01-Contents Page.indd - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre

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Women’s Issues
yassine, nadia
Nadia Yassine is the head of the women’s branch of the most powerful Islamist movement in
Morocco, Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane (Justice and Charity). She has traveled to Europe, promoting
the mission of the movement to the Moroccan diaspora. She often serves as the movement’s
spokesperson.
PALESTINE
el faqeeh, khouloud
El Faqeeh is the first female judge in Palestine and one of the first female judges in the Islamic
world for a shari‘a-based court. She graduated top of her class at Al Quds University and has her
own private practice.
QATAR
al missned, her highness sheikha mozah bint nasser
Sheikha Mozah is the wife of the ruler of Qatar, H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani. She is a
public figure; advocating for women’s and children’s rights. Sheikha Mozah was the driving force
behind Education City and Al Jazeera Children Channel. She holds several political positions,
including chair of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development.
SAUDI ARABIA
al faiz, norah abdallah
Norah al Faiz is the deputy minister for women’s education, becoming the first woman ever to
serve in the Saudi Arabia Council of Ministers. She was formerly principal of a girls’ school and
was director of the women’s section at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
al haddad, dr ahmed [new]
Dr Ahmed al Haddad is the grand mufti of Dubai and director of the Dubai Fatwa Administration
with the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities. In late 2009 Dr al Haddad
announced the start of a program designed to develop a cadre of fully-trained and certified female
muftis who will be able to issue fatwas and be recognized as leading Islamic scholars alongside their
male counterparts. This is considered to be the first deliberate attempt at including women at the
highest levels of Islamic scholarship in Dubai, and presents the possibility of a female grand mufti
in the future.
YEMEN
ali, nujood [new]
Nujood Ali is the twelve-year-old author of the memoir ‘I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced,’
published in English for the first time in 2010. The autobiographical account of her forced
marriage to a 30-year-old man and subsequent rape and abuse is just one step in her personal fight
against the societal injustices associated with polygamy and child marriage. Her efforts to educate
the world have garnered global attention and catalyzed efforts to address instances of forced child
marriage in other countries.
East Africa
SOMALIA
osman, hibaaq
A Somali Muslim and women’s rights activist, Hibaaq Osman is Special Representative to Africa
for V-Day—a movement against violence against women. She is the founder of Karama, a regional
movement working to end violence against women in the Arab World. She is also the founding
CEO of the Arab Women’s Fund and founder of the Center for the Strategic Initiatives of Women
(CSIW).