Leila Ahmed’s response to the “Women in Islam” panel at the 1980 NWSA conference:
It is fascinating to me that Americans so yearn for optimistic reports on the state of Muslim women that they are willing to overlook Islam’s endorsement of male superiority in marriage, divorce, and even child custody. I cannot articulate the immense disappointment and shock I felt when I heard one panelist naturally equate the words “Arab” with “Muslim”; their readiness to condense all aspects of my culture into one monolithic tale of common struggle is beyond alarming. For example, how can I get them to understand that while Islam has indeed made significant strides towards women’s rights in recent years, the arduous fight for equality has just begun? It pains me to see the panelists struggling to defend against ludicrous American stereotypes of Islamic women instead of freely expressing what must be done to correct our misunderstandings. I hope that my work, if rapidly disseminated, may help enlighten Americans regarding the true nature of Muslim women’s lives and the hardships they face.

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