Alaa Murabit: What my religion really says about women
آلاء مرابط: مكانةُ المرأة الحقيقية في ديني
Alaa Murabit champions women’s participation in peace processes and conflict mediation. Full bio
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had a very interesting conversation
the United States has run out of jobs,
تُعاني من البطالة
tornado chaser."
و متعقب الأعاصير"
the voices of women
processes and conflict resolution,
the full participation of women globally
لضمان المشاركة الكلية للنساء عالميًا
important to me.
I am very proud of my faith.
to do my work every day.
لإتمام عملي كل يوم.
in front of you.
been done in the name of religion,
عن الضرر الذي حصل باسم الدين،
of the world's major faiths.
ولكن كل الديانات في العالم.
and manipulation of religious scripture
بالنصوص المقدسة
and cultural norms,
معاييرنا الاجتماعية والثقافية،
don't recognize it.
North Africa, to Canada
لكندا
and spiritual people,
(Laughter)
، ولكن مع آخرين (ضحك)
that having 11 kids forces you to have.
وجود11 طفلا يفرض عليك هذا الصبر.
through a cultural lens.
judged differently based on gender.
يحاسب على أساس النوع.
as a merciful and beneficial friend
بأنه صديق رحيم و نافع
I looked at the world.
had additional benefits.
(Laughter)
مدخل إلى الدبلوماسية 101.(ضحك)
where I went to school,
Kennedy School of Government?"
of International Affairs."
to talk to my mom to get in.
عليك التكلم مع أمي للالتحاق بها.
and having 10 siblings
power structures and alliances.
to talk fast or say less,
بسرعة أو الاختصار،
of messaging.
to get the answers you know you want,
لتحصل على الإجابات المقنعة،
in the right way to keep the peace.
ليبقى السلام.
I learned growing up
I had to be there when she was trying
علي أن أكون هناك عندما تحاول
because I had to defend myself,
then the finger is pointed at you,
إليك أصابع الاتهام،
you will be grounded.
from experience, of course.
I completed high school and I moved
أنهيت الثانوية وانتقلت
to Libya before on vacation,
إلى ليبيا في عطلة،
it was magic.
كان ذلك كالسحر.
and really excited relatives.
as a 15-year-old young lady.
نفس الشعور لفتاة في الخامسة عشرة.
to the cultural aspect of religion.
meaning religiously prohibited --
culturally inappropriate --
أهمية للفرق بينهم،
and had the same consequences.
after conversation with classmates
مع زملائي في الدراسة
friends, even relatives,
وحتى الأقارب،
and my own aspirations.
my parents had provided for me,
the role of women in my faith.
عن دور المرأة في ديني
of International Affairs,
so that's what I did,
هذا ما فعلته،
who were leaders,
even militarily.
هي من موّلت الحركة الإسلامية
لو لم يكن ذلك لأجلها.
to positions which predated
in the eyes of God,
I had learned as a child.
للدروس التي تعلمتها في صغري.
who gets to control the message,
in every single world faith,
are dominated by men
in their likeness,
the system entirely,
expect to have full economic
a straight house on a crooked foundation.
منزل سليم على أساس أعوج.
and my family was on the front lines.
وكانت عائلتي على خطوط المواجهة.
that happens in war,
it was not only acceptable
شعرت فيها ليس فقط بقبولي
but it was encouraged.
had a seat at the table.
We were crucial.
for that change to be permanent.
that I had previously worked with
to their previous roles,
by words of encouragement
as their defense.
كدفاع عن أنفسهم
for their opinions.
and political empowerment of women.
مكانة المرأة اقتصاديا وسياسيا.
to cultural and social change.
تغييرا ثقافيا واجتماعيا.
but not a lot.
طفيفا جدا وليس بصفة كُليّة.
their defense as my offense,
على أنها طريقة هجومي،
Islamic scripture as well.
led the single largest
قادت منظمتي واحدة من أكبر
campaign in Libya.
and universities, even mosques.
والجامعات وحتى المساجد .
billboards and television commercials,
اللوحات والإعلانات التلفزيونية
a women's rights organization
يمكن لمنظمة حقوق المرأة
which had previously opposed
and sayings of the Prophet,
are, for example,
to their family."
led by local community imams
في المجتمع المحلي
like domestic violence.
we actually had to go as far
علينا أن نذهب لأقصى حد
Human Rights Declaration,
written by religious scholars,
لم يكتب بواسطة علماء الدين.
are in our book.
just copied us.
we were able to provide
كنا قادرين على توليد
the rights of women in Libya.
been replicated internationally,
believe me, it's not.
-- صدقوني إنه ليس كذلك.
and call you a bad conservative.
وسيصمونك بالمحافظ الرجعي
a lot of colorful things.
بأشياء كثيرة ومختلفة.
must be extremely ashamed of you" --
مثل "يجب على والديك أن يشعرا بالعار"--
to your next birthday" --
and religion are not mutually exclusive.
والدين لا يتعارضان.
because by remaining silent,
عن مناصبنا لأننا عندما نصمت،
and abuse of women worldwide.
و الاعتداء على النساء في العالم.
to fight for women's rights
with bombs and warfare,
which need to address these issues
التي تحتاج لمعالجة هذه القضايا
distorted religious messaging.
of insults and ridicule and threats.
السخرية والإهانة والتهديد.
the message of human rights,
استعادة رسالة حقوق الانسان
the women in your families,
that would be transformed
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alaa Murabit - Peace expertAlaa Murabit champions women’s participation in peace processes and conflict mediation.
Why you should listen
Alaa Murabit's family moved from Canada to Libya when she was 15. Brought up in a Muslim household where she was equal to her brothers, she was shocked to see how women were viewed and treated in her new country. She enrolled in medical school, but felt frustrated by the gender discrimination she experienced.
During her fifth year in med school, the Libyan Revolution broke out. Murabit was invigorated by how women were embraced as decision-makers in the movement. She founded The Voice of Libyan Women (VLW) to focus on challenging societal and cultural norms to make that the case all the time. Many VLW programs -- like the Noor Campaign, which uses Islamic teaching to combat violence against women -- have been replicated internationally.
Murabit is an advisor to many international security boards, think tanks and organizations, including the UN Women Global Civil Society Advisory Group and Harvard’s Everywoman Everywhere Coalition. An Ashoka Fellow, Murabit was a Trust Women Hero Award Winner in 2013.
Alaa Murabit | Speaker | TED.com