Connection Point
Women and men express their viewpoints and share their perspectives in a weekly column. These columns form the groundwork for a discourse across cultural and religious boundaries.
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Mehrunisa Qayyum
“Zahraa Said received my excited greeting calmly and humbly; her voice is powerfully soft. I realized that her voice echoed because she led by amplifying the voices of others–not because she possesses a loud voice like Gloria Steinem; she does not. Instead, she amplified her voice by action–not by assuming authority or ambitious rhetoric.”
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Recognizing movements from Tiananmen Square to Tahrir Square, the Goddess of Democracy Award transforms low profile grassroots efforts into globally recognized emblems of history. Inspired by the Goddess of Liberty statue …
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Richard Peres
Editor’s Note: The Turkish parliamentary elections, held last month, were marked by the voices of some candidates demanding their right to wear religious head coverings on the floor of parliament. Below is Richard Peres’ interview with one of these women. This piece originally appeared in Today’s Zaman and is reposted here with the author’s permission.
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Merve Kavakçi Islam, a strong believer in the importance of female representation in the political machinery, calls on women from all walks of life and from all creeds to run for elected office.
A lecturer …
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Mo Na
“Born in Chicago to a Palestinian father and a ½ American, ½ British Mother - the combination is so common yet so unique that it makes sense for me to want to share the silliness I’ve experienced.”
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It is 6 pm on a Wednesday in December, and once again I’m standing outside in the below-zero cold, in one of the more “questionable” areas of Chicago’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood. I’m waiting for the Jokes and Notes comedy club to open, and in regular fashion, I have arrived early …
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Jamilla Rhoda Katambo
“When I tested HIV positive in 2005 I was shocked. The problem that first came to my mind was, how do I tell my family? Then, how do I tell the wider community?”
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I am 58 years old and have 10 children and many grandchildren. I come from a community called Matero, one of the biggest townships in Lusaka, Zambia. Matero has one of the largest numbers of Muslims in Lusaka, as well as a number of mosques.
When I tested HIV positive in 2005 I was shocked. The …
