“Women and Islam” (Salon on December 5th, 2005)

I. Stereotypes

II. Women's rights in the Arabian Peninsula before Islam

III. Women rights under Islam

A. Women’s relationship to God

    – Creation

    – Nature & humanity

    – Role & responsibilities

B. Women’s role and relationship to men in the domestic sphere

    – Marriage

    – Motherhood

C. Women’s role and relationship to men in the public sphere

    – Social

    – Economic

    – Political/Military

IV. Muslim women today

PRESENTER BIO

Maha is the founder & president of the Islamic Networks Group (ING). Maha is also a commissioner on Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante's "Commission for One California"; commissioner on Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission (appointed by Supervisor Jim Beall); Advisor to California's Commission on Police Officers Standards & Training (POST) for hate crimes and cultural diversity training; and former Co-chair and Vice-chair of the Bay Area Hate Crimes Investigators Association (BAHCIA). Maha is recipient of numerous civil rights awards which include the 1999 Civil Rights Leadership Award from the California Association of Human Relations Organizations, the 2000 Human Relations Award from the Santa Clara County Human Relations office, and the 2002 "Citizen of the Year" Award from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Maha has spoken to hundreds of schools, churches, police departments, corporations and other public institutions; has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, and is author of seven training handbooks on outreach for American Muslims as well as eight training modules for public institutions on "developing cultural competency with the American Muslim community". Maha is currently ING's CEO. She is married and lives in Santa Clara.