: A (Muslim) Woman’s Place Is… In The Voting Booth

Last week, the National Endowment for Democracy, an American NGO that promotes democracy throughout the world, awarded four Muslim women activists with its annual Democracy Award. First Lady Laura Bush was on hand to present the award to Nadjet Bouda (Algeria), Mehrangiz Kar (Iran), Mariam Hussein Mohamed (Somalia), and Muborak Tashpulatova (Uzbekistan). “It is a critical time to emphasize to Western audiences the existence and commitment of democratic voices in all parts of the Muslim world,” said the endowment’s chairman, Vin Weber. Although this recognition comes with certain US political interests in mind, it also comes on the heels of the Arab Human Development Report, a study that provides a rare self-critical analysis of the state of political, social, and economic freedoms in the Arab world. The four women have been involved in human rights work, legal and education reform, and political awareness. “I have learned not only to go toward those who seem to share my point of view, but also to reach out to the person who appears to be an adversary,” said Bouda, who at 23 is the youngest of the four women.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.  He is based in London, England.