New Exhibit Showcases Muslim Women

By VOA
24 May, 2013
Hello there, I'm June Simms in Washington. Thank you for joining us for As It Is.

Today, we travel back in time to remember one of the most historic events in science fiction history.

We also take a trip to New York City for an unusual photographic exhibit.

But first, we hear about a new online exhibit that recognizes the work of Muslim women.

The International Museum of Women has a new exhibit on its website. The exhibit showcases the artwork, voices and stories of modern Muslim women. It includes works by Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and the Bangladeshi-American poet S. Nadia Hussain. Caty Weaver has our report.

The show is called "Muslima: Muslim Women's Art and Voices." The Arabic word "muslima" means a woman who believes in God.

Samina Ali organized the exhibit. She says one of its goals is to change negative images of Muslim women and to increase cross-cultural discussion.

"When we think of Muslim women, we think that they are weak, passive women who happens to also be veiled."

The Indian-born Muslim writer, artist and activist says the shows uses art, film, music and interviews to present a different view of Muslim women. It shows them being strong, involved and intense about improving their societies.

"We have a beautiful documentary on there called "Half-Value Life" by Alka Sadat in Afghanistan and she's speaking about the strife that women in Afghanistan have faced under the Taliban regime and continue to face now and how women aren't valued."