interviewing women of different faiths to study these questions and others. The interviews are intended to reveal the women’s stories, opinions, and impact in their respective communities. This wonderful group of interviewees represents a variety of ages, nationalities, and professions. Most of the women are Muslim, though she will also talk to women of other faiths because she finds it necessary to obtain a non-Muslim perspective regarding the condition of Muslim women in Washington; it helps create a more holistic picture. Finally, as a Muslim herself, this additional perspective will be very useful for her, especially because they will help her challenge assumptions that stem from her religion.

Below is a list of the women with whom Faten will be dialoguing this summer. Please click on their names to learn more about them and to follow Faten through the development of this project.  Click here to learn more about Faten.

• Sarrah AbuLughod
• Melody Fox Ahmed
• Naila Asali
• Yolanda Jones
• Amina Khan
• Kalsoom Lakhani
• Anna Sannes
• Sara Shroff
• Ana Steele
• Asma Uddin
• Mara Hollander
• Women’s Group at Dar Al-Hijrah

In addition to updating this page, Faten will be writing on the Buxton Blog about her conversations, writing book reviews, recording and transcribing some interviews, and compiling resources on Muslim women. Please click here to view the Muslim Women Resources page.