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| File Photo: Guests at an Ahmadiyya Muslim organized meeting |
Source/Credit: Fairfax Connection
By Nicole Macon | October 14, 2010
Conference discusses “Holy Women of Faith.”
On a cool Saturday afternoon, about 150 women of all faiths gathered in a basement lecture hall at George Mason University to celebrate “Holy Women of Our Faith,” part of a series of interfaith events sponsored by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Student Association (AMSA) and the Women’s auxiliary of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, addressing Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, and Islamic faiths.
Many of the small number of attendees who were not Ahmadiyya Muslims, such as Tina Cha, a Catholic from Chantilly, came to the free event to “learn more about the Muslim faith.” There were opportunities to become educated about Islam before the Oct. 2 event even started — a small reception before the conference had free literature on display about Islam and the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, who also sponsored the event, and allowed those curious to speak with a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
Religious representatives from the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, and Islamic faiths had equal time to describe the pillars of their faiths and their women of significance.
Rawa Jassem, George Mason University’s Baha’i Faith community leader, emphasized her religion’s belief in the equal treatment of men and women through Tahira, a highly educated woman who shocked society by appearing unveiled in public, and Bahiyyih Khanum, a “kind and generous” woman who stressed improved educational opportunities for women. Jassem explained that “no other world religion has been as explicit in equality of women” as the Baha’i faith.
Joan King, member and former secretary of Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Burke, represented Ekoji, also known as Zen, Buddhism, described Eshini and Kakushini, the wife and daughter of the founder of Zen Buddhism, independent women whose decision to dedicate their inherited property to their followers allowed their faith to flourish. Eshini also defied traditional Buddhist belief, asserting that she and her daughter would be “allowed to go to the pure land,” an attainment only men could achieve.
The Rev. Grace O’Neil, senior minister of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Annandale, not only spoke of the most famous Christian women, Mary the Virgin and Mary Magdalene, but also highlighted women throughout the ages who were faithful Christians yet also questioned aspects of their faith. Judy Whiton, a Gaithersburg resident and Presbyterian, was unaware that the Episcopalians revered “women of the 20th century instrumental in women’s rights,” and as a result “learned more about Christianity.”
The final speaker, Sister Saliha Malik, a converted Ahmadiyya Muslim originally from England but now teaching at Brown University in Providence, R.I., had a challenge — to explain aspects of Islam that some view as demeaning to women. Malik explained that, although the Prophet Muhammad had 12 wives in his lifetime, he was monogamous with his first wife, Khadija, and after her death, married women who were mostly widowed.
Muhammad established common law rights for women, such as the right to divorce, to veil oneself with a hijab, to inherit and to own property and maintain wealth, Malik says. Hijab is not considered as degrading, but promotes “chastity, honor, and dignity” in women, said Malik.
Malik goes beyond the rules of Ahmadiyya Muslims by wearing a niqab, a veil that partially covers her face when performing everyday tasks. Malik has never had to defend her niqab, but received much respect when she wears it in most everyday situations.
A campus-wide power outage cut the question and answer session short, but the panelists stayed in semi-darkness to answer a few more questions, eager to clarify their religion’s practices.
Read original post here: Interfaith Gathering Focuses on Women
Awesome article. One of the many great contributions religions can make to society is upholding equality and family values.
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