The Twenty-first Annual Conference of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women

Abstract

The Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) held its Twenty-firstAnnual Conference, October 4, 2003 at Crowne Plaza, Montreal, Quebec.CCMW was established in 1982 to attain and maintain equality, equity,and empowerment for Canadian Muslim women in the North Americansetting. Participants from across Canada came to celebrate CCMW’srenowned presence throughout the nation as well as to discuss issuesrelated to the conference: “Engaging Muslim Women in Civic and SocialChange.” The conference was officially opened with the reading of theQur’an in Arabic, English, and French, followed by the Girl Guides ofCanada, Muslim Chapter, singing the Canadian national anthem. Theywere accompanied by the CCMW attendees.Dr. Homa Hoodfar (Concordia University, Quebec) opened the conferencewith the first session: “Building Civil Society in our TransnationalWorld.” Civil society, defined as a society ruled by laws and norms andobeyed by the governing body and the public, was discussed, along with itsrelationship in dealing with such minorities as Muslim women in Canada.A civil society permits a group of people to lobby and work with the publicin a democratic system to facilitate change and development. However,transnational support and solidarity are required in conjunction with lobbying.Hoodfar effectively illustrated this concept by bringing to light theorganization Women Living under Muslim Law (WLUML), which currentlycomprises 4000 individuals and organizations and has surveyed theimplementation of Islamic law in many Islamic countries. Along with servingas a platform to network, the organization exists as a powerful institutionto help Muslim women earn their civil rights and liberties.The presentation “Restoring the Glory of Muslim Women: Leadership,Scholarship, and the Family” by Dr. Azizah al Hibri (University ofRichmond, Richond, VA) passionately described another influentialwomen’s organization. Al Hibri, who has visited 12 Islamic countries, high ...