B13. Women in Islam (Ives) (Thursday)

This course will explore many aspects of being a Muslim woman.  It will combine some aspects of Islamic theology, history, and contemporary issues.  Some topics will include women’s rights, responsibilities, and role, Islam’s earliest female role models and heroines, profiles of contemporary Muslim women, and issues such as menstruation, sexuality, polygyny, and the hijab.  We will also closely examine the reality of Muslim women’s lives in different countries.

GROUP LEADER:  Mona Ives is an American-born Muslim woman of Egyptian descent.  After starting a major in International Relations at Boston University, Mona studied Islamic Theology with a specialization in Comparative Religion at the International Islamic University in Pakistan.  Currently, she is focused on interfaith and outreach activities, and her goal is to educate the public about the true teachings of Islam as well as to dispel myths and stereotypes about Islam and Muslims.  She is a frequent guest speaker at a variety of religious and community organizations, and is also dedicated to doing charity work and helping refugees integrate into our society.